VikingsTerritory’s Top 3 Free Agent Options for the 2026 Vikings
In all likelihood, the Minnesota Vikings won’t be able to embark on a massive spending spree — like last year — because they’re currently over the cap by about $40 million, give or take, depending on the day. But when interim general manager Rob Brzezinski gets down to brass tacks and clears some cap space, the club will be able to add a few reputable names. These are our formal recommendations, emphasizing realism rather than signing the most expensive player available at each position.
A center, safety, and cornerback fit Minnesota’s free-agent hunt: starter traits, upside, and sensible pricing for 2026.
Free agency is less than three weeks away, so to get you thinking about the options, here are our main endorsements. Note: this analysis emphasizes youth and affordability. The Vikings need youth in the pipeline because Brzezinski’s predecessor drafted so poorly from 2022 to 2025. Players like Tyler Linderbaum and George Pickens, who will break the bank but would also play fabulously for the Vikings, are not included.
Three Value Free Agents for Minnesota
Ranked in ascending order, here’s who we’d target if we ran the Vikings (No. 1 = best free-agent option).
3. Luke Fortner
Center | New Orleans Saints
Age: 27
Approx. Contract per Year: $6-8M
2025 PFF Grade: 66.5
PFF Pass Protection: 72.5
PFF Run Blocking: 65.3
Minnesota’s draft flexibility is key at center. Projected to have at least nine selections in April, trades notwithstanding, the team could readily select a center in the early rounds, securing a long-term option on a rookie contract.
If not the draft, Fortner is a strong fit if Ryan Kelly retires or is cut.
His age aligns with the team’s timeline, his PFF profile is promising, and his potential cost is approximately 60% less than Tyler Linderbaum’s — a crucial factor for a team managing salary cap constraints. Linderbaum is the almighty free-agent prize at center, although he may earn $20 million per season in free agency. That’s $20 million per season that the Vikings don’t have.
Drafted in the 3rd Round in 2022, Fortner became a full-time starter in Jacksonville and demonstrated significant improvement by 2025. The lower cost reflects a resume highlighted by only one standout season; Minnesota would be wagering that his upward trajectory continues.
His PFF resume:
2025: 66.5
2024: Barely Played
2023: 44.3
2022: 52.0
Fortner fits a skinny budget. Plain and simple.
2. Nick Cross
Safety | Indianapolis Colts.
Age: 24
Approx. Contract per Year: $6-8M
2025 PFF Grade: 59.8
PFF Pass Coverage: 50.4
PFF Run Defense: 72.0
Cross is a familiar name in IDP fantasy football, as his ability to quickly accumulate stats makes him a valuable asset. While his production dipped in 2025 under a new defensive coordinator and alongside ex-Vikings safety Camryn Bynum, Cross was highly active and productive in 2024.
His PFF work:
2022: 56.5
2023: 71.8
2024: 70.3
2025: 59.8
Brian Flores has a history of success with players like Cross. He favors aggressive play, simplifies decision-making, and empowers athletic safeties to attack downhill. The PFF grades in 2023 and 2024 would seem achievable again within the right scheme.
Flores also has a track record of revitalizing similar player arcs, with Eric Wilson in 2025 being a recent and decent example.
The Ringer‘s Austin Gayle on Cross: “Cross is essentially a safety-linebacker hybrid who isn’t a liability in pass coverage like a traditional linebacker would be. Though this type of player has become increasingly important as opposing offenses run more multiple tight end sets, free safeties still tend to command more money on the free agent market, in large part because of their on-ball production compared to box safeties or hybrid players.”
“The top of the free safety market is over $20 million per year, and the best slot cornerbacks make $12-13 million per year. Cross will likely wind up with a deal that’s closer to $8 million per year, and that would be a steal.”
1. Cor’Dale Flott
Cornerback | New York Giants
Age: 24
Approx. Contract per Year: $9-10M
2025 Passer Rating Against: 73.3
2025 PFF Grade: 66.9
2025 PFF Coverage Grade: 69.6
Flott totally checks all the boxes for the Vikings in a free agent: he’s young, affordable, and trending up.
Drafted in the 3rd Round in 2022, Flott has been getting better each season with the Giants. At 6’2″ and 175 pounds, his long, lean build is exactly what Flores looks for in a cornerback. He’s not a household name, which fits with Minnesota’s recent strategy of snagging players like Isaiah Rodgers, who joined the Vikings in 2025 free agency and immediately transferred into a hit.
The Athletic‘s Daniel Popper on Flott’s free agency: “Flott is at his best in off-coverage zone looks when he can read, react and play from depth. He is a wiry corner who is not a factor in run support.”
“When Flott is asked to play press coverage and from tighter alignments, including man coverage, his reactions, mirroring skills and route recognition are more delayed. He is a good fit in a zone-heavy defense that leans into his strengths.”
Turning 25 in August, Flott’s prime is just starting.
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