The Biggest X-Factors for the Vikings in 2025
2024 was a very successful year for the Minnesota Vikings as they accomplished a 14-3 record and made the playoffs for the second time in three years during the Kevin O’Connell era.
It was a strong season, but it came to a disappointing end after Minnesota blew a chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC by losing to the Detroit Lions in Week 18, and then their season ended entirely just one week later during a Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Of course, Minnesota will be hoping for bigger and better things in 2025, but what is the blueprint towards that success? Here are a few of the biggest X-factors for the Vikings this upcoming season.
5. Theo Jackson
The Vikings lost one of the biggest playmakers in their secondary this spring when Camryn Bynum signed a massive contract with the Indianapolis Colts. It also remains to be seen how well Harrison Smith can hold up as a 35-year-old safety.
As a result, many expect Theo Jackson to get plenty of reps with the defense this fall. Jackson has performed very well in limited opportunities to this point in his career. Since joining the team in 2022, he has played 43 games, but he is yet to make a start at the NFL level. He’s also played more than 100 defensive snaps just once (2023).
The Vikings have typically started three safeties since Brian Flores became defensive coordinator, and Jackson will be the one to step into that third starting spot this season. Many expect the former Titans sixth-round pick to blossom in the new role, and the Vikings need him to be successful with the only other safeties on the roster heading into camp being Jay Ward and Mishael Powell.
4. Isaiah Rodgers
The Vikings have a ton of unknowns at the cornerback position ahead of training camp, and Isaiah Rodgers can either be the solution to a lot of these unknowns, or he could derail any hopes for Minnesota’s secondary this season.
Rodgers is looking to become a full-time starter in the Vikings defense, and while he has started in stints before, he has never had this level of responsibility before. Rodgers started nine games in 2023 and three in 2024.
If Rodgers lives up to the hype that a number of people in Vikings circles have heaped upon him this offseason, the Vikings have a chance to be one of the best defenses in the NFL. If he doesn’t, it throws a massive wrench into Minnesota’s plans at cornerback and could lead to a last-minute veteran signing (perhaps Stephon Gilmore once again).
3. Donovan Jackson
It’s always exciting to take a player in the first round and be able to assume that he’s immediately going to land a starting role with the team. There technically will be a battle between Blake Brandel and 2025 first-round pick Donovan Jackson for the left guard position, but it seems safe to assume that Jackson will be the guy taking that role so Brandel can go back to being the swing tackle, jack-of-all-trades player on the offensive line.
Jackson was a mauler at the position for Ohio State, but it was a scary pick back in April given how recent interior linemen selections have turned out in Minnesota (Garrett Bradbury, Wyatt Davis, Ed Ingram).
If he is able to at least hold his own, the Vikings may have one of the most fearsome interior offensive lines in the league pairing their first-round pick with free agent signings Ryan Kelly and Will Fries. If there are struggles, it will lead to more scrutiny of Minnesota’s drafting.
2. Jonathan Allen
One of the biggest weaknesses on Minnesota’s roster in 2024 was their ability (or lack thereof) to rush opposing passers with their interior defensive linemen.
As a result, the Vikings went on a spending spree to fix the solution. Instead of the typical middling veteran signings that Minnesota has typically made, they brought in two of the premier pass rushing defensive tackles of the 2020s: Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
Both players were slowed by injuries in 2024, but at least in Hargrave’s case, he had played in 15+ games during each of the first eight seasons of his NFL career prior to his injury issues last year. He also was named a Pro Bowler in 2023. It seems safe to assume he’ll be back to his normal self in 2025.
Meanwhile, Allen was not only slowed by injuries, but his production has been on a steady decrease over the past couple of seasons. When at his best, Allen has been an absolute menace to opposing quarterbacks, but if we don’t get to see that version of him anymore, it could have some disastrous consequences for the Vikings.
Not only would it put Minnesota in a much tougher spot to find production at defensive tackle, but Allen isn’t going away anytime soon. While the Vikings can get out of his three-year contract somewhat easily during the final season, he will almost certainly be around in 2026 and will be carrying a $21.6 million cap hit.
If the Vikings aren’t getting star production out of him, it will be very tough to build the defense in 2026 given that cap situation.
1. J.J. McCarthy
Of course, many of Minnesota’s hopes for success in 2025 revolve around J.J. McCarthy. The expectations for the young QB have only grown since the Vikings selected him 10th overall in 2023, making him the first QB selected in the first round by the franchise since Teddy Bridgewater in 2014.
McCarthy’s rookie season ended abruptly when he tore his meniscus during the first preseason game and sat out the rest of the year. It allowed for Sam Darnold mania to explode in Minnesota, and he turned a very successful season into a big contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Vikings have built a very strong roster around McCarthy, putting him in a perfect situation to succeed as long as most of the major pieces stay healthy. There almost certainly will be growing pains along the way, but Minnesota needs to see more good than bad from the 22-year-old this season if they want to compete in a competitive NFC North.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap, Pro Football Focus, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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