In a month, all of the Minnesota Vikings will gather at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minn. Training camp will commence. The final countdown to the season will begin.
It happens fast. There aren’t many chances to breathe, but this is one of them. Because there is a pause in the calendar, this is a perfect time to answer some of your questions.
Many of you wondered about the possibilities for 2025, the cornerback room, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the backup quarterback spot and more. Thank you for your curiosity, and if we didn’t get to your question, toss it over again in the comments.
Note: The questions have been edited for length and clarity.
Which player will be the biggest surprise this year? — Bruce F.
This is a fun place to start.
Two candidates immediately stand out: safety Theo Jackson and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
For years, Vikings players and coaches have raved about Jackson behind the scenes. It’s everything. His professionalism, his work ethic, his abilities, his versatility. Last year, potential Hall of Fame safety Harrison Smith chose to sit out the Week 16 game in Seattle against the Seahawks with a foot injury. Smith might have put up a tougher fight to play — knowing the team needed a win to maintain its NFC North prospects — had it not been for his belief that Jackson could fill his role. That day, Jackson intercepted a Geno Smith pass from deep to ice the game.
Vikings PICK to seal the game! #MINvsSEA pic.twitter.com/DAJnsq7TA2
— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024
Jackson won’t be the only new everydown player in the secondary. Rodgers joins him. His track record may not be lengthy, but it’s easy to understand why the Vikings would be optimistic. Rodgers played 366 coverage snaps in 2021 and snatched three interceptions. Rewatch those turnovers, and you’ll quickly notice Rodgers’ downfield sense for the football. He isn’t physically imposing, but the Vikings’ front office and defensive coordinator Brian Flores targeted him purposefully.
If Minnesota is to contend in the NFC North, it will need its secondary to ballhawk the way it did last year. That’ll fall heavily on these two, who are unquestionably capable.
What have the Vikings done to improve their draft process? — Colin H.
The more swings you make in the draft, the more information you have. And the more information you have, the more confident you feel about why you’re making the decisions. Adofo-Mensah has learned more every year: about the types of players who fit these specific systems, about trades that net a palatable enough return, about the preferences of particular scouts and coaches.
Over the last couple of seasons, the Vikings have leaned further into intelligent players with college production. The coaching staff has certainly increased its pre-draft participation. Adofo-Mensah has also said that he has refrained from trying to fill multiple needs at once. He equated his process to playing a par 5 with calculated aggression. Why pull out the 3-wood to risk disaster if you can hit a 7-iron and keep a birdie in play?
Adaptations shouldn’t come as a surprise. Adofo-Mensah will willingly admit that he doesn’t have all the answers in an industry where many masquerade as savants. Above all, his hope is a refined process will lead to better decision-making than the competition. More time is necessary to declare if that’s actually what the Vikings have.
How confident are you that the backup quarterback is currently on the roster? — Mark D.
Here’s what this question is really asking: How much faith do you have in Sam Howell?
Head coach Kevin O’Connell and the coaching staff love Brett Rypien’s input in the room. Undrafted signee Max Brosmer is similarly intelligent. Neither has the athletic talent or playing experience of Howell, who threw for nearly 4,000 yards in 17 starts in 2023. Spring practice only reveals so much, but Howell’s arm talent is inarguable. The questions lay in his field vision, decision-making and accuracy.
O’Connell might believe that he and the Vikings’ offense could mitigate any potential risks those qualities could cause. In that way, Howell might not be crazily dissimilar from Sam Darnold. Whether that presents a high enough floor or not — for a team as committed to winning in 2025 as Minnesota is — warrants contemplation.
There aren’t an abundance of alternatives. If the Vikings soured on Howell, they could try to sway longtime starter Ryan Tannehill. Plucking Kirk Cousins from the Falcons is another break-glass-in-case-of-emergency possibility. Daniel Jones would’ve occupied this spot if the Vikings had their way from the outset, so as long as Howell comes close to that level, they may be satisfied.
Who looked like the early favorite for the punting job or is that person on another team? — Glen M.
Nothing from the spring says the Vikings are desperate to move on from Ryan Wright. They appreciate his holding ability. Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels also values continuity in his room. Undrafted free agent Oscar Chapman should receive plenty of opportunities during training camp because this remains one obvious weak point on the roster.
Minnesota ranked 30th in special teams DVOA in 2022, 30th in ‘23 and 27th in ‘24. Kicker Greg Joseph didn’t help the cause. Neither have the Vikings’ lackluster returners. But Wright’s inconsistency factors heavily in these metrics.
Thirty-one punters have booted the ball at least 100 times since 2022. Wright ranks last in the percentage of punts downed inside the 10-yard line. He hovers near the middle of the pack in most other statistics. Maybe the Vikings prefer the known versus unknown at this spot, but it is one of those sneaky positions that could bite them in meaningful games deep into the winter.
How are talks of a Jordan Addison suspension affecting the organization? — Colegorms24
Addison has a July 15 trial as a byproduct of a DUI citation last summer. He could face a three-game suspension.
This won’t catch the Vikings off guard. They’ve known this could be a possibility, and it places further emphasis on their need to run the football effectively. Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson will serve as the primary targets, while Jalen Nailor’s role will increase. Rookie receiver Tai Felton could also see significant time during this span.
Who is the undrafted free agent most likely to make the team? — Andrew J.
The likeliest two are tight end Ben Yurosek and receiver Silas Bolden.
Yurosek will compete with seventh-round pick Gavin Bartholomew for the No. 3 tight end position behind Hockenson and Josh Oliver. Bolden, meanwhile, is the most dynamic returner outside of receiver Rondale Moore. Still recovering from last season’s season-ending knee injury, Moore is by no means a guaranteed contributor. He’ll have to prove his potential for impact.
The four undrafted signees with longer odds to make the 53-man are as follows: defensive lineman Tyler Batty, cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn, defensive lineman Elijah Williams and Brosmer.
Were the Vikings one of the teams that lost out on bidding for Jaire Alexander? — Evan J.
No.
The Vikings’ front office constantly explores creative additions. It’s one of the tenets of how Adofo-Mensah operates: Rarely do they dismiss any options or opportunities. Alexander — and you can categorize Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a similar boat — was always a longshot. It’s not just their locker room fit, but it’s also the Vikings’ belief in the cornerback room they currently have.
That does not mean the Vikings did not check in with Alexander’s representation. Nor does it mean the Vikings will refrain from future additions, even in training camp. More than anything, it’s a reflection of how they feel about their overall chemistry and talent.
What was the cornerback rotation in minicamp? — Sunny G.
Full disclosure: Flores toys with different looks during minicamp, and this can often lead to misdirection. Last year, for example, Joejuan Williams participated among the starters, then never played a snap.
Most of the nickel groupings featuring three cornerbacks included Byron Murphy Jr., Rodgers and Jeff Okudah. Third-year pro Mekhi Blackmon mixed in at times. Dwight McGlothern, an undrafted signing last year, also participated in reps with the starters. Both of those two need productive training camps.
How bullish should Vikings fans be about the roster this year? — Jondanderson22.
More bullish than they’ve been in the last three years.
Quarterback is the only position with less certainty than the Vikings have had since O’Connell took over. The interior of the offensive line is drastically improved. The edge rusher room is loaded. Running back is deeper. Cornerback may be a question mark, but it still inspires a comparable amount of confidence to the 2022 group of an aging Patrick Peterson, Chandon Sullivan and Cam Dantzler.
Can the defense maintain its dominance? Can a roster with a bevy of veterans stay healthy? And can J.J. McCarthy come anywhere close to the levels Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold reached in the last few years? Answer all of those with yes, and it’s easy to dream of a fun ride.
Will next year’s cap situation be a problem? — Patrick H.
The Vikings are projected to be $53.7 million over the cap in 2026.
I can already hear your reaction: Excuse me?
It’s jarring on the surface, but the Vikings have numerous ways to go from red to black. One pullable lever? Restructuring contracts. Which is to say: Pushing money into the future. The Vikings could do this for Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, Jonathan Greenard, Hockenson, Murphy and Andrew Van Ginkel to generate upwards of $70 million in space for 2026. Not to mention, the Vikings have around $18 million in space this season that they could roll over.
This is all strategic. Teams with quarterbacks on rookie contracts can spend handsomely elsewhere. Moving money into the future is often frowned upon, but if it’s happening for players who are likely to maintain their production levels for the foreseeable future, teams will be just fine. The next part of the plan requires draft success. As quarterback prices increase and contracts begin to bloat, teams seeking to sustain winning need young players to perform with a surplus.
That’s the next phase of the Vikings’ current window.
(Top photo of Sam Howell: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
