Vikings Preseason Preview: 5 players to watch vs. Giants, including multiple position battles
The Minnesota Vikings are set to kick off the 2026 season on Saturday afternoon against the New York Giants.
The Minnesota Vikings kick off their preseason schedule at 12 p.m. CT Saturday afternoon against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Minnesota plans to play its starters, and that begins with quarterback Kyler Murray, who was named the Vikings’ starter on Tuesday.
The game will be the true start to new general manager Nolan Teasley building out the 53-man roster. Here are the key items to watch for on Saturday.
Kyler Murray and the first-team reps
Murray will probably only get a drive or two, and that’s fine. He’s the better quarterback right now, and he needs time with the first-team offense. The bigger benefit might be schematic. Going against a defense that isn’t Brian Flores’s could help Murray and the starters establish chemistry in a less chaotic environment. Most opposing defenses won’t throw exotic coverages during the preseason, with basic Cover 2, Cover 3, and quarters looks because nobody wants to expose their playbook before the regular season.
Murray will likely get his most extensive action Saturday because of next week’s joint practices with the Baltimore Ravens, which makes it the likely only time we will see him before the regular season begins.
J.J. McCarthy’s path as the backup
J.J. McCarthy was named the backup quarterback to Murray, which means the quarterback battle is over for now. McCarthy had some strong comments Wednesday about wanting to stay with the team. How much of that is lip service and how much is reality? Probably somewhere in the middle. He’s certainly frustrated that he’s not the guy. However, this lines up with what he said during mandatory minicamp when he expressed no interest in being traded. This is the team he wants to play for, and he’s been honest about that the whole time.
If McCarthy plays well during the preseason, that’s a positive sign for the Vikings’ quarterback depth. What McCarthy can be is still a bit of an unknown, and the coaching staff still thinks there might be a chance he can develop into a starter. However well he plays could end up mattering in terms of the Vikings keeping him or seeking a trade.
Dontae Fleming and the wide receiver depth
Dontae Fleming is the name to watch. The undrafted free agent out of Tulane was buried on the depth chart last year as one of the last players on the active roster at wide receiver, getting only about three plays per practice. Even so, he’d make a standout play each practice that propelled him forward. Fleming has his issues and isn’t an elite talent, but he’s shown the ability to attack vertically, work the intermediate and short ranges, and utilize different ways to get open. That’s exactly what you want in a Kevin O’Connell offense.
Fleming is probably competing for the WR5 spot, with Tai Felton likely locking down the WR4 spot with his excellent training camp. He also has to overtake Miles Price, who has had a strong camp of his own.
Edge rusher depth is a real concern
The edge rusher room behind Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel lacks clarity. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins was listed as a defensive end on the unofficial depth chart, meaning he’s slotted as an interior player. That’s curious given the talk and actual work he’s done at edge rusher. How much of the interior listing reflects last year’s role versus his actual 2026 trajectory remains unclear.
If Ingram-Dawkins stays inside, the edge depth comes down to Tyler Batty, Chaz Chambliss, and Bo Richter, which isn’t inspiring.. Chambliss was mainly a special teams contributor in 2025 as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia and didn’t show much as an edge rusher. Richter, a former Air Force cadet, has a great relative athletic score, speed, and size, but his 30.5-inch arms aren’t high-level traits for the position.
Of the three, Batty carries the most intrigue. He turned 27 in May, making him a much older prospect out of BYU. He was an undrafted free agent last year who was thought of as a potential day three but slipped because of his age. Most of his playing experience came against the Philadelphia Eagles, where the Vikings used him as a tush push disruptor, placing him on all fours in front of the neutral zone to prevent Jalen Hurts from gaining penetration. It didn’t work as well as they hoped, though other teams have tried to duplicate it with some success. That’s not what you want from your fourth-string edge rusher. You want more, and these preseason games need to show it.
If they don’t show it, things could get really interesting for the Vikings. They do have around $21 million in current cap space, giving them room to add a veteran.
Jamal Adams and Chuck Demings in the secondary
Jamal Adams is likely to play his first game with the Vikings on Saturday, but there’s a chance he doesn’t being a 10-year veteran. He’s transitioned from wearing No. 54 to No. 32 and is listed as a backup safety behind Jay Ward. Adams has experience at linebacker, excels in the box, and earned the nickname “Blitz Boy” in Seattle. That sounds like an elite fit for Flores’s defense. But Adams is entering his 10th year and is on the other side of 30. How much juice does he still have? These preseason games will answer that question.
Fifth-round rookie cornerback Chuck Demings out of Stephen F. Austin has had a phenomenal training camp, recording multiple pass breakups with at least one a day across practices. He’s shown unbridled confidence, which is massive for a cornerback. Practice translates more easily at cornerback and wide receiver because the work in shells and full pads mirrors actual game situations. Whether Demings can maintain that confidence on the field Saturday is something everyone wants to see.
