Th Most Improved Vikings Players thru 11 Weeks
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025, holstering a 4-6 record and just a 7% chance of reaching the playoffs, according to sportsbooks. There are some improved players, though, which should bode well for the remainder of the season — and 2026.
Breaking down the most improved Minnesota players through 11 weeks and which risers matter most for the stretch run, with seven games left.
Here’s a look at the Vikings’ most improved players so far in 2025, listed alphabetically.
Who’s Improved the Most for the Vikings since Week 1?
With seven games to go, these men have already enhanced their long-term stock.
1. Blake Brandel | OL
Blake Brandel can play every position on the offensive line. Every single one.
He has recently turned the corner into a startable — and good — center with Ryan Kelly on injured reserve due to multiple concussions. Brandel has played so commendably that he kept second-year center Michael Jurgens from taking the backup center job, which was his when the season began.
Ironically, just as Brandel has hit his groove as a legitimately decent center, Kelly is scheduled to return this weekend or next to reclaim his job.
Regardless, Brandel showed the chops as a center. He could be the starting center in 2026 if Kelly walks away.
Our Janik Eckardt wrote about Brandel this weekend, “After playing the position for six games, Brandel is about to return to the backup role. Starter Kelly is set to come back from his IR journey. He suffered his second concussion of the season in Week 4, and the Vikings had to take a cautious approach, not just for the sake of his football future, but also his post-NFL life.”
“The four-time Pro Bowler returned to practice last week and has been a full participant this week. His activation to the 53-man roster is just a formality at this point. He would obviously snag the starting job again and complete the intended starting five for the first time this year. That means Brandel is out, which is unfortunate because the veteran has quietly been balling lately.”
Brandel is under contract through the end of 2026.
Eckardt continued, “Consider this: According to PFF, his last three games against Detroit, Baltimore, and Chicago were graded with a pass-blocking grade of 82.5, the third-best among NFL centers in that span. His run-blocking grade has been average. The versatile backup had a poor outing against the Eagles in Week 7. It was his second-ever game at center, and on the opposite side were Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, and Moro Ojomo.”
“He certainly deserves some grace because there aren’t many more challenging matchups. If we exclude that game, since he has taken over the starting job in Week 5, Brandel ranks tenth in pass-blocking grade. He has not given up more than two pressures in four straight contests.”
2. Jalen Nailor | WR
A few months back, the outlook for Jalen Nailor in Minnesota was bleak. The team spent a 3rd-Round pick on wide receiver Tai Felton of Maryland, and the early assumption was that Nailor would be squeezed out of the picture once the 2026 offseason arrived. That script doesn’t look quite the same anymore.
Nailor has carved out small but meaningful momentum. He’s found timing with J.J. McCarthy — no easy task, considering McCarthy hasn’t consistently clicked with many of his pass catchers. And with Felton barely seeing the field this year, Nailor has crept into the “keep him around” zone. He profiles as the type of steady WR3 Minnesota could re-sign on a reasonable contract and plug into the system for a few seasons.
There’s a path here. Nailor doesn’t have to be a 2026 departure. He’s played well enough to stay in the building, and the roster math no longer pushes him out the door by default.
Nailor is averaging 15.9 yards per reception in 2025.
3. Isaiah Rodgers | CB
Rodgers signed with the Vikings last March to earn a full-time starter’s job after a 2023 suspension doomed his career.
He’s made the case to remain the starter in 2026 and beyond. He’s not perfect or a Pro Bowler, but he’s an efficient starting safety in the big leagues. Rodgers is also one of the Top 5 fastest players in the NFL, showcasing that speed — and then some — two months ago in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The speedster scored two defensive touchdowns that day, forced a couple of fumbles, and played flawless pass coverage. It was one of the best individual performances in Vikings history, on par with Adrian Peterson’s single-game rushing record outing in 2007.
4. Dallas Turner | OLB
Turner’s Pro Football Focus grade has popped over 60.0 this year, and he thrived last week while filling in for Jonathan Greenard. In previous games this season, Minnesota deployed Turner in the “Andrew Van Ginkel role,” involving more pass coverage and action in the middle of the field.
Turner might be better as a pure pass rusher and run-stuffer than a Swiff Army knife guy.
He has 24 pressures this season and won’t turn 23 until the offseason.
Turner isn’t a slam-dunk outside linebacker yet, but he’s improving each week. If the Vikings give him a legitimate starting job as a pass rusher before too long, the guy could explode.
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