Vikings 53-Man Roster Projection: Nolan Teasley set to make an impact after minicamp cleared up multiple positions
Training camp is finally upon us, and we will finally get to see the plan new general manager Nolan Teasley has for the roster.
The Minnesota Vikings have been entrenched in a quarterback battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, but that’s not the only area of intrigue for the team.
With training camp finally here, the Vikings have a lot of decisions at hand for general manager Nolan Teasley. He will likely want to make a big splash to put his stamp on the roster, but how will that look? Here’s our best guess at the 53-man roster ahead of the beginning of training camp.
Note: Players with a single asterisk (*) are 2026 draft picks and players with double asterisks (**) are 2026 undrafted free agents.
Vikings’ way-too-early post-draft 53-man roster projection with UDFAs
Quarterback (3)
IN: Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, J.J. McCarthy
OUT: Max Brosmer
The skinny: I continue to stay consistent with this group. However, the one thing that has me intrigued is the idea of a potential trade once the starter is named. Would the Vikings end up trading either McCarthy or Murray when the other wins the starting job? Something I will be monitoring.
Running back (4)
IN: Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, Max Bredeson*
OUT: Demond Claiborne*, Kejon Owens**
The skinny: It would be a surprise to see Bredeson not make the roster with the addition of Frank Smith as the assistant head coach. He loved utilizing Alec Ingold with the Dolphins. The intrigue here is going to be if Claiborne can beat out Scott for the third running back spot. The juice he provides, along with trading up for him, is likely going to get him the job. However, Claiborne needs to show he can do the necessary special teams and pass blocking responsibilities. Right now, I don’t see that happening.
Wide receiver (6)
IN: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, Tai Felton, Myles Price, Dillon Bell**
OUT: Dontae Fleming, Jeshaun Jones, Luky Wysong**, Terrill Davis, Michael Briscoe**, Trayvon Rudolph**, Marcus Sanders Jr.**.
The skinny: The top three wide receivers are certainties at this point. After that comes the intrigue. Felton isn’t a guarantee to make the roster, especially after we saw former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah released three 2021 third-round picks at the end of training camp in 2022.
The two players that I’m really intrigued by are Dillon Bell and Dontae Fleming. Bell has a ton of hype surrounding him, and it’s warranted after a solid offseason program. Fleming last year stuck around on the practice squad, and flashed whenever given a real opportunity. He’s a sleeper to make the roster for me.
Tight end (3)
IN: T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Ben Yurosek
OUT: Gavin Bartholomew, Bryson Nesbit, Marshall Lang
The skinny: The biggest question here is who will win the TE3 job? Bartholomew only practiced for a total of three weeks since being drafted last season, which isn’t good. That’s why Yurosek gets the nod, along with him being a more traditional inline player. However, don’t discount the idea of Bartholomew beating out Bredeson for the FB/HB roster spot.
Offensive line (9)
IN: Christian Darrisaw (LT), Donovan Jackson (LG), Blake Brandel (C), Will Fries (RG), Brian O’Neill (RT), Ryan Van Demark, Michael Jurgens, Joe Huber, Caleb Tiernan**
OUT: Walter Rouse, Gavin Gerhardt*, Vershon Lee, Henry Byrd, Tomas Rimac**, Delby Lemieux**, Tristan Leigh**, Caleb Etienne
The skinny: The first of the nine draft picks that doesn’t make the roster is the last selection. Being at No. 235, it’s a small investment where the Vikings don’t have to keep them for salary cap purposes. Ideally, the Vikings would like to have 10, but it doesn’t happen. If the Vikings keep just five wide receivers, watch him make the roster.
Defensive line (6)
IN: Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Elijah Williams, Caleb Banks*, Domonique Orange*
OUT: Taki Taimani, Eric Johnson, Smith Vilbert**, Jahvaree Ritzie
The skinny: No real surprises on the defensive line, but the last couple of spots are where the intrigue lies. Being that Loudermilk has a similar frame to that of Banks, I have him making the roster because of that. Keep an eye on Taimani here, especially if Orange initially struggles during camp.
Linebacker (4)
IN: Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, Ivan Pace Jr., Jake Golday*
OUT: Jacob Roberts, Josh Ross, Keli Lawson**, Bangally Kamara**
The skinny: I think Pace could be on the trade block, especially if we see someone take a huge step forward. I’m keeping an eye on Roberts, who was with the Calgary Stampeders last year, and signed along with Jaylon Hutchings. While the latter went back to the CFL, Roberts is a very intriguing player, and succeeding on special teams would be the way to make it happen.
EDGE/Outside Linebacker (6)
IN: Dallas Turner, Andrew Van Ginkel, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Bo Richter, Tyler Batty, Chaz Chambliss
OUT: Arden Walker**, Cam’Ron Stewart**
The skinny: Edge rusher has a major depth issue. After Turner and Van Ginkel, there isn’t anyone who you can trust to bend the arc at a high level. This is the one spot where someone from the outside makes a lot of sense.
Cornerback (4)
IN: Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, James Pierre, Charles Demmings*
OUT: Dwight McGlothern, Zemaiah Vaughn, Da’Veawn Armstead**, Marcus Allen**, Tyreek Chappell**, Kahlef Haillassie
The skinny: Last year, Flores led the Vikings to the No. 2 passing defense with just three cornerbacks on the roster. With how he’s constructing this defense and the usage of three safeties, keeping four cornerbacks makes sense with 2-3 on the practice squad.
Safety (5)
IN: Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, Tavierre Thomas, Jakobe Thomas*
OUT: Jacob Thomas**
The skinny: The safety room is still at the mercy of Harrison Smith’s decision. If he returns, keep an eye on Jackson being the odd man out, as he was benched last year.
Specialists (3)
IN: Will Reichard (K), Brett Thorson (P)**, Andrew DePaola (LS)
OUT: Johnny Hekker (P)
The skinny: We are getting another punter competition this year. Thorson won the Ray Guy Award as the top punter in college football last year, and Hekker was an average player for the Tennessee Titans. It will be a fun battle to watch play out.
Final Word
Teasley has been in the job for two months, allowing him to put things together from a process standpoint and study the depths of the roster. How will he maneuver with this group? That will be very interesting to parse out over the next few weeks.