Minnesota Vikings

Projected Cap Space: -$45.2 million

Draft Picks: 8

• 1st (No. 18)
• 2nd (No. 49)
• 3rd (No. 82)
• 3rd (No. 97, comp)
• 5th (No. 161, PHI)
• 6th (No. 194, IND)
• 7th (No. 234)
• 7th (No. 240, JAX)

Notable Free Agents: 

• WR Jalen Nailor
• LB Eric Wilson
• S Harrison Smith
• P Ryan Wright
• FB C.J. Ham
• QB Carson Wentz
• LB Ivan Pace Jr. (RFA)
• OT Justin Skule
• CB Fabian Moreau
• CB Jeff Okudah

Top Three Needs

1 – Quarterback

The Vikings bet big on QB J.J. McCarthy, the former No. 10 overall pick who missed his entire rookie year with a meniscus injury. They passed on Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones and Aaron Rodgers in the process — and while there’s a little more nuance to all those situations that could merit much greater detail, the practical outcome was the same. Minnesota’s bet on McCarthy flopped spectacularly. He missed time due to three separate injuries over the course of the season, which is especially discouraging considering his rookie season and his slender frame. When McCarthy was on the field, he was a bottom-five starter or borderline bottom-five. 

While the Vikings don’t want to just give up on McCarthy two years after drafting him in the top ten picks, it would be a hard sell to run everything back in 2026. At absolute minimum, the Vikings need another viable starter who can compete with McCarthy if not replace him outright. Who that will be is the biggest challenge facing the Vikings this offseason and will probably dictate how they fare in 2026.

In an ideal situation, McCarthy improves dramatically and becomes the player Minnesota envisioned it was drafting. However, the Vikings can’t leave themselves as exposed as they were last year if McCarthy falters again. 

2 – Defensive Tackle

Under DC Brian Flores, the Vikings defense has become one of the toughest draws in the league over the last couple of seasons. One weak spot, however, is against the run. Minnesota ranked 21st in the league in rush yards allowed. They were in the top 10 as far as yards per carry allowed but still gave up over 2,000 yards on the ground. 

Minnesota may also need to overhaul its defensive tackle room. They spent big money on Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave this past offseason and didn’t necessarily get big results. Both players have guaranteed money on their deals this year but the Vikings could get out of Hargrave’s contract relatively easily. 

3 – Safety

Cornerback is already a popular position to mock to the Vikings in the first round. Byron Murphy Jr. was solid last year, while Isaiah Rodgers was a little more inconsistent and the depth behind them is rough. However, Flores is a big fan of Rodgers and the Vikings also lean more than other teams do on looks with three or more safeties instead of a nickel corner. 

That should push safety to a more prominent spot on the team’s need list, especially because this may have been the final season for Smith after a remarkable 14-year run in Minnesota. The veteran just turned 37 and has been going year to year for a little while now. The team treated the last home game of 2025 like it was the last home game of Smith’s career. 

Behind him, the Vikings have Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson and Jay Ward. Metellus spends a lot of time as the team’s nickel defender and might take on some of the communication and leadership duties Smith held. Jackson played just under half the snaps as the third safety behind those two, and Ward is a 2023 fourth-round pick the team has been developing who didn’t see serious action until this past season. Even if that’s the trio the Vikings end up going with, new blood is needed. 

Other needs to be aware of for the Vikings include edge rusher and receiver. While both are positions of strength for the team right now, they’re premium roster spots that organizations would do well to always keep sharp. Minnesota could lose Nailor and former first-round WR Jordan Addison will also be entering the last year of his contract. On defense, former first-round OLB Dallas Turner improved dramatically in his second season behind veterans Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. But Van Ginkel is in a contract year and Greenard has an out in his deal after 2026 if he can’t rebound from injuries. 

One Big Question

Can Kevin O’Connell get the quarterback back on track? 

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell was viewed as a rising coaching star entering this past season. The reigning Coach of the Year had already built a reputation as a coach who could bring the best out of whichever quarterback was under center, with positive results ranging from Kirk Cousins to Joshua Dobbs. In 2024, he helped resurrect Darnold’s career and tap into the ability the former No. 3 overall pick always had, leading to a 14-3 season that unfortunately ended with a clunk. 

That clunk sowed the seeds of the Vikings’ undoing in 2025, leaving doubt about Darnold’s potential compared to McCarthy, who contrary to revisionist history had a ton of support from O’Connell and others inside the building as a future franchise starter. Minnesota bet on McCarthy and in return got the worst quarterbacked season of O’Connell’s tenure. No matter whether it was McCarthy or Carson Wentz or Max Brosmer under center, the results weren’t what O’Connell and the Vikings were accustomed to. 

The Vikings won’t leave themselves as exposed on the roster but now a lot will fall on O’Connell to recapture the touch he had before. His track record should leave Vikings fans feeling at least a little optimistic, though he wouldn’t be the first coach to lose an edge in a league that’s constantly evolving. 

McCarthy is under contract for two more seasons and even if he’s not the starter in Week 1, the odds are he’ll have another chance or two to prove he was worth what Minnesota invested. O’Connell once said he believed organizations failed young quarterbacks more than young quarterbacks failed organizations. Those words will be tested once again in 2026.