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Will Ragatz's 2026 Mr. Mankato ballot: Surprise standouts of Vikings training camp
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- Will Ragatz's 2026 Mr. Mankato ballot: Surprise standouts of Vikings training camp
Who deserves to be this year's Mr. Mankato winner?
"Mr. Mankato" is an unofficial award that is given out every year to an unheralded standout at Vikings training camp. It was created by SKOR North's Phil Mackey and Judd Zulgad in 2014, back when camp was held annually in Mankato, MN. Adam Thielen was the inaugural winner. The award has continued since Vikings camp moved to TCO Performance Center in Eagan in 2018.
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The criteria for Mr. Mankato eligibility is that a player must be a third-round draft pick or later who has played fewer than 100 offensive or defensive snaps in their NFL career. Performance in training camp practices is the main data point, but preseason games also matter.
With that said, even though the Vikings have one preseason game left this Friday, I'm ready to submit my (completely unofficial) ballot. The final game of the exhibition slate is always relatively meaningless. As someone who attended basically every meaningful practice of camp here's who I'd vote for this year, ranked from fifth place through my winner.
Just missed the cut: LB Jacob Roberts, TE Gavin Bartholomew, RB Demond Claiborne
5. DT Elijah Williams
Williams made the Vikings' 53-man roster last year after attending rookie minicamp as a tryout player, landing a contract, and shining in the preseason. He remains eligible for this year's Mr. Mankato because he only played 42 defensive snaps as a rookie. For the second straight year, the former Morgan State (FCS) star has had a great August.
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It's always tougher for linemen to stand out in training camp practices, but Williams has done so on multiple occasions. He's also had a second consecutive excellent preseason. In 34 snaps across two games, Williams has three pressures, a sack, an additional tackle for loss, and an 87 PFF grade. Once the ultimate long shot, he has likely secured his spot on the regular season roster once again.
4. WR Tai Felton
Felton is a 2025 third-round pick who is eligible after playing 46 offensive snaps as a rookie. The Vikings hoped to see him take big strides in his second season, and while he hasn't been perfect, there have been quite a few highlights from the former Maryland star this summer.
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One reason Felton makes the top five is that he made the play of training camp with a one-handed catch in the end zone in early August. He's also been on the receiving end of a few deep balls. That carried over to the most recent preseason game, when he caught a 50-yard bomb from J.J. McCarthy . The one limiting factor keeping Felton from being higher on my ballot is that drops — which were a bit of an issue in his final college season — have continued to happen a bit more than you'd like to see.
3. WR Myles Price
Felton hasn't been the most impressive of the Vikings' non-big-three receivers. That would be Price, a 2025 UDFA who played a ton on special teams as a rookie but only saw 17 offensive snaps. The former Texas Tech and Indiana receiver, who is the shortest player on the Vikings' roster at 5'9″, has made massive strides as a receiver in his second NFL season.
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Kevin O'Connell described Price's development as honing in on "the artwork" of the receiver position. He's been sharp as a route-runner all training camp long, making plays at all three levels of the field. His hands are reliable, and his abilities as a returner show up after the catch. Price was the star of the Vikings' first preseason game with four catches for 51 yards and a one-handed touchdown grab.
2. CB Charles Demmings
Demmings, the Vikings' fifth-round rookie out of Stephen F. Austin, has been a bit quieter in the latter half of training camp and the preseason. But he was such a consistent standout early on in camp that he was the runaway favorite for this award at one point, so I can't drop him lower than second.
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Not only did Demmings make play after play in the first couple weeks of practices, using his size and athleticism to shine in press coverage, his personality also became one of the big stories of camp. Demmings is among the most exuberant and quotable players on the Vikings' roster already. When he breaks up a pass, even when covering Justin Jefferson , he is never afraid to bust out an emphatic celebration. How much "Chuck D" plays as a rookie is up in the air, but his future looks bright.
1. S Jacob Thomas
It was going to take something really impressive for anyone to surpass Demmings. What Thomas has done throughout training camp and the first two preseason games qualifies, in my humble opinion. The undrafted rookie out of James Madison was impressive early on in camp, but he came alive in the later weeks while fellow rookie safety Jakobe Thomas was dealing with an injury. Jacob Thomas has gotten a fairly remarkable amount of first-team work for an undrafted rookie in a Brian Flores defense, and not once has he looked in over his head.
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It's the two preseason games that really nudge Thomas over the top. He had an interception in the first game against the Giants, then delivered a big hit and several other impressive reps on Saturday against the Ravens . Thomas has played a team-high 76 defensive snaps and has a 92.2 PFF grade that is the best mark among any NFL defender with at least 50 snaps this preseason (there are 379 players in that sample).
If it were my decision, Jacob Thomas would be your 2026 Mr. Mankato winner.
Image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings
This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Aug 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Vikings section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
