Henrique Gucciardi’s Way Too Early Vikings 53-Man Roster

Max Brosmer could still develop into a solid backup, but he played poorly in 2025, even for an undrafted rookie. One of my hot takes for 2026 is that Murray and McCarthy won’t both be on the roster, but we’ll see about that.

Wide Receivers (6)

In: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, Tai Felton, Myles Price, Dillon Bell;

Out: Joaquin Davis, Dontae Fleming, Jeshaun Jones, Shaleak Knotts, Marcus Sanders, Luke Wysong.

I’ll be bold here: I think Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison make the roster. They form one of the best duos in the league and will continue to do so for at least two more seasons. Jauan Jennings is a much-needed, stronger, and taller wide receiver.

Felton is a high pick, only in his second season, and was great on special teams, so there’s no reason to think he won’t stay. Price handled both returning spots, and he’ll probably do it again in 2026. Rookie UDFA Dillon Bell is a fun one.

He was a gadget player and could find himself in a similar role in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, as the team doesn’t have anyone with this skillset.

Halfbacks (5)

In: Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Demond Claiborne, Zavier Scott, Max Bredeson;

Out: Kejon Owens.

With the Vikings not spending heavily on the running back position, it’s fair to assume that Jones and Mason will handle the bulk of the carries again. Demond Claiborne can be a demon (bad pun intended) on the field, but his ball security woes can cost him playing time.

If he can figure it out, though, the rookie can be the home-run threat this room lacks. Scott got one of the last spots on the roster, but mostly because I don’t know if Kevin O’Connell will have four running backs.

However, Scott’s ability as a receiver complements this backfield really well, and he had some good plays in 2025. Bredeson comes in as the new fullback on the roster and should be a contributor right away, given his prowess as a run blocker.

Tight Ends (4)

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In: T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Gavin Bartholomew, Ben Yurosek;

Out: Bryson Nesbit.

This may be the team’s weakest position on offense. Hockenson doesn’t look the same after his knee injury and has had one of the worst seasons of his career. There’s a chance this had to do with the quarterback play, but it’s still cause for concern.

Josh Oliver is excellent as a blocker and more than capable as a pass catcher, but heavily underused in this aspect. Bartholomew missed his entire rookie season due to a back problem, so this will be the first time we see him in action. Yurosek had over 100 snaps and appeared in 12 games in 2025, giving him a shot at making the roster this season.

Offensive Linemen (9)

In: Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Gavin Gerhardt, Will Fries, Brian O’Neill, Blake Brandel, Joe Huber, Ryan Van Demark, Caleb Tiernan;

Out: Michael Jurgens, Delby Lemieux, Henry Bird, Vershon Lee, Tomas Rimac, Caleb Etienne, Tristan Leigh, Walter Rouse.

Four spots on the offensive line are set in stone. Blake Brandel will kick things off as the starting center, but I think this can evolve into a competition with rookie Gavin Gerhardt. Although he’s a seventh-round pick, he has a lot of experience at the position, starting for four years in college.

I also like the idea of Brandel working at center and being able to serve as the backup for every position. The Vikings spent a considerable amount of money on Van Demark in the restricted free agency and used a top-100 pick on Caleb Tiernan, so both should be locks.

If Gerhardt wins the starting job, I’m okay with having only Huber as a true backup guard, as Brandel would also be able to fill in.

Defensive Tackles (5)

In: Jalen Redmond, Caleb Banks, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Domonique Orange, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins;

Out: Elijah Williams, Monkell Goodwine, Eric Johnson II, Taki Taimani.

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Arguably the most promising position on the roster, the Vikings have young defensive tackles with tons of potential. Redmond had a breakout season in 2025, and hopefully that was just the start.

At 27, he could be the leader of this group for the next handful of years. If we’re talking about potential, no one embodies it better than the first-round rookie Caleb Banks. The early signs are that he’ll be able to practice fully at the start of training camp, and, if his foot doesn’t bother him again, could make a nasty duo with Redmond.

The other three round out this duo really well: Ingram-Dawkins comes in on passing downs, Orange possesses the ability to be a great nose tackle, and Rodriguez can contribute on both, although he’s more of a nose tackle as well. How well they perform will hinge on Redmond’s continued development and Banks’ health, but if all goes well, they can wreak havoc in opposing backfields.

Edge Rushers (5)

In: Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Kyle Van Noy, Bo Richter, Tyler Batty;

Out: Chaz Chambliss, Cam’Ron Stewart, Arden Walker.

I wasn’t fond of the idea of trading Jonathan Greenard. The price was mostly fair, considering he’ll turn 29 and has an extensive injury history.

But this trade left the Vikings in an odd position. Van Ginkel will continue to do Van Ginkel things, while I fully believe Dallas Turner is ready to take that additional step. However, the depth behind them is way less than optimal. Both Bo Richter and Tyler Batty are special teams players who have never had more than 6% of the defensive snaps.

In the NFL, you must rotate your front seven as often as possible, so this is not enough. There aren’t any premium edge rushers in the market, as we are in the middle of May. Kyle Van Noy is my pick here, mostly due to his familiarity with Brian Flores, and he has played at least 50% of the snaps in each of the last three seasons. After Jauan Jennings’ signing, I believe that a veteran edge rusher is the next big priority.

Linebackers (4)

In: Blake Cashman, Jake Golday, Eric Wilson, Ivan Pace;

Out: Keli Lawson, Jacob Roberts, Josh Ross, Scooby Williams.

This is another position that I believe is set in stone. Blake Cashman is a very underrated player, but his injury woes are cause for concern. Eric Wilson had a career year in 2025, but banking on it happening again wouldn’t be wise, which is one reason I picked Golday even more.

Speaking of Golday, I think he can impress enough to be the starter alongside Cashman. Wilson should still see the field a lot, but more as a rotational player. Ivan Pace provides solid depth and special-teams play.

Cornerbacks (5)

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In: Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, James Pierre, Charles Demmings, Zemaiah Vaughn;

Out: Marcus Allen, Da’Veawn Armstead, Tyreek Chappell, Kahlef Hailassie, Dwight McGlothern.

I think the first four players are safe bets. Murphy is the best cornerback on the team and has slot-boundary versatility. Isaiah Rodgers had his moments in 2025, and James Pierre is an improvement at the CB3 position.

I believe that Flores would’ve pushed harder for a cornerback if he weren’t comfortable with this trio. Most of the other cornerbacks fighting for a roster spot are current or former UDFAs, so the fact that the Vikings used a pick on Demmings is a great sign that he makes the roster. The final spot was between Vaughn and McGlothern, although Marcus Allen is likely to have an opportunity as well.

Safeties (4)

In: Josh Metellus, Jakobe Thomas, Jay Ward, Theo Jackson;

Out: Jacob Thomas, Tavierre Thomas.

The hope here is that Metellus can go back to his 2024 form. He played with a shoulder injury through most of 2025, and it clearly impacted him. A top-100 pick, Jakobe Thomas will have an opportunity to play early if he can quickly understand Flores’ scheme. Jay Ward got some snaps late last season and impressed, and he also has a chance to be an impact player this season. Theo Jackson was kind of underwhelming in 2025, but unless Harrison Smith returns, I can’t see him not making the roster.

Special Teams (3)

In: Will Reichard (K), Brett Thorson (P), Andrew DePaola (LS);

Out: Johnny Hekker (P).

Will Reichard is an All-Pro caliber player. Andrew DePaola is an All-Pro caliber player. Even if the Vikings had brought someone to “compete” with them, the other player would certainly lose. This means that the only true debate is Johnny Hekker and Brett Thorson.

Hekker will absolutely go to the Hall of Fame when he decides to hang up the cleats, but he’s coming off arguably his worst season in the NFL. Thorson, an UDFA, won the Ray Guy award for the best punter in college last season. The punter position came down to who’s the better holder in the last few seasons, and it’s likely to happen again in 2026. When it comes to punting, though, Thorson has all the momentum.