When the Minnesota Vikings signed wide receiver Jauan Jennings a week ago, they basically put a quiet bow on the offseason — there’s not much more money to spend, nor does the team have ginormous needs for trades. So, let’s take a look at who filled what per roster need.
Minnesota’s roster looks far more settled after a moderately busy stretch of free agency and draft movement.
The Vikings entered the offseason with a large list of roster holes; most are accounted for as of mid-May.
Several Newcomers Helped Clean Up the Depth Chart
Listed in order of importance, here’s how the Vikings filled holes.
Running Back
The Fix: Demond Claiborne
This may or may not be a homerun solution. Stylistically and per his physical build, Claiborne could be anything from Nyheim Hines, Jerick McKinnon, or De’Von Achane in the NFL. He has the speed, but he’s not the largest tailback ever. He compares himself to Alvin Kamara.
Thankfully, Achane’s offensive coordinator from the last three seasons now works for the Vikings: Frank Smith. Perhaps he’ll cultivate Claiborne in the same way.
The main reason fans aren’t universally pounding the table for Claiborne is the draft stock. Sixth-rounders don’t usually amount to much.
WR3
The Fix: Jauan Jennings
Jalen Nailor skedaddled in March, chasing a fat bag of cash in Las Vegas, his hometown. Unbelievably, he’s actually on tap to earn a WR1 job in Las Vegas if he plays his cards right after years of WR3 work in the Twin Cities.
So, most fans assumed that Minnesota would draft a wideout with one of its nine picks. They did not. They said no to that idea. But two weeks after the draft, the Vikings put their foot down at WR3, signing Jennings.
What was an emphatic roster weakness for eight weeks shifted to an emphatic roster strength with one signing. Jennings will thrive in Minnesota, a man who’s unafraid to block for ball carriers and will encounter a seamless transition between San Francisco and Minnesota’s offenses. If Kyle Shanahan’s offense is Sprite, Kevin O’Connell’s is Sierra Mist.
Center
The Fix: Blake Brandel
The Vikings could’ve signed one of these men at center in free agency:
- Cade Mays (Detroit Lions)
- Elgton Jenkins (Cleveland Browns)
- Lloyd Cushenberry (Buffalo Bills)
- Luke Fortner (Carolina Panthers)
- Tyler Biadasz (Washington Commanders)
The Vikings could’ve drafted one of these promising young centers:
- Jake Slaughter (Los Angeles Chargers)
- Connor Lew (Cincinnati Bengals)
- Sam Hecht (Carolina Panthers)
- Logan Jones (Chicago Bears)
They said naw, we’ve got Blake Brandel. And here we are.
Kevin O’Connell and friends also used a 7th-Round pick on Cincinnati center Gavin Gerhardt, though 7th-Rounders should never be trusted as solutions from a May standpoint.
Defensive Tackle
The Fix: Caleb Banks | Domonique Orange
To the surprise of virtually nobody, the Vikings released Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in March, players who later latched onto the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers, respectively. To fill the void, would they just promote Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Tyrion-Ingram Dawkins? Absolutely not.
Minnesota used two of its first three draft picks on Banks and Orange. Those young studs are in the house to directly replace Allen and Hargave. It’s youth and upside over aging veterans who offered middling efficiency in 2025.
Safety
The Fix: Jakobe Thomas
Harrison Smith could still return, but he’s in no hurry to make that decision.
Most thought Minnesota would draft Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman — mainly because he loosely resembles Smith and Minnesota needed a safety — but the Vikings rolled with Banks instead. One night later, the Vikings drafted Thomas from Miami, and he’s the one newcomer in the safety room.
Thomas won’t turn into Smith right away, but over the next few seasons, defensive coordinator Brian Flores will give him time to develop.
In the meantime, sans Smith on the roster for the first time since 2011, it’s Josh Metellus, Jay Ward, and Theo Jackson as the veterans at safety.
Cornerback
The Fix: James Pierre | Charles Demmings
Pierre can ball. He’s the perfect CB3 for the 2026 Vikings. This is his Pro Football Focus resume:
2025: 86.2 (408 snaps)
2024: 56.2 (207 snaps)
2023: 40.4 (28 snaps)
2022: 69.9 (260 snaps)
2021: 58.1 (415 snaps)
2020: 80.5 (38 snaps)
Plus the passer rating allowed.
2025: 41.4 (408 snaps)
2024: 81.5 (207 snaps)
2023: 143.7 (28 snaps)
2022: 58.7 (260 snaps)
2021: 105.7 (415 snaps)
2020: 79.2 (38 snaps)
And from Round 5 last month, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski took a flyer on Demmings from Stephen F. Austin University. Some already believe that Demmings may turn into a late-round gem. The Vikings are sure due for a rookie cornerback to pan out; the last guy to stay beyond a rookie contract was Xavier Rhodes — 13 years ago.
Quarterback
The Fix: Kyler Murray
After seven seasons and zero playoff wins, the Arizona Cardinals aborted the Murray era, releasing him a contractual valve for his next team to sign him for the NFL version of “free,” while Arizona pays him to play elsewhere.
The elsewhere is the Vikings.
Murray brings his stellar skill set to Minnesota, which is poetic because, as a kid, Murray cheered for the Vikings.
He has a better career-long EPA+CPOE than Baker Mayfield, Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud, and Daniel Jones. Murray could be fully unlocked with O’Connell’s tender love and care. If so, Murray may be the Vikings’ quarterback for the next 5-8 years. There’s a path to that outcome.
