The fireworks known as Minnesota Vikings training camp have begun in Eagan, as Kevin O’Connell’s team is about two weeks away from the first preseason game. Per usual, the club is using training camp to decide roster battles, and there are actually quite a few spots that need clarity.
Which ones? Well, we have that information. The following list contains depth chart matters that need resolution, ranked in ascending order of importance (No. 1 = most important roster item to settle).
Nine Vikings Roles Still Need Answers
9. Bottom of WR Depth Chart
Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings have spoken for the first three WR jobs on the Vikings’ depth chart. Full stop. But after that trio, these three men are presumably jockeying for position:
- Tai Felton
- Myles Price
- Dillon Bell
It’s unclear who will make the roster among those men, though Felton and Price are probably somewhat safe for 53-man roster projections. Yet, if Bell, an undrafted free agent with ample hype, scores the upset, could Felton or Price be cut?
8. The Back End of the Running Back Room
Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason will split RB1-RB2 carries in 2026, but what about RB3? Rookie Demond Claiborne is in the mix, along with Zavier Scott, who emerged as the RB3 last year, lesser-known rookie UDFA Kejon Owens, and recently signed Jordan Mims.
Based on draft stock, Claiborne should handily win the RB3 job, but will Scott make the roster as the RB4?
7. Punter
It’s old versus new at punter for the Vikings. Johnny Hekker arrived via free agency in March, and the Vikings inked rookie Brett Thorson from Georgia after the draft. It’s unclear if Minnesota wants veteran experience and dependability at punter or youth and upside. Choose your fighter.
6. Backup Guard
Suppose an injury rattled one of the Vikings’ starting guards: Donovan Jackson or Will Fries. Who would enter the game? Blake Brandel can no longer fill that role because he’s in line to start at center. The responsibility would evidently fall to one of these men:
- Joe Huber
- Henry Byrd
- Michael Jurgens (center)
- Vershon Lee
Ordinarily at the start of training camp, the main backup guard – – it’s usually Brandel – – is established. In 2026, it is not.
5. Jamal Adams’s Fit
The Vikings signed Adams this week, and he’s in town to play linebacker, not safety. But Minnesota has plenty of inside linebackers, including Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, rookie Jake Golday, and Ivan Pace Jr.
Will Adams carve out a role where he plays frequently in Brian Flores’s defense – – or just be an ornamental depth piece on the bench? Will he get 80 defensive snaps in 2026 or 800? Many questions for a guy who once was a Top 3 safety in the NFL.
4. The Third Outside Linebacker
At training camp, the outside linebacker room reveals Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner – – and then a bunch of undrafted free agents from years past. Unless the aforementioned Golday plays right away as a rookie and is used at OLB, the Vikings must promote one of those UDFAs to OLB3 or explore a position conversion for a player like Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, a defensive tackle by trade.
On paper, the third outside linebacker appears to be a battle between Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, and Chaz Chambliss.
A free-agent signing may be needed at OLB3, if only to hedge the bet against a Van Ginkel or Turner injury.
3. Levi Drake Rodriguez or Domonique Orange at Nose Tackle?
The Vikings used a 3rd-round pick on Orange from Iowa State, which immediately placed him on the roster next to Rodriguez, who enters Year No. 3.
In recent seasons, Rodriguez would take the NT1 title in the regular season because Minnesota doesn’t often play rookies right away, but 2026 could be a different story for Orange. His scouting report suggests game-readiness.
2. The Safety Rotation behind Josh Metellus
Through 6-7 months of the offseason, there have been exactly zero Harrison Smith sightings. In a normal season – – dating back to 2012 – – the Vikings’ defense would showcase Smith and somebody else as the two main safeties. Without Smith, that arrangement in 2026 is Metellus and somebody else.
Contenders include:
- Jay Ward
- Theo Jackson
- Jakobe Thomas (rookie)
The question is basically this: who gets the bulk of snaps at safety after Metellus in Flores’s exotic defense?
1. QB1 (and QB2)
Kyler Murray versus J.J. McCarthy is so well-covered by the media and is such a high-profile NFL battle that it almost needs no elaboration.
But when the dust settles – – probably in mid-August – – one man will be crowned the QB1 and the other guy must choose to accept the QB2 with grace or ask for a ticket out of town. Murray is the betting-market favorite to win the job, but McCarthy has shown early at training camp that he isn’t a slouch.
The Vikings’ first summer quarterback battle in 12 years is underway.
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VikesNow Verdict: The Vikings have plenty of roster certainty at the top, but the middle of the roster rotation is still fluid. Quarterback and safety carry the biggest stakes, while several smaller competitions could determine which young players actually have roles when September arrives.
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