Minnesota Vikings training camp is here: rookies reported to Eagan on Sunday, and everyone else will follow on Tuesday. To get you ready for training camp, which will be headlined by a new quarterback in Kyler Murray, we’ve got the details of everything you need to know.
Oddsmakers expect Minnesota to finish in last place in the NFC North, so camp will be the first place to begin to change the narrative.
14 Big-Ticket Items to Follow at Vikings Training Camp
1. There’s a Hype Train for UDFA WR Dillon Bell
Every summer, the Vikings empower at least one undrafted free agent to make the September roster, and Bell could be the latest installment.
From the University of Georgia, Bell brings Percy Harvin-like versatility, though he has a long way to go before becoming Harvin. He’s angling for a 53-man roster spot, which might be tricky after Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, Tai Felton, and Myles Price on the WR depth chart.
2. The New Rookie RB Could Be Exciting
Demond Claiborne – – that’s who Minnesota drafted in Round 6 from Wake Forest. Many fans thought the club would pick a tailback earlier in the draft, but that was not true.
Claiborne brings 4.37 speed to the Vikings’ offense, along with a physical stature similar to Jerick McKinnon from the Vikings’ past. Minnesota is due for a youthful solution at running back. Onlookers will watch Claiborne intently at camp to see if he can be “the guy.”
3. Minnesota Drafted Max Bredeson to Succeed C.J. Ham
A teammate of J.J. McCarthy at Michigan, the Vikings drafted Bredeson in Round 5 about six weeks after Ham retired from the NFL. The fullback era in Minnesota is not over. It’s revised.
Think of Bredeson as an “H-back.” He was a tight end at Michigan. He’s never attempted a single rushing attempt.
4. It Might Be the Vikings’ Best WR Trio in 25 Years
Is the combination of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings better than Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Jake Reed? Absolutely not. Is the Jefferson-Addison-Jennings trio the best since Moss-Carter-Reed? Absolutely.
The Vikings finally put their foot down this offseason, getting overly serious at the WR3 position. Murray will have the requisite tools to succeed.
5. We’ve Got a Punter Battle
Johnny Hekker was the best punter in the NFL 10 years ago. Brett Thorson was the best punter in college football last year. Something’s gotta give.
If Hekker wins the punting battle, the Vikings can stash Thorson away because he’s partaking in the international player program. He’s an Australian with a Norwegian last name.
6. Rookie Jake Golday Could Be an ILB, OLB, or Both
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski picked Golday in Round 2, which is rather high for an inside linebacker but not an outside linebacker. Golday has fetched comparisons to Andrew Van Ginkel and Anthony Barr, so the mystery for now is whether Golday is truly an off-ball linebacker or if he has hybrid capability.
Knowing Brian Flores’s modus operandi, there’s a good chance that Golday plays off the EDGE, at least some of the time.
7. Rookie NT Could Start Right Away
Minnesota selected nose tackle Domonique Orange from Iowa State in Round 3, and he profiles as a true run-stuffer. Before the draft, the Vikings had Levi Drake Rodriguez on the depth chart as the main nose tackle. Now, depending on Orange’s game-readiness as a rookie, Rodriguez and Orange will vie for the starter’s job in September.
8. Blake Brandel Is the New Center
Remember OT Blake Brandel? How about G Blake Brandel? He’s become center Blake Brandel, or at least holds the clearest path to start at the spot this year. The Vikings signed no free-agent centers and only used a 7th-rounder on one – – Gavin Gerhardt from Cincinnati – – in April.
9. Caleb Banks Should Be Involved
How about the Vikings’ 1st-round pick? That’s a man named Caleb Banks, a defensive tackle from Florida. Minnesota chose him despite two lingering foot injuries that he suffered in August 2025 and in February 2026 at the NFL Combine.
Other teams shied away from Banks in Round 1 because of the injury, but all signs point to his inclusion at training camp, perhaps avoiding a dreaded redshirt year. A sigh of relief.
10. Harrison Smith Still Hasn’t Returned
The way Week 18 played out in January, it felt like Smith’s final game. And then he never said anything – – nothing at all – – about his return-or-retirement plans. Regarding Smith, Vikings fans are in limbo.
He turned 37 in February, but if he planned to retire, wouldn’t he have said something, especially when his longtime teammates, C.J. Ham and Adam Thielen, walked away from the game this offseason?
Smith did not. Fans remain on Smith Watch.
11. It’s Dallas Turner’s Time
The Vikings traded Jonathan Greenard and a 7th-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in April for two 3rd-rounders. The move paved the way for Turner to start after two seasons of Andrew Van Ginkel and Greenard blocking him from maximum snaps.
If you want to know if Turner was worth the expensive Kwesi Adofo-Mensah trade in the 2024 NFL Draft, you’ll get your best verdict yet this season.
12. Christian Darrisaw Is Back — and Healthy
Darrisaw tore his ACL in October 2024 and has not been right since. He played 10 games (504 snaps) last year – – or about half the time. His health is one of the Vikings’ most important storylines of the short and long term.
Without any suspense, Darrisaw will be at camp and fully ready to roll.
13. A Third Pass Rusher Will Emerge or Be Signed
Without the aforementioned Greenard, the Vikings have less-than-usual depth at outside linebacker. The options for OLB after Van Ginkel and Turner include Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, Chaz Chambliss, defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, or Golday.
Otherwise, the free-agent market is stuffed with OLB options. A player like Leonard Floyd, Jadeveon Clowney, Haason Reddick, or Von Miller could do the trick.
But at the start of training camp, nobody knows the identity of the OLB3.
14. There Is Indeed a Mighty QB Battle
One point three million dollars: that’s how much it cost the Vikings to sign Kyler Murray in free agency, a mind-boggling low figure for the man who will probably be Minnesota’s starting quarterback in 2026.
Murray must keep J.J. McCarthy at bay this month and next, as Minnesota hosts a true quarterback battle for the first time in ages. McCarthy has reportedly sharpened his mechanics all offseason.
There will be a quarterback competition, but according to sportsbooks, Murray is the overwhelming favorite.
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VikesNow Verdict: Minnesota enters camp with enough talent to outperform the gloomy projections, but most of its upside depends on three developments: competent quarterback play, a healthier offensive line, and immediate contributions from a young defensive class. The Vikings do not need every summer mystery to break perfectly, but Murray versus McCarthy must produce a productive starter.
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