Juicy Storylines to Watch for the Vikings
Minnesota Vikings’ rookie minicamp is here, with about 25 youngsters getting acclimated to operations in Eagan.
Juicy Storylines to Watch for the Vikings
Organized team activities (OTAs) are three weeks away, and training camp is in July.
And to get you thinking about the 2025 Vikings, these are the juicy storylines to monitor for the spring and summer, ranked from least juicy to most (No. 1 = juiciest)
5. Tai Felton’s Impact on the Depth Chart
Minnesota extracted Felton from Round 3 of last month’s draft, and from that territory on a draftboard, most wide receivers see playing time sooner rather than later.
But the Vikings have Jalen Nailor on the depth chart, so a possible battle between him and Felton could be on the summer agenda. And that’s a camp + preseason battle that no one foresaw before the draft.
4. An Extra CB from Free Agency or Trade?
Brian Flores has three — maybe four — starting cornerback options this summer, including Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Mekhi Blackmon. Jeff Okudah is the maybe.
Murphy Jr. is an ironclad starter, but after him, Rodgers, Blackmon, and Okudah are more mysterious. Are those men trustworthy for a CB2 job?
If not, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could explore free agency for a player like Mike Hilton, Jack Jones, Rasul Douglas, or Asante Samuel Jr. A corner like Greg Newsome II of the Cleveland Browns could be gettable via trade.
Our very own Janik Eckardt wrote recently about the idea of Hilton to Minnesota: “Mike Hilton has played in 123 games over eight years for the Steelers and Bengals, and he is pretty much built for a blitzing defense. Because the Vikings employ a man called Brian Flores, the team would be a perfect fit for him. Hilton is exclusively a slot defender, but one of the best in the business.”
“If the Vikings aren’t fully convinced Isaiah Rodgers or Mekhi Blackmon are ready for at least 800 snaps, Hilton is worth a call. He’s 31, but he was still excellent last season.”
3. Where’s the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Extension?
Mark and Zygi Wilf extended Kevin O’Connell’s contract in January, and that powers that be of NFL reporting claimed Adofo-Mensah would be next, keeping the dual braintrust together for the next several years.
Four months later, Adofo-Mensah has no long-term extension, and if nothing happens via contract talks, his deal would expire after the 2026 NFL Draft.
This extension will get done, but until then, fans must wonder about the when.
2. Jordan Addison’s Legal Resolution
In July 2024, authorities arrested Jordan Addison for driving under the influence in Los Angeles, the second consecutive knucklehead move for Addison if he’s found guilty.
The incident was an especially bad look because Addison’s teammate, rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson, passed away about a week prior after an alleged drunk driver killed him in a Maryland car accident.
Regarding Addison, he’ll probably face a three-game suspension in 2025 as the worst-case scenario, and as that pertains to football operations, fans will watch to confirm that judgment.
Fox9‘s Jeff Wald noted the incident in March: “Addison was arrested last July after he was found by the California Highway Patrol in the driver’s seat of his Rolls Royce asleep blocking a highway lane. He was taken into custody on suspicion of DUI at about 11:36 p.m., and released two hours later.”
“It happened just weeks before the Vikings reported for training camp at TCO Performance Center in Eagan. The NFL has said throughout this process it would wait for Addison’s legal situation to play out before it handed out any discipline. Addison could face a suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.”
1. No Hiccups for J.J. McCarthy
The summer of 2024 was totally undone for the Vikings by J.J. McCarthy’s torn meniscus. The rookie performed wonderfully in his solo preseason game last August, and true to vintage Vikings form, the franchise couldn’t have nice things, and McCarthy ended up on injured reserve soon after.
Now, though, McCarthy is back and has a clear path to the QB1 job.
Folks will cross their fingers that nothing strange happens to McCarthy this summer. The enterprise is all about his development for the next few seasons.
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