The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up their preseason with a 34-6 loss to the Denver Broncos. It wasn’t a pretty showing for Minnesota, which struggled to get off the field defensively while the offense failed to convert in the red zone on multiple trips, settling for field goals or coming away with nothing.

Now that the preseason is over, attention turns to the 53-man roster. Who made the biggest statements on Friday night, both positive and negative? Here’s a look at the stock up and stock down performers from the Vikings’ preseason finale.

Stock up: WR Dontae Fleming

It’s unlikely a player ends up making the team as a sixth wide receiver, but if anybody does, it’s Fleming. He thrived in a multitude of ways on Friday night, including a fantastic over-the-shoulder catch on a throw from quarterback Max Brosmer in the third quarter where he got both feet down in bounds.

Fleming led the team with 55 yards receiving on four catches and showed some really nice things, including working through contact while running routes. It wasn’t necessarily the best performance from anybody, but Fleming showed enough to warrant a roster spot. The question is whether the Vikings will carry him or put him on the practice squad.

Stock down: RB Demond Claiborne

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: he’s fast, but is he football fast? There are a ton of track athletes who can run at elite speed, but being football fast means you can actually utilize that speed when trying to run away from defenders and soften angles on the field. Claiborne hasn’t shown a willingness to do that so far in the preseason.

He has yet to average 3 yards per carry in a game, and cumulatively he has averaged 2.4 yards per carry on 16 carries throughout the preseason. That is not going to fly when it comes to making the roster. He hasn’t done enough, and even with the traded sixth-round pick Minnesota used on him, I don’t know if he’ll end up making it.

Stock up: TE Gavin Bartholomew

The tight end position is an interesting one. Ben Yurosek only played five snaps on Friday, but Bartholomew played 25. One of the reasons why is likely due to Bartholomew not playing a significant amount of snaps in 2025 as a rookie. He didn’t even practice until Week 16 due to a back injury and caught just five passes for 25 yards last season.

What Bartholomew displayed was the ability in space to be a good athlete, maneuver around defenders, and use his frame to catch the ball. Those are all valuable pieces to being a nice move tight end. With T.J. Hockenson set to be a free agent after the season, Bartholomew looks like a guy who could end up taking that spot with another year of development. It’s a long shot even so, but it’s something the Vikings will likely look into.

Stock down: S Jacob Thomas

This is a tough one because it’s not necessarily Thomas’s fault, but he did end up getting hurt. He suffered an ankle injury while going up for a pass breakup early in the first quarter and did not return with head coach Kevin O’Connell mentioning that he will have an MRI to learn the extent. That injury is going to play a factor in whether he makes the final 53-man roster.

Luckily for Thomas, the results were good, as Thomas a grade one ankle sprain.

Vikings UDFA safety Jacob Thomas has a Grade 1 ankle sprain, a source tells The Athletic. Considered very positive news after Friday’s injury. Thomas has had an exceptional training camp and has been in line to make the 53-man roster.

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) August 29, 2026

We’ve seen it time and time again with players on the roster bubble who get injured. They don’t end up making the roster. I hope that’s not the case for Thomas, who has been very good this preseason, but it’s a non-zero proposition at this point.

Stock up: EDGE Kenny Dyson Jr.

Dyson has been a real standout in the preseason. The Vikings signed him after he played with the Houston Gamblers of the UFL last year, and he has a 40% pressure rate so far. He only has 15 pass rush reps, but six pressures and a sack is something noteworthy.

You don’t get a lot of opportunities when you’re a back-end-of-the-roster guy in the preseason, but when you get them, you need to take advantage. Dyson has done just that. I believe he’s earned himself a spot on the practice squad.