The Biggest Summer Concerns for the Vikings Start Here

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Minnesota Vikings rookie minicamp opened up this week, and before too long, the club will transition to the summer. So, in our annual fashion, we examine the main concerns and questions facing the purple team.

Minnesota’s roster looks stronger, though several questions still need to be answered before training camp.

We’ve ranked them ascendingly (No. 1 = biggest concern), and they are as follows.

Health and Pass Rush Depth Headline the Summer Watch List

What’s your main concern for Kevin O’Connell and Co.?

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell throws a pass during practice on Oct. 4, 2024, at The Grove in Watford, United Kingdom. Minnesota later defeated the New York Jets in London, extending the club’s undefeated start and fueling early-season momentum during O’Connell’s breakout campaign on the international stage. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

4. Will the Vikings Actually Run the Football?

Nineteenth. That’s where the Vikings ranked in 2025 per rushing frequency. Thirteenth. That’s where the Vikings ranked in 2025 per rushing efficiency.

In short, Kevin O’Connell had the system and players to run the rock at a Top-13 clip, but he chose to call rushing plays at a Bottom-13 rate. Every offseason, the man claims his team will run the football more the following season, and then the result is middling.

With Frank Smith now in the mix, the Miami Dolphins’ offensive coordinator for the last four seasons under Mike McDaniel, there’s renewed hope that “this time will be different.” There’s also 6th-Round rookie tailback Demond Claiborne, who has 4.37 speed.

It’s time to run the football like a serious team. Will the Vikings do it?

3. Is There Enough EDGE Juice?

On April 24th, after weeks stacked upon weeks of rumors, Minnesota traded Jonathan Greenard and a 7th-Round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for two 3rd-Rounders and the cap savings needed to sign wide receiver Jauan Jennings. The fallout? Minnesota no longer has an OLB room as deep as Crater Lake.

So, the Vikings will either roll with what they have — Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Bo Richter, and Tyler Batty — or sign a free agent, such as Von Miller, Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, or Leonard Floyd. There could also be a world where Brian Flores deploys 2nd-Round rookie Jake Golday as a hybrid ILB-OLB.

Regardless, this is new territory for fans, wondering if the EDGE rushers in-house are enough.

SI.com‘s Will Ragatz recommended Clowney for Minnesota this week and wrote, “Another big name the Vikings could potentially pursue is Clowney, the former No. 1 overall pick now heading into his 13th NFL season. He was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Texans who has since become a journeyman edge rusher for hire, suiting up for six teams (SEA, TEN, CLE, BAL, CAR, DAL) in the last seven seasons.”

“He has 66.5 sacks, 120 total TFL, 36 pass breakups, and 16 forced fumbles in his career. Clowney was a free agent last year until signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Cowboys in mid-September. He proceeded to rack up 8.5 sacks and 40 pressures in just 372 defensive snaps.”

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney watches from the field during second-half action on Sep. 28, 2025, against the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Clowney later surfaced in offseason speculation involving teams seeking experienced edge-rushing depth entering the 2026 campaign. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.

If Minnesota signed Clowney this weekend, for example, fresh off the steam of signing Jennings, fans would erupt in excitement.

“Clowney has had a PFF grade above 70 in 10 of the last 11 seasons and racked up a career-high 71 pressures just three years ago with the Ravens. He figures to make at least double what he made last year in 2026,” Ragatz added.

2. Will Caleb Banks Be Ready for Week 1?

The waiting game begins.

Banks could be fully cleared by training camp, ready for a normal summer workload. Alternatively, the Vikings might take a highly cautious approach to his recovery, a strategy consistent with their recent history. Minnesota seldom rushes injured players back onto the field, especially those in whom they’ve made a significant long-term investment.

Banks’s draft stock plummeted immediately after he broke a bone in his foot at the NFL Combine. Foot injuries are a red flag for big defensive linemen, and the setback caused his projection to drop from a surefire first-round pick to a probable second-rounder virtually overnight.

The Vikings, however, were undeterred. Just two weeks ago, they selected Banks in the 1st Round, betting that the injury would not become a long-term problem.

1. How’s Christian Darrisaw’s ACL?

After tearing his ACL in late October 2024, Darrisaw was shut down by the Vikings in December 2025 due to lingering recovery issues. Optimistically, he’s projected to be fully healed by training camp and back to normal by Week 1, an entirely plausible scenario.

Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw (71) lines up before a snap during first-half action on Dec. 7, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Darrisaw continued working back into rhythm and conditioning after a major knee injury interrupted portions of his availability and consistency during the previous calendar year. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.

Nevertheless, the Vikings drafted Northwestern tackle Caleb Tiernan in Round 3 as a precautionary measure, at least to the naked eye. The move doesn’t signal panic, but rather provides a strategic backup plan if Darrisaw’s recovery takes longer than expected or if his ramp-up proves uneven.

While Darrisaw is likely to be ready for the start of the 2025 season, official confirmation — and more importantly, seeing him perform well throughout training camp — would offer reassurances.