Vikings free-agent targets: 10 offensive linemen and defenders who’d make sense
It’s early in the offseason, but the Minnesota Vikings brass is thinking about ways to reshape the team. So why don’t we?
According to Over The Cap, Minnesota is projected to have about $58 million in cap space. Only four teams have more. Coach Kevin O’Connell already hinted that the Vikings want to improve the interior of the offensive line. Cornerback, safety and the interior of the defensive line are also positions of need.
Which free agents-to-be could align with the way this Vikings regime evaluates players? Here are 10 players who might fit:
Trey Smith, RG, Chiefs
We almost have to start here. Smith will be one of the most highly coveted free agents of the 2025 cycle. He presents the perfect blend of production, durability and age. As far as investments go, he is one of the safest. But with less risk comes a higher cost. Smith, 25, could generate more than $20 million in average annual value. The Vikings have been willing to fish in this type of pond. Last offseason, they pursued defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, whom the Raiders paid top-of-the-market money. Minnesota must weigh how much risk it wants to incur at this priority position despite its many needs elsewhere.
go-deeper
Drew Dalman, C, Falcons
Let’s first note that current Vikings center Garrett Bradbury remains under contract for 2025. Minnesota could cut him, absorb his dead cap hit and save around $3.6 million. Doing so would open the door for a player like Dalman. The 26-year-old is similar to Smith because he is a better run blocker than pass protector. Dalman’s pass-blocking efficiency hovers around the middle of NFL centers. If the Vikings are sold on upgrading their rushing attack above all else, Dalman would make sense at an upper-tier cost (likely around $12 million per season).
Ryan Kelly, C, Colts
There is familiarity here. Vikings senior vice president of player personnel Ryan Grigson selected Kelly in the first round of the 2016 draft. Kelly will turn 32 in May, which might be a hangup for a team that typically prefers youth in free agency. Kelly’s production, though, is undeniable. He has experience with a rookie quarterback (Anthony Richardson). Pass blocking is his strength. A shorter-term deal at a fraction of the cost of Dalman could allow for more additions elsewhere. Paying $3 million more than the Vikings are already prepared to spend for Bradbury doesn’t sound outrageous for substantial improvement at the position.
Will Fries, G, Colts
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah often refers to free-agent signings as “bets.” Don’t think of them as wagers on sporting events, but more so dart throws based upon probabilities. Fries is probably the diciest of the players mentioned thus far. He fractured his tibia in Week 5 this season and did not return. Fries, who will turn 27 in April, improved each year of his rookie contract. Is the arrow still trending up, or will the injury affect his trajectory? These are the calculations Adofo-Mensah and company must make. The Vikings would not have to pay him anything close to Smith, which makes him more appealing.
Patrick Mekari, G, Ravens
Minnesota could shop in the mid-to-upper-tier interior offensive line aisle and fortify all three interior positions for around $35 million. The Vikings have the cap space to do it — and would have close to $7 million extra by cutting Bradbury and right guard Ed Ingram — and still have money left over for the defense. Mekari is interesting in that he’s versatile. He played left guard this season. He has filled in at tackle in the past. The 27-year-old is most effective in pass protection. He was graded as one of the top 20 interior offensive linemen in pass-block win rate this season.
This list could probably include more offensive linemen (Teven Jenkins, Mekhi Becton, etc.), but for the sake of the team’s plans, let’s shift over to the defense.
D.J. Reed, CB, Jets
Minnesota’s starting cornerbacks in 2024 — Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin and Byron Murphy Jr. — are all impending free agents. Murphy is the likeliest to return, but he will easily garner the most money. Reed is a year older, but he is better suited to play man coverage on the outside. The Vikings staff raved about him following the Week 5 game against the Jets in London. Drafting a cornerback is also in play, but signing Reed would mirror the Lions’ Carlton Davis move (at around $15 million per season) from last spring.
Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Chargers
Does Samuel have the size and length defensive coordinator Brian Flores seeks at cornerback? No. Is he a poor tackler? Yes. Does he have the ball skills and movement ability to make up for some of those deficiencies? Certainly. Samuel won’t turn 26 until the fall. The Vikings could acquire him for less than they’d have to pay Murphy. A shoulder injury limited Samuel to four games in 2024, but he was mostly able to stay on the field in the previous three seasons. Whether or not the Vikings would add a player like him could depend on their belief in Mekhi Blackmon, whose body type is almost the same.
Jevon Holland, S, Dolphins
It’s difficult to envision the Vikings using a major chunk of their salary-cap space on a safety. Holland’s history with Flores is worth mentioning, though. The Dolphins drafted Holland in 2021, Flores’ final season with the franchise. Holland developed into one of the NFL’s premier safeties in his first four years. He won’t turn 25 until March, making him potentially worth $17 million per season, which is around the amount of money the Packers handed to Xavier McKinney last spring. Minnesota must first find out whether veteran safety Harrison Smith wants to return and then gauge Cam Bynum’s interest. Backup Theo Jackson might be ready to fill one of these spots, but the need will be massive if Minnesota loses both of its deep-safety starters.
Justin Reid, S, Chiefs
Reid would add an edge and Super Bowl-winning mettle. Pair him with Smith and the Vikings defense would be anchored by two of the smarter and more experienced players on the back end. Reid will turn 28 in February, so Minnesota may not be willing to commit to multiple seasons as some other teams might. But if Smith were to retire, Reid would be the most obvious free-agent answer in terms of experience, juice and ability to adapt to a complex defense.
Milton Williams, DT, Eagles
The four teams that remain in the playoffs have one thing in common: elite interior defenders. It’s Chris Jones for Kansas City, Ed Oliver for Buffalo, Jalen Carter (and Williams) for Philadelphia and Jonathan Allen for Washington. Minnesota extended defensive tackle Harrison Phillips before the 2024 season, but he is nothing close to the pass-rushing forces these others are. The Vikings will likely pursue an interior defender in the draft, and there are plenty of interesting options we’ll talk about over the next few months. That said, if Minnesota wants to swing aggressively on a proven player, Williams fits the bill. He performed exceptionally in almost every metric and is still only 25 years old. Paying him upwards of $20 million a year would limit their bandwidth at other positions, but his presence would be a boon for a Vikings team that has not had an inside force in years.
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