Story by
The Vikings’ 5 Biggest Roster Needs for 2026
- Story by
- The Vikings’ 5 Biggest Roster Needs for 2026
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
In eight weeks, the Minnesota Vikings will begin team-building for 2026, with free agency kicking off and the draft a month and a half after that. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has more roster needs in 2026 than in 2025, mainly because he has drafted poorly and some of his 2025 free agents didn't pan out.
The Vikings' cap space is tight, the draft ammo is better, and the roster still has some soft spots.
Advertisement
The club will embark on free agency on a smaller budget than usual, but does have eight draft picks in the hopper, a number that will grow to nine when the league announces compensatory selections.
Where the Vikings Are Thin Heading into 2026
These are Minnesota's main roster needs entering the offseason.
Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker surveys the field during live action against the Detroit Lions, Jan. 8, 2023, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as both teams traded stops in a tense regular-season finale played in cold conditions before a packed crowd with playoff implications looming throughout the afternoon for the division. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports.
5. Inside Linebacker
Minnesota will likely bring back Eric Wilson in 2026, but his long-term standing comes with a caveat. If Brian Flores doesn't return, Wilson's staying power will be tested. The league will find out whether his production holds on its own or fades without the system that helped elevate him.
Advertisement
The Vikings aren't in full panic mode at linebacker. Blake Cashman remains a centerpiece and one of the defense's most reliable performers, while Ivan Pace Jr. could be on the move this offseason, but that outcome is not guaranteed.
Realistic Free Agent Options:
Devin Bush
Leo Chenal
Nakone Dean
Devin Lloyd
Kenneth Murray
Quay Walker
Quincy Williams
Realistic Draft Options:
Sonny Styles
(Ohio State)
C.J. Allen(Georgia)
Anthony Hill Jr.(Texas)
Jake Golday( Cincinnati
)
Deontae Lawson
(Alabama)
Taurean York(Texas A&M)
Harold Perkins
(LSU)
Jacob Rodriguez(Texas Tech)
4. Center
Ryan Kelly will probably retire — and after three concussions in 2025 alone, he should. When healthy, he played at a high level. At this point, his priorities should break away from football toward long-term health.
Advertisement
Minnesota does have Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens hovering as internal options at center, but neither inspires unflappable confidence as a Week 1 solution. That reality leaves the Vikings thin in the middle of the offensive line.
Realistic Free Agent Options:
Tyler Linderbaum
Cade Mays
Connor McGovern
Ethan Pocic
Realistic Draft Options:
Jake Slaughter(Florida)
Connor Lew(Auburn)
Parker Brailsford
(Alabama)
3. Running Back
The Vikings need a young running back. Full stop. The cycle of aging legs and compromised bodies has run its course, and continuing down that path doesn't solve anything.
This is where Adofo-Mensah has to draft one and let' er rip. A rookie back introduces uncertainty, but it also introduces the juice — and it might finally force Kevin O'Connell to lean into a more balanced offense instead of defaulting to the air every time his team trails on the scoreboard.
Advertisement
Realistic Free Agent Options:
Travis Etienne
Breece Hall
Isiah Pacheco
Kenneth Walker
Javonte Williams
Realistic Draft Options:
Jeremiyah Love(Notre Dame)
Jadarian Price(Notre Dame)
Jonah Coleman
( Washington
)
Emmett Johnson(Nebraska)
Nick Singleton
(Penn State)
Mike Washigton(Arkansas)
Kaytron Allen
(Penn State)
2. Safety
Harrison Smith will probably retire, Josh Metellus encountered a down year due to a torn labrum in 2025, and Theo Jackson proved that he's not an elite starter.
This is why fans salivated over Ohio State's Caleb Downs when Minnesota had a 4-8 record. The Vikings need a safety. Jay Ward played well in Year No. 3, but still, he doesn't have the production to replace Smith.
Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman reacts after Oregon sealed a road win over Penn State, Sept. 27, 2025, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, capturing the emotion of a statement finish as the Ducks closed out a hard-fought nonconference matchup under the lights against a hostile crowd late in the night atmosphere. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images.
As life after Smith probably nears, Adofo-Mensah must formulate his replacement plan at safety.
Advertisement
Realistic Free Agent Options:
Reed Blankenship
Coby Bryant
Jaquan Brisker
Andre Cisco
Nick Cross
Kamren Curl
Kyle Dugger
Alohi Gilman
Geno Stone
Jalen Thompson
Donovan Wilson
Realistic Draft Options:
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren(Toledo)
Dillon Thieneman(Oregon)
A.J. Haulcy(LSU)
Zakee Wheatley(Penn State)
Kamari Ramsey
(USC)
1. Cornerback
When the 2025 season began, Vikings fans feared that the cornerback room was too skimpy, with just Byron Murphy Jr. , Isaiah Rodgers , and Jeff Okudah in the house as playable options. Okudah later succumbed to a couple of concussions and missed half the season, while veteran Fabian Moreau stepped up admirably.
Advertisement
And against all odds, Murphy Jr. and Rodgers stayed remarkably healthy all season. That probably won't happen again.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen lines up in coverage during action against the Arizona Cardinals, Dec. 8, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, tracking receivers and reading the quarterback as Seattle worked through a tightly contested divisional matchup that tested discipline and communication across the secondary for much of the afternoon there. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Therefore, it's time for the Vikings to end their decade-long cornerback drought; back-to-back general managers have failed to pick productive rookie corners since Trae Waynes in 2015. Murphy Jr. and Rodgers are decent, but Minnesota needs a young'un to whole down the CB room for the next half-decade.
Realistic Free Agent Options:
Jamel Dean
Josh Jobe
Greg Newsome
II
Roger McCreary
Amik Robertson
Alontae Taylor
Cam Taylor-Britt
Tariq Woolen
Joshua Williams
Realistic Draft Options:
Keith Abney II ( Arizona
State)
Brandon Cisse(South Carolina)
Colton Hood( Tennessee
)
Mansoor Delane(LSU)
Chris Johnson
(San Diego State)
Jermod McCoy(Tennessee)
Aveion Terrell(Clemson)
Advertisement
Minnesota has the NFL's second-least cap space entering the offseason, over budget by between $30-$40 million. Adofo-Mensah will have to release players and restructure the contracts of others to get in the black or green in the next eight weeks.
