The 10 Fresh Vikings Additions Who Matter the Most
Even though the Minnesota Vikings won 14 games in 2024 — rather shockingly — the 2025 roster will look quite different for those fans just returning for the regular season.
These are the 10 fresh additions who matter most for the Vikings, from high-profile draft picks to veteran signings expected to make an impact.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added oodles of new faces through free agency and the draft, using a substantial war chest of cap space.
So, listed in alphabetical order, these are Minnesota’s 10 main newcomers this year.
The Vikings’ Main Newcomers in 2025
It’s a staggering list for a team that didn’t need to tear it down and rebuild.
1. Jonathan Allen | DT
Seeking an impactful defensive tackle after ending the brief Jerry Tillery era and opting not to re-sign Jonathan Bullard, the Vikings signed Jonathan Allen, a two-time Pro Bowler from the Washington Commanders.
The 30-year-old is good for 6 or 7 sacks when healthy.
2. Tai Felton | WR
In Round 3, Minnesota surprised its fans by drafting a wide receiver, Tail Felton from Maryland. He’s fast, versatile, and hungry.
Felton will begin his NFL career around the WR4 spot on the depth chart.
3. Will Fries | RG
Needing to repair the offensive line once and for all, specifically the guards, Adofo-Mensah spent $88 million over five years on Fries. It’s the largest contract ever handed out by Adofo-Mensah to a newcomer.
At long last, the Vikings have a top-tier right guard.
4. Javon Hargrave | DT
Not long after they onboarded Allen, the Vikings signed Javon Hargrave for two years and $30 million. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler just like Allen.
And just like that — two new starting defensive tackles.
5. Donovan Jackson | LG
Fans didn’t know what Minnesota would do in Round 1 of the draft, pondering cornerbacks, safeties, offensive linemen, and even nifty running backs.
But Adofo-Mensah continued his march to building the trenches by adding Jackson from Ohio State. Jackson will start at left guard in Week 1.
6. Ryan Kelly | C
Fries had a free-agent teammate named Ryan Kelly, a center with four Pro Bowls to his name. Adofo-Mensah brought Fries and Kelly to Minnesota as a package deal.
ESPN on Kelly in March: “Kelly was part of one of the league’s premier offensive lines when he teamed up with a young Quenton Nelson at left guard and Braden Smith at right tackle after they were drafted in 2018.”
“Kelly was known for his unique ability to get to second-level blocks and his mental advantage that helped him diagnose defensive fronts. More recently, injuries have been an issue. He has missed 10 games in the past two seasons, but he remained a solid contributor when he was on the field.”
7. Jordan Mason | RB
Minnesota extracted a 6th-Round pick from the Houston Texans by sending guard Ed Ingram to the AFC South. Soon after, Adofo-Mensah traded the pick to the San Francisco 49ers for Jordan Mason, who filled in wonderfully last year for Christian McCaffrey.
Mason is the fancy new RB2 behind Aaron Jones.
8. Jeff Okudah | CB
The Detroit Lions drafted Okudah with the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. His career has flopped to date. He’ll hope to rekindle his Ohio State success in Minnesota. Fans took notice of how well Okudah played at training camp.
With any luck, a geographical cure will do the body good for Okudah.
9. Isaiah Rodgers | CB
The NFL suspended Rodgers in 2023 for gambling. He missed the whole season, awful timing for an up-and-coming cornerback.
But in 2024, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and promptly won a Super Bowl. He parlayed that accolade into a starting job with the Vikings.
He’ll start at CB2 next to Byron Murphy Jr. Remember, if you’re new to the Isaiah Rodgers experience, he’s fast as hell: 4.27 speed.
A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness noted on Rodgers last month, “Rodgers came to the Vikings on a modest two-year, $11 million contract. It’s a similar contract to what Josh Metellus signed in 2023 and Theo Jackson signed this year. The idea is that you give them slightly above backup money to be a starter, you get the value benefit from it, and you can give them a bigger contract once they prove themselves.”
“With how Brian Flores likes to use his cornerbacks, Rodgers’ patience and quickness will be a huge factor in the unit’s success. Having some good practices to start training camp obviously makes a difference in opinions across the building, but it also eases the worries across the board.”
10. Adam Thielen | WR
Stop laughing. He’s technically new.
Adofo-Mensah fired off an expensive trade for Thielen this week involving a 4th-Round pick to the Carolina Panthers. But that was evidently the going rate for Thielen’s incoming retirement tour in 2025 or 2026, along with WR2 duty for the legendary Viking out of the gate in 2025.
Minnesota won’t have Jordan Addison for three games in September, so it’s the Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen show. Just like the old days
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