The 5 Youngest Players on the Vikings in 2026
Every year before the NFL Draft, VikingsTerritory updates the lay of the land for the Minnesota Vikings’ roster for youth’s sake. It would be silly to do it after the draft — because obviously most of the newcomers would top the list. So, here’s this year’s edition.
Minnesota still has a young core developing behind its veteran foundation.
The Vikings actually have one of the NFL’s oldest rosters right now; they’ll need to nail the upcoming draft and a few more after that to keep a championship window in place.
A Closer Look at the Freshest Faces on the 2026 Vikings Roster
This article is about the youth.
5. J.J. McCarthy (23)
Birthdate: January 20, 2003
Yes, the fact remains that McCarthy is still quite young, despite entering Year No. 3 in 2026. The man just turned 23; he was a young rookie.
Now, McCarthy will be forced to battle for his job this summer, as the Vikings signed 28-year-old quarterback Kyler Murray, who should have no problems outlasting McCarthy this summer at training camp. The good news for McCarthy? Murray isn’t necessarily a beacon of pristine health. History suggests McCarthy will crack the starting lineup again when Murray goes down.
4. Dallas Turner (23)
Birthdate: February 2, 2003
Turner fired up a wonderful second half of the season in 2025, banking 8 sacks altogether and holding down the fort when Jonathan Greenard suffered a season-ending injury in December.
The 2024 1st-Rounder is so young that he’d be “middle-aged” compared to this year’s rookie EDGE class. That is — if Turner were a rookie in 2026, teams would not consider his age to be old. He has all the time in the world to hone his craft, and all signs point to a breakout campaign in 2026, assuming he gets the reps.
Our Janik Eckardt noted on Turner earlier in the offseason, “If that comfort level continues to grow, Turner could take on an even larger share of pass-rush snaps in 2026, particularly in obvious passing situations where his burst and closing speed are most disruptive. Improved hand usage and counter moves would only raise his ceiling further, turning pressure flashes into more consistent sack production across a full season.”
“In the upcoming season, Turner will once again compete for snaps with his two 2024 Pro Bowl teammates. The good news is that outside linebackers can rotate, and probably should rotate more to keep them fresh. Van Ginkel will turn 31 in the summer and Greenard 29 in May.”
The Vikings traded a king’s ransom in EDGE rusher-speak to get Turner, so he must break out before too long. Otherwise, the trade to get him will look silly.
Eckard added, “Barring a significant surprise, Turner should continue to play a major role in the rotation. He already led the trio in defensive snaps in 2025, with injuries providing him some help.”
“Turner has the physical tools and trajectory to become a foundational piece for the Vikings, making the breakout projection a realistic next step rather than a stretch.”
3. Tai Felton (23)
Birthdate: March 15, 2003
Felton has one thing on his side: age. Minnesota “reached” for him in Round 3 last year; most draft heads had him pegged as a 5th-Round pick. Then, the 2025 season rolled around, and the Vikings hardly used Felton on offense.
Thankfully for his sake, the Vikings let WR3 Jalen Nailor walk via free agency earlier this month, landing with the Las Vegas with an impressive contract. The club currently has no other WR3 options in its roster orbit. It’s just Felton.
He should see more playing time in 2026, so long as Minnesota doesn’t draft a more promising rookie or find a way to get Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers, for example.
2. Gavin Bartholomew (22)
Birthdate: April 30, 2003
Bartholomew did not play in 2025; The 5th-Rounder from last year’s draft missed the whole season with an injury, not an ideal development for a team that desperately must start to connect on draft picks.
However, TE1 T.J. Hockenson is scheduled for just one more season in Minnesota. He’ll be a free agent next March. In theory, Bartholomew can make his case for an enhanced role in 2026 and 2027, now that he’s healthy.
He’s young enough to have a do-over rookie season in 2026.
1. Tyrion Ingram Dawkins (22)
Birthdate: June 26, 2003
The Vikings picked Ingram-Dawkins in Round 5 last year, and he wound up playing about 250 defensive snaps, an impressive amount for a late-round rookie defensive tackle.
He’s also had an accidentally good offseason, with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave leaving in free agency for new teams. If the 2026 regular season began tonight, Ingram-Dawkins would start for the Vikings.
For the next 3.5 weeks, Ingram-Dawkins is the single youngest player on the purple team’s depth chart.
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