For the first time on VikesNow‘s Top 40 Minnesota Vikings players of 2026, a defensive player gets the nod. By happenstance, wide receivers, running backs, and offensive linemen dominated the countdown so far.
At No. 36, the spot belongs to outside linebacker Bo Richter because he might just be the Vikings’ “other” pass rusher this season.
A Special Teams Mainstay with a Defensive Opening
Richter’s Role in 2026
On April 24, the Vikings traded their best and most reliable defensive player, Jonathan Greenard, to the Philadelphia Eagles, along with a 7th-round pick, in exchange for a 2026 3rd-rounder and another 3rd-round pick in 2027. The 2026 3rd-rounder turned into rookie safety Jakobe Thomas, and Minnesota will bring the new player to light next April.
That trade transformed one of the Vikings’ deepest roster positions into a question mark. Therefore, players previously nibbling around the OLB4 role behind Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner moved up one spot on the depth chart. On paper, Richter represents a credible candidate for the OLB3 job heading into training camp, although teammate Tyler Batty might disagree.
Richter’s role, so long as rookie off-ball linebacker Jake Golday doesn’t slide over to OLB or DT Tyrion-Ingram Dawkins doesn’t convert to EDGE, will be to rush the passer when Van Ginkel and Turner don’t quite get there. Of course, a Golday or Ingram-Dawkins emergence could put Richter on the back burner, but for now, he’s the OLB3 and hence on this countdown at No. 36.
For example, in years past, this role would’ve been filled by ex-Vikings defenders D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones II. There’s a possibility that Richter is the “new Wonnum or Jones.”
What Success Looks Like
Richter must first win the OLB3 job at training camp; that is not a foregone conclusion at the time of this article’s publication. It’s merely a cautious assumption because the man played OLB4 in 2025.
If Richter takes on the OLB3 role after Greenard’s departure, success will look like at least 5 sacks and perhaps 40 quarterback pressures. OLB3s are not asked to be Pro Bowlers, but they must wreak havoc on 3rd Down and make the opposing quarterback’s life hell some of the time.
Richter has a chance to establish himself as the “other guy” after Van Ginkel and Turner in Brian Flores’s defense, which would be quite the accomplishment considering his UDFA trek to the NFL two years ago.
SportsNaut‘s Andrew Buller-Russ recently wrote about the Vikings’ OLB3 situation, “Who will be the team’s third edge rusher? A free agency addition could join them. Jake Golday could provide a solution, but he’s also a rookie and entirely unproven.”
“Otherwise, the Vikings have a trio of former undrafted candidates in Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, and Chaz Chambliss, and the latter is the only one who’s recorded an NFL sack. Richter has played in 31 games, and Batty and Chambliss have 12 appearances, all in 2025. Two other rookie UDFAs joined the Vikings after the draft. Opportunities are ripe for the taking, so who wants them the most?”
What Could Make This Ranking Look Too Low – – or Too High
This ranking has a risk of being too high rather than too low.
By the time Minnesota announces the 53-man roster in late August, Richter may be surpassed on the OLB depth chart by the aforementioned Golday or Ingram-Dawkins – – or even a free agent EDGE like Leonard Floyd or Jadeveon Clowney. In that case, Richter would revert to his OLB4 or OLB5 origins. The No. 36 ranking would appear way too generous.
But training camp is four days away, and the Vikings have signed no free-agent OLBs. The Golday and Ingram-Dawkins theories remain speculative. Richter is the most sensible pick for OLB3.
He can climb higher on the list of important Vikings if he logs north of 7 sacks and passes the eye test of a genuinely productive outside linebacker. Richter will turn 26 next month, and he’s played 81 defensive snaps in his career. It’s go-time for him to make an impact in the big leagues.
Thankfully, Richter remains vital on special teams, accruing 639 snaps in two seasons.
Next in the Countdown
Wondering how we got to No. 36? Here’s the pecking order:
40 | Myles Price (WR)
39 | Tai Felton (WR)
38 | Demond Claiborne (RB)
37 | Caleb Tiernan (OT)
36 | Bo Richter (OLB)
Safety Theo Jackson is next at No. 35. He began the 2025 campaign as the main solution at safety after Camryn Bynum left in free agency for the Indianapolis Colts. With Harrison Smith’s future up in the air, Jackson could be vital in the purple secondary.
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VikesNow Verdict: Richter is a sensible choice at No. 36 because his special teams reliability gives him a legitimate roster floor, while Greenard’s departure created an opening for defensive snaps. But the third EDGE job is not his by default. Richter must separate from Tyler Batty, Chaz Chambliss and the other developmental options before he can become Minnesota’s other pass rusher behind Van Ginkel and Turner.
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