J.J. McCarthy on the fast track towards the Vikings’ starting quarterback job. Meanwhile, Sam Howell is Kevin O’Connell’s latest reclamation project at the position, and Brett Rypien takes on the emergency QB3 role.
Running Back (4)
RB1: Aaron Jones
RB2: Jordan Mason
RB3: C.J. Ham
RB4: Zavier Scott
Aaron Jones returns to the Vikings and will be splitting the lion’s share of the carries with Jordan Mason. C.J. Ham remains as an ever-present player who can do a little bit of everything for Minnesota, and Zavier Scott hopes to get his first ever snaps in a regular season NFL game.
Wide Receiver (6)
WR1: Justin Jefferson
WR2: Jordan Addison
WR3: Tai Felton
WR4: Jalen Nailor
WR5: Rondale Moore
WR6: Tim Jones
Minnesota’s wide receiver room will be a fierce battle for a limited number of roster spots. Obviously, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison land at the top of the room, but a possible suspension for Jordan Addison could open up new opportunities for Tai Felton and Jalen Nailor. Perhaps Minnesota could hold onto a younger player like Lucky Jackson or Jeshaun Jones, but Rondale Moore has a track record of being a productive player in an NFL offense, and Tim Jones is a speedy player who Kevin O’Connell can get creative with.
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<p>TE1: T.J. Hockenson<br />TE2: Josh Oliver<br />TE3: Gavin Bartholomew</p>
<p>It’s a pretty straight forward result at tight end. T.J. Hockenson is an elite pass-catching tight end, and Josh Oliver just got a new extension with the team. Finally, sixth-round pick Gavin Bartholomew grabs the third roster spot after the departure of Johnny Mundt.</p>
<h4>Offensive Tackle (4)</h4>
<p>LT: Christian Darrisaw<br />RT: Brian O’Neill<br />OT3: Justin Skule<br />OT4: Walter Rouse</p>
<p>Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill combine to create one of the best offensive tackle tandems in the NFL while newcomer Justin Skule comes in and takes a roster spot for his versatility to play multiple positions on the offensive line. 2024 sixth-round pick Walter Rouse grabs the final spot, hoping to showcase his abilities throughout camp.</p>
<h4>Interior Offensive Line (5)</h4>
<p>LG: Donovan Jackson<br />C: Ryan Kelly<br />RG: Will Fries<br />IOL4: Blake Brandel<br />IOL5: Michael Jurgens</p>
<p>It’s a brand new starting offensive line for the Minnesota Vikings with former Colts standouts Ryan Kelly and Will Fries signing with the team. It didn’t stop there, though, as Kwesi Adofo-Mensah opted to use Minnesota’s first-round pick on Donovan Jackson. Blake Brandel has starting experience and should be the first lineman in reserve based on his versatility, and 2024 seventh-round pick Michael Jurgens sticks around as well to be a backup center.</p>
<h4>Defensive Tackle (6)</h4>
<p>DT1: Jonathan Allen<br />DT2: Harrison Phillips<br />DT3: Javon Hargrave<br />DT4: Jalen Redmond<br />DT5: Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins<br />DT6: Taki Taimani</p>
<p>Like the interior offensive line, Minnesota went out of their way to try and revamp the defensive tackle position in free agency. They brought in both Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who will be the new starters alongside Harrison Phillips. Jalen Redmond showed a ton of promise in 2024, and he should get plenty of chances to rotate into the defense while fifth-round pick Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and the massive Taki Taimani get the final two spots.</p>
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Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey
