The Weakest Links on the Vikings 2025 Roster
The Minnesota Vikings used free agency in March and the draft in April to bolster the 2025 roster, so much so that the team can be considered a Super Bowl contender if the quarterback spots holds up.
A closer examination of the iffy spots on the Vikings’ current roster — from suspect depth to possible liabilities. These are those four positions.
But like every franchise, the Vikings have a few warts, spots on the roster that are a bit questionable.
After a thorough examination of the depth chart, these are the weakest links, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = weakest spot). The quarterback section of the roster was excluded because it’s rather self-evident that J.J. McCarthy will take time to develop.
4. Kicker
This spot was included merely for full disclosure.
Last year’s rookie, Will Reichard, kicked beautifully in 2024 — for about seven games. Reichard, in fact, was perfect out of the gate for the Vikings until a quad injury rattled his maiden voyage.
Reichard didn’t quite look the same when he returned, so fans will just have to hold out hope that early-season Reichard returns for 2025.
He’ll probably make this section the article laughable in hindsight, but for the record, Reichard did not kick well down the stretch of 2024.
The Vikings’ Roster Weaknesses Aren’t Too Glaring, But There Are a Few
Kicker, a couple of cornerback spots, and the other starting safety may hamper the club.
3. The “Other” Starting Safety
Camryn Bynum left Minnesota for bluer pastures three months ago, choosing the Indianapolis Colts as his career’s second chapter. The Colts paid Bynum $60 million over the next four years, too rich for the Vikings’ blood.
Minnesota responded by promoting Theo Jackson from depth chart obscurity, and the club is excited to showcase him as a starter in 2025. However, Minnesota used this strategy last year with guard Blake Brandel, and he turned out to be a mediocre contributor — so middling that Minnesota drafted his replacement in Round 1 two months ago.
Because Jackson has never started an NFL game, this spot on the roster is a wee bit weak.
Zone Coverage‘s Nelson Thielen wrote about Jackson this week, “Barring any summer roster surprises, Jackson is the presumed starter in the ‘Cam Bynum’ role in this defense. It may be tempting to understate what that role will really be in 2025, considering Harrison Smith and Metellus will return, but I think that would be a big mistake. Jackson will likely be one of the load-bearing pillars of this defense next year.”
“Metellus needs Theo Jackson to play well. If Jackson struggles and can’t live up to some facsimile of Bynum’s production on the backend, then they may have to slide Metellus back there more often. That makes him less versatile, which means he struggles more at that singular role, making the entire defense worse. It’s an under-the-radar story to monitor headed into this season. If this defense fails to live up to expectations, I’d bet the secondary is the reason.”
Jackson is affordable, too, at $3.1 million per season.
“Jackson is a young player who’s flashed in his limited opportunities, and this coaching staff clearly thinks he’s ready for this. It’s not dissimilar to the jump Bynum himself made when the Vikings elevated him to full-time starter. Jackson has the potential to do the same and thrive in this role,” Thielen concluded.
2. CB3
This can be considered the slot cornerback on passing downs or just the third cornerback, in general. Nobody knows who it will be.
After Byron Murphy Jr. at CB1, these are the contenders for CB2 and CB3:
- Isaiah Rodgers
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Dwight McGlothern
- Ambry Thomas
And that foursome doesn’t account for any deep-sleeper rookies, like Zemaiah Vaughn, making a dent. The CB3 from last year, Shaquill Griffin, played about 600 snaps, or 50% of the time. Josh Metellus, a safety, also fills in for slot corner responsibilities.
Regardless, the CB3 spot is vital, and without it assigned to one person, the spot is a bit suspect.
1. The Second Starting Cornerback
The Vikings’ coaching staff seems to love new free agent Isaiah Rodgers, the first signing back in March.
In that vein, the roster hole may be moot; Rodgers could be an utter baller, and then there would be no weakness at all.
Yet, seeing is believing in sports, and Rodgers must show up to training camp, the preseason, and then Week 1 ready to hold down the fort as a starting cornerback on a Super Bowl-contending team. He’s never done that consistently as a starter.
This spot, as the primary weakness, is why fans have spent two months talking about Jaire Alexander, Jalen Ramsey, and Asante Samuel Jr., among others.
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