The Minnesota Vikings welcome over 30 new players between free agency, the 2025 NFL draft, and undrafted free agency, a sprawling offseason for a club hoping to contend for a Super Bowl.
The Vikings have several new starters as the offseason winds down.
The club is expected to win about eight or nine games in 2025, following 14 wins in 2024, a strange season with quarterback Sam Darnold at the helm.
And in July, training camp will get underway, with the preseason thereafter. These 10 players could represent new starters on the 2025 depth chart. They’re listed alphabetically.
Jonathan Allen (DT)
Allen turned purple right away in free agency, inking a three-year, $51 million deal and instantly representing the Vikings’ most significant investment in a defensive tackle since Linval Joseph left the club after 2019.
With no questions asked from anybody, he’ll start Week 1.
Mekhi Blackmon (CB)
Blackmon will return from a torn ACL that ruptured his 2024 season. The man played really well as a rookie in 2023 and would’ve competed for a CB2 job last summer if not for the ACL injury.
He’ll battle another guy on this, newcomer free agent Isaiah Rodgers.
Will Fries (G)
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah handed out the largest free-agent contract of his four-offseason tenure to Fries in March, securing Fries for $88 million over five years.
Fries broke out into stardom before a fractured leg in 2024, and he’ll be a Viking through and through until the end of 2029 at the earliest.
Javon Hargrave (DT)
Most fans thought Adofo-Mensah was “done” after signing the aforementioned Allen, but minutes later on that March morning, Hargrave followed suit, and he will start next to Allen and Harrison Phillips in September.
The deal checked in at two years and $30 million for the former San Francisco 49er and Philadelphia Eagle.
Donovan Jackson (G)
Close to a no-brainer here, the Vikings picked Jackson from Round 1, the 24th selection of the event, for offensive guard duties.
Jackson must topple Blake Brandel for starting left guard duty, and if he doesn’t do that in August, well, there will be problems.
Theo Jackson (S)
Camryn Bynum is out, and Theo Jackson is in.
The Vikings promoted Jackson from within this offseason, refusing to target a big-name safety like Jevon Holland or Talanoa Hufanga. With an underdog story, Jackson is a new starting safety in the Vikings’ defense.
Ryan Kelly (C)
The Garrett Bradbury era is over.
Bradbury ultimately signed with the New England Patriots, but before that, Adofo-Mensah signed Fries’ teammate, Kelly, in free agency.
Kelly is guaranteed to start this September, barring injury.
J.J. McCarthy (QB)
Nearly no caption needed here, McCarthy takes his QB1 scepter after Sam Darnold scooted to Seattle to lead the Seahawks. The Vikings entertained a year of Aaron Rodgers in March but landed on McCarthy as a smarter option.
The McCarthy era is here.
Isaiah Rodgers (CB)
Suspended for gambling in 2023, Rodgers bounced back nicely in 2024, playing part-time for the Philadelphia Eagles and winning a Super Bowl for his troubles.
He could be on deck to play CB2 for Minnesota next to Byron Murphy Jr, and he’s fast as hell.
Rodgers could be a breakout star in 2025.
Dallas Turner (OLB)
Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel certainly won’t be benched or anything of the sort, but with Patrick Jones II and Jihad Ward not returning to Minnesota, Turner could be in line for a full-timer’s workload.
That’s what should happen, as Minnesota invested a 1st-Round pick in the EDGE rusher.
Turner flashed and splashed when put on the field in Brian Flores’ defense last year. Most think he just needs the snaps, and there’s no reason to believe those aren’t on the way in September.
