Dustin Baker’s Early 53-Man Roster Projection for the Vikings

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Dustin Baker’s Early 53-Man Roster Projection for the Vikings

Dustin Baker’s Early 53-Man Roster Projection for the Vikings — Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Dustin Baker · Vikings Territory

Sat, May 9, 2026 ·

4 min read

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Between now and late August, VikingsTerritory unleashes a handful of roster projections for the Minnesota Vikings , usually from various authors. This is the first official stab at 2026.

Minnesota’s roster has more depth than last year, making this first 2026 projection tougher than usual.

The Vikings have onboarded about 30 new players in the last three weeks, so here’s a predictive look at the lay of the land.

Rookies and New Starters Shape the First Roster Forecast

Minnesota will reveal the regular season roster in about 16 weeks. Note: Many of the players listed as “out” will hit the practice squad. Also, rookies who made the 53-man cut are listed in bold font.

Justin Jefferson runs after a catch during a Vikings game against the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Vikings roster projection — Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) races upfield after a catch during first-half action on Sep. 21, 2025, against the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Jefferson remained the centerpiece of Kevin O’Connell’s offense, routinely creating explosive plays and commanding defensive attention throughout the 2025 campaign. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.

— Offensive Roster —

Quarterback (3)

QB1: Kyler Murray
QB2: J.J. McCarthy
QB3: Carson Wentz

Out: Max Brosmer

Running Back (3)

RB1: Aaron Jones
RB2: Jordan Mason
RB3: Demond Claiborne

Out: Zavier Scott | Kejon Owens

Scott could sneak in here at the expense of another player’s subtraction, but there’s just no way Claiborne doesn’t make the September roster.

Fullback (1)

FB1: Max Bredeson

Wide Receiver (5)

WR1: Justin Jefferson
WR2: Jordan Addison
WR3: Jauan Jennings
WR4: Tai Felton
WR5: Myles Price

Bell is all the hype right now per UDFA steam, but he’ll probably start his career on the practice squad.

Tight End (3)

TE1: T.J. Hockenson
TE2: Josh Oliver
TE3: Gavin Bartholomew

Out: Ben Yurosek | Bryson Nesbit

Yurosek could easily win the TE3 job. But no one knows how good Bartholomew can be, as he missed his entire rookie season due to injury. We chose unfulfilled draft stock with the tiebreaker.

Our Janik Eckardt on Bartholomew : “His back injury should be in the rearview mirror. He returned to practice late last season and the Vikings could’ve activated him down the stretch. Ultimately, they opted to keep him sidelined for the last two games as well and make the redshirt season official.”

“His NFL debut could come as early as September. He’ll have to show that he was actually worth the draft capital by distancing himself from Yurosek in the TE3 sweepstakes.”

Left Tackle (2)

LT1: Christian Darrisaw
LT2: Caleb Tiernan

Out: Caleb Etienne | Tristan Leigh

Right Tackle (3)

RT1: Brian O’Neill
RT2: Ryan Van Demark
RT3: Walter Rouse

Out: N/A

Center (3)

C1: Blake Brandel
C2: Michael Jurgens
C3: Gavin Gerhardt

OUT: N/A

Left Guard (1)

LG1: Donovan Jackson

Out: Henry Byrd | Delby Lemieux

Byrd could be a sneaky sleeper pick if Minnesota prefers more guard depth.

Right Guard (2)

RG1: Will Fries
RG2: Joe Huber

Will Fries, Brian O’Neill, and C.J. Ham celebrate after a Vikings touchdown against the Packers. Vikings roster projection — Minnesota Vikings guard Will Fries (76), offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (75), and fullback C.J. Ham (30) celebrate after a touchdown on Jan. 4, 2026, against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Minnesota’s offensive line showed major improvement during the 2025 season after several key offseason roster additions. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images.

Out: Vershon Lee | Tomas Rimac

— Defensive Roster —

Outside Linebacker (5)

OLB1: Andrew Van Ginkel
OLB2: Dallas Turner
OLB3: Bo Richter
OLB4: Tyler Batty
OLB5: Chaz Chambliss

Out: Cam’Ron Stewart| Jordan Botelho| Arden Walker

This group could change by the summer, perhaps with the addition of a player like Leonard Floyd .

Defensive End (3)

DE1: Jalen Redmond
DE2: Caleb Banks
DE3: Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
*Please Note: Most NFL terminology considers this spot “defensive tackle.”

Out: Eric Johnson | Elijah Williams | Monkell Goodwine

If we’re wrong here, Minnesota will find a way to keep Williams.

Nose Tackle (3)

NT1: Domonique Orange
NT2: Levi Drake Rodriguez
NT3: Taki Taimani

Out: N/A

Middle Linebacker (2)

MLB1: Eric Wilson
MLB2: Ivan Pace Jr.

Out: Jacob Roberts | Scooby Williams

You should never cut a man named Scooby , but someone had to find the exit sign at ILB.

Weakside Linebacker (2)

WLB1: Blake Cashman
WLB2: Jake Golday

Blake Cashman talks with C.J. Stroud after a Vikings-Texans game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Vikings roster projection — Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) speaks with Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) after a game on Sep. 22, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Cashman later emerged as one of the Vikings’ defensive tone-setters, delivering impactful tackling production and versatility in Brian Flores’ scheme. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.

Out: Josh Ross | Keli Lawson

Cornerback (4)

CB1: Byron Murphy Jr.
CB2: Isaiah Rodgers
CB3: James Pierre
CB4: Charles Demmings

Out: Dwight McGlothern | Zemaiah Vaughn | Da’Veawn Armstead | Marcus Allen | Tyreek Chappell

McGlothern and Vaughn will hit the practice squad, so don’t panic. This CB room is already much deeper than the unit last year at this time, thanks to Pierre and Demmings.

VikingsWire ‘s Anderw Harbaugh on Demmings : “Flores has a track record of taking day three defensive backs and turning them into something special in his time in the NFL.”

“Whether it is during his stops with the New England Patriots , Miami Dolphins , or now the Vikings. Demmings has the stuff to make this pick become a homerun, but it will also be decided by the coaching of Flores.”