The countdown to training camp is on for the Minnesota Vikings.
Before the action begins, we thought it’d be worthwhile to take stock of the team. To do that, we’ve compiled one thought on every member of the roster. We’ll begin this week with the offense and come back next week with the defense.
Note: These thoughts are ordered by player number.
Jailen Nailor, WR: Facing a contract year, Nailor showed up to organized team activities in the best shape of his life. Clichéd? Of course. True in this case? Absolutely. He will be the team’s No. 3 receiver.
Jordan Addison, WR: An early-season suspension would hurt. As long as he stays out of trouble this offseason, though, the arrow will be pointing up. Addison creates separation like few receivers in this league. His frame masks his toughness. An exceptional talent.
Rondale Moore, WR: If you’ve never seen him play, go watch some highlights. Get him the ball in space, and the combination of vision and agility is impressive. How will he bounce back from his torn ACL last summer? How quickly can he pick up the offense? Answer these questions positively, and the Vikings will possess an extra weapon.
Sam Howell, QB: First, a quick question: How in the world did the 2023 Washington Commanders think it’d be beneficial to have Howell throw 612 passes? Howell led the NFL in attempts that season, which is wild. Anyway, he can make countless throws. Decision-making remains the question.
J.J. McCarthy, QB: The Vikings tossed him the keys to the Ferrari. The directive is simple: Take what’s there; no need to be a hero. Expecting McCarthy to be perfect would be foolish. Thinking he’ll thrive on intermediate routes and anticipatory throws is fair. Most everyone who has spent meaningful time around him raves about him. How he looks will be one of the biggest stories of the NFL season.
Brett Rypien, QB: Few inside the building know the Vikings’ offensive system as well as Rypien. He’s a trusted vet. He orchestrates the scout team for the defense. He’s sharp in the quarterback room, one of the valued voices behind the scenes.
Max Brosmer, QB: Intriguing is the best way to describe his spring. Multiple staffers raved about his ability to pick up small intricacies. His professional approach and ability to process should keep him in the league for a while.
Tai Felton, WR: It might take some time. Felton may play offensive snaps if Addison is suspended, but expect his rookie campaign to be spent mostly on special teams. Felton must limit his drop rate and improve as a route runner.
Tim Jones, WR: Minnesota targeted him for his special teams prowess after losing Trent Sherfield Sr. to the Denver Broncos. Jones has size and speed. He’s one of those guys who will probably flash in training camp a few times.
Justin Jefferson, WR: Where to start? Shall we laugh about the teleprompter going out on him at the NFL Honors ceremony? Shall we shake our heads at his Met Gala ensemble? Or shall we talk about the fact that he caught 495 passes and totaled 7,432 yards before turning 26 years old? Take your pick.
things @jjettas2 did before turning 26 🎂
👑 Most 100+ yard receiving games before age 26 (34 games)
👑 Most receiving yards ever by a player before turning 26
👑 Only player in NFL history with 7,000+ yards in first 5 seasons pic.twitter.com/vcWRHbs3jr— NFL (@NFL) June 16, 2025
Dontae Fleming, WR: Tough act to follow here, but like Jefferson, Fleming is a Louisiana native. He attended Tulane. The Vikings signed him as an undrafted free agent. Training camp will be his opportunity to shine.
Jordan Mason, RB: For my money, this is the most underrated Vikings move of the offseason. He benefited from the San Francisco 49ers’ run-game infrastructure, but there is something about his vision that seems different. Plus, he’s massive.
C.J. Ham, FB: It didn’t stand out during the season, but the Vikings more than doubled their 21 personnel usage from 2023 to ‘24. Will the uptick continue with a renewed focus on the run game? Or, will the Vikings lean more into 12 personnel? This is some of the training camp minutiae that’ll be fun to follow.
Myles Price, WR: Don’t be surprised if you see him returning kicks and punts during camp or even in preseason games. Price held these roles at Texas Tech and Indiana.
Ty Chandler, RB: Few need an inspiring training camp showing more than Chandler. He’s shown flashes, but this is the final season of his rookie contract. If he disappoints, Minnesota could move on.
Aaron Jones, RB: I’m not sure if Jones gets enough credit for what he accomplished last season. He ran for 1,138 yards behind a subpar interior offensive line. He also caught 51 passes. Mason’s addition warrants attention, but sleeping on or wanting to move past Jones is probably unwise.
Zavier Scott, RB: He attended high school in Germany. He played in college at Maine. He will compete with Chandler and Tre Stewart for the final roster spots.
Tre Stewart, RB: Not many players have gone from Limestone University to the NFL. That’s where Stewart began before starring at Jacksonville State last season. He went undrafted but has some juice.
Bryson Nesbit, TE: His father, Jamar, became a legend at South Carolina and played 11 seasons in the pros. The younger Nesbit attended North Carolina, went undrafted and will participate in one of the most intriguing competitions of the summer as Minnesota needs a new No. 3 tight end.
Ben Yurosek, TE: Vying for a spot with Nesbit will be Yurosek, who had many suitors in undrafted free agency. He started his college career at Stanford, then transferred to Georgia, where his production hovered a tad lower than some expected.
Giovanni Ricci, TE: We’ll begin with the name. It’s elite. It sounds like an appetizer on the Bar La Grassa menu. Ricci has been in the NFL since 2020 and has familiarity with tight ends coach Brian Angelichio.
Joe Huber, OL: He’s likely a practice-squad candidate, but one to watch. Huber had an exceptional college career at Cincinnati and Wisconsin.
Logan Brown, T: If we were to rank the undrafted players worth keeping an eye on in training camp, Brown would hover near the top. He was a huge recruit who found his footing last year at Kansas. Right tackle will likely be his primary position. Remember the name.
Zeke Correll, OL: He used to eat three or four $1 burgers from Wendy’s after school. What more needs to be said?
Blake Brandel, G: Don’t underestimate the value of an experienced and versatile player like Brandel. Is he perfect? No. But winning teams need players like him.
Michael Jurgens, G: Backup center is a sneakily important role. If Ryan Kelly were to go down, would the Vikings turn to Brandel or Jurgens? This is a critical training camp for him.
Vershon Lee, G: He tried out in front of Vikings executives and coaches in early June. Minnesota’s staff liked the college experience and movement skills enough to give him a training camp opportunity.
Justin Skule, T: Another underrated offseason signing. Skule filled in admirably for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season. It wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Vikings to pick his brain on Tampa’s run game, either.
Henry Byrd, G: Byrd went to Princeton. He can tap dance, too. The Vikings love having him in the offensive line room.
Christian Darrisaw, T: Will he be back in time for Week 1? That’s probably a rosy expectation at this point. Still, Darrisaw has attacked his rehab. The Vikings have commended his progress.
Leroy Watson IV, T: Watson is with his fifth team in three NFL seasons. The practice squad is his most likely destination.
Walter Rouse, T: Rouse is in the same boat as Jurgens. His performance in training camp will go a long way toward establishing his arc.
Donovan Jackson, G: Jackson’s introduction has been quiet because there were so few meaningful trench reps this spring. He means business, though. Joint practices will provide a great glimpse at what he’s capable of.
Vikings linemen Donovan Jackson (74) and Walter Rouse (73) run through a minicamp drill. (Matt Krohn / Imagn Images)
Brian O’Neill, T: O’Neill is one of the core leaders of the team, a key voice for coach Kevin O’Connell. He always offers the offense a stabilizing force on the right side, which helps the staff to game plan. Adding Will Fries next to him should only help further.
Will Fries, G: Fries didn’t participate in workouts this spring. His fractured right leg has taken time to heal, but O’Connell said earlier this offseason that the team expects him to be back for training camp. The mere sight of him next to O’Neill and Ryan Kelly will cement the interior overhaul.
Ryan Kelly, C: His role as a sounding board for McCarthy shouldn’t fly under the radar. Kelly comes with an abundance of credibility. His signing speaks to O’Connell’s intentionality regarding quarterback development.
Marcellus Johnson, T: He finished college at Missouri, so he has that going for him. Like Watson and Byrd, he’s likely another practice-squad option.
Lucky Jackson, WR: In the last few training camps, Trishton Jackson (no relation) shined as a backup receiver. Jackson will probably perform similarly this summer.
Jeshaun Jones, WR: He’s always making plays in spring practices. Is his frame too slight? Maybe. But it’s always felt like there’s something here.
Silas Bolden, WR: The Vikings aggressively targeted him after the draft. He has the potential to be the team’s most dynamic returner in years.
Josh Oliver, TE: Why not lean further into 12 personnel in an attempt to be more of a smashmouth team? It’s easy to dream on a six-man front with Oliver, Darrisaw, Jackson, Kelly, Fries and O’Neill displacing defenders with ease from the line of scrimmage.
Robert Lewis, WR: His brother, Akeem Hunt, played in the NFL. Lewis faces a tall order to make the 53-man.
Gavin Bartholomew, TE: He even looks like Johnny Mundt with his long, flowing hair. The Vikings drafted him in the seventh round with a distinct vision, but he’ll have to beat out Yurosek and Nesbit for a roster spot.
T.J. Hockenson, TE: Two seasons ago, Hockenson caught 95 passes for 960 yards and five touchdowns. It’d be lofty to expect a return to that production, but he’ll have a bounce-back year as a safety valve for McCarthy.
Thayer Thomas, WR: The former college walk-on earned the respect of coaches a couple of seasons ago. But is there a meaningful role available for him?
(Top photo of Justin Jefferson: Matt Krohn / Imagn Images)