8 Vikings to Watch Closely at OTAs and Minicamp
The Minnesota Vikings’ organized team activities (OTAs) got underway on Tuesday, and along with minicamp, will last off and on through June 18th. The club has welcomed about 35-40 new faces this offseason, so we’re here to point out the main guys to watch in the next few weeks.
Minnesota is expected to win eight or nine games this season, a forecast that tends to follow the franchise annually.
Minnesota’s Spring Practices Carry Real Roster Stakes
The players are listed in order of intrigue (No. 1 = biggest ticket).
8. Bo Richter | OLB
In a previous offseason, it would not have been that fascinating to track Richter at OTAs or minicamp. After all, he was the Vikings’ OLB4, a guy buried in a deep OLB room. But that was then, and this is now.
The Vikings traded Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles a month ago, grabbing two 3rd-Round picks in the deal. They could not afford him.
That left the club in need of an OLB3, and all signs point to Richter. If he’s not cut out for the task, Minnesota must sign a free agent like Jadeveon Clowney, Joey Bosa, or Leonard Floyd, or explore another in-house OLB like Tyler Batty.
7. Demond Claiborne | RB
The Vikings haven’t employed an impactful rookie running back since Dalvin Cook in 2017 and Alexander Mattison (to an extent) in 2019, swinging and missing on DeWayne McBride in 2023, while getting serviceable production, at times, from Ty Chandler (2022 Draft), who now works for the New Orleans Saints.
Minnesota found Claiborne in Round 6 a month ago. The beginning of the summer will start to show if he’s “just a late-round running back,” or the Vikings’ version of an unsung gem.
6. Blake Brandel | C
Minnesota did not find a center in free agency and then waited until Round 7 to pick one in the draft. That cleared a path for Brandel to start in September, assuming the Vikings don’t sign a free agent like Ethan Pocic or trade for a center like Miami’s Aaron Brewer.
Brandel has never played center full-time, but he did get better each week at the spot when Ryan Kelly (since retired) missed nine games in 2025.
5. Jake Golday | LB
Golday is fascinating because he’s technically and off-ball linebacker — like Blake Cashman — but might be deployed as an outside linebacker — like Andrew Van Ginkel. An early verdict on his role, if any, as a rookie is important because, if he plays OLB, well, Minnesota may not need an extra free agent.
However, if Golday spends most of his time watching from the sidelines as a rookie, the aforementioned Richter is the next man up at OLB3.
4. Dallas Turner | OLB
It’s Turner’s time, alas.
With Greenard gone, Turner is emphatically on deck to start. He’s never entered Week 1 of a season as “the guy” at EDGE rusher. He’s always had Greenard and Van Ginkel in front of him on the depth chart.
Minnesota spent a fortune to get Turner in the 2024 NFL Draft, trading with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now’s the time to see if he’s worth it.
3. Caleb Banks | DT
Banks won’t do much at OTAs and minicamp, but it will be vital to learn tidbits about his training camp trajectory. The Vikings shocked fans and NFL onlookers when they drafted Banks — most thought he’d fly off the board in Round 2, not Round 1, because of two nasty foot injuries in a five-month span.
But the Vikings didn’t care, throwing caution to the wind and betting on Banks’s All-Pro upside. Still, nobody wants to see a redshirt year from Banks unless it’s absolutely unavoidable.
2. J.J. McCarthy | QB
McCarthy battled injuries and youthful inconsistency as a first-year starter in 2025. He’s back for his sequel in 2026 with Kyler Murray next to him as competition.
The youngster could take the next developmental step — or embark on “more of the same,” which is wacky mechanics and a lingering tendency to get injured. How he carries himself in the summer quarterback battle will be telling. McCarthy was gifted the QB1 job last year; that ain’t happening in 2026.
1. Kyler Murray | QB
Once the next big thing in the NFL, complete with a Rookie of the Year trophy in 2019, the Arizona Cardinals divorced Murray in March and are paying him to play for the Vikings.
He grew up cheering for the Vikings, so it’s a match made in heaven. Minnesota has a rare opportunity to empower Murray to his fullest, extend his contract next offseason, and make him the franchise quarterback through 2033 or so.
This week is everyone’s first look at Murray with white horns on his helmet. That image felt unfathomable two years ago.
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