EAGAN, Minn. — Saturday’s training camp practice showcased the Minnesota Vikings’ vision for 2026. Improved quarterback play, combined with an enhanced run game, should make for an improved offense. That generates intrigue because the team still boasts one of the NFL’s most menacing defenses.

Kyler Murray, in particular, looked sharp. He found superstar receiver Justin Jefferson on a crossing route, one of the staples of coach Kevin O’Connell’s system. He decisively distributed the ball on quicker concepts. Meanwhile, the offense utilized a bevy of formations, inspiring the possibility of dynamism and misdirection.

But one preseason practice does not guarantee a successful season — and it doesn’t come with any declarations about the starting quarterback. The Vikings and O’Connell designed this competition to produce consistency over days and weeks. Leaving that subject for later in the week, we thought it would be worthwhile to evaluate some other areas of the roster.

Who is standing out? Who has struggled? Here is our first edition of training camp risers and fallers:

Risers

The rookies

Let’s begin with a brief history lesson. The Vikings drafted 28 players from 2022 to 2025, and only four of them have become full-time starters for the franchise. None have participated in a Pro Bowl. Kicker Will Reichard and receiver Jordan Addison came the closest.

The lack of success in the draft forced Minnesota to build its roster through free agency, which is suboptimal and unsustainable for any NFL team. This contributed to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s ouster.

The 2026 NFL Draft became the responsibility of Vikings lifer Rob Brzezinski. Minnesota’s longtime negotiator and salary-cap expert selected nine players this spring with massive input from college scouting director Mike Sholiton’s staff and the team’s coaches.

Early returns look promising. First-round pick Caleb Banks responded from left foot surgery and is already mixing in with the starters. Second-round linebacker Jake Golday tipped a pass Saturday, evoking shades of edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel.

There has been positivity from the later-round picks, too. Assistant head coach Frank Smith spent some time after Saturday’s practice reviewing techniques with fullback Max Bredeson. Cornerback Chuck Demmings blanketed Jefferson and deflected a pass. Safety Jakobe Thomas continues to show up in all areas of Brian Flores’ defense, and undrafted safety Jacob Thomas tends to play right alongside him.

It’s easy to make too much of the start of training camp. But it’s a good sign that so many of these players have already shown promise.

Run-game creativity

The Vikings’ rushing attack took a major step forward in 2025. It may not have felt that way, but the numbers are telling.

Minnesota ranked 12th in the NFL in yards per carry, sixth in rushing success rate, fifth in explosive rush rate and 14th in EPA per rush. A heavy personnel shift affected these statistics. The decisiveness and cutback ability of Jordan Mason helped, too.

To O’Connell’s credit, the Vikings are seeking further growth. They swapped offensive line coach Chris Kuper for Keith Carter. Beginning in the spring, Carter set a higher standard for physical training. The Vikings also brought in Smith, the Miami Dolphins’ former offensive coordinator, who brings insights from a team and system that were at the tip of the spear in recent seasons.

Miami’s scheme featured interesting motions, quarterback ball-handling techniques and multiple strategies to attack the edge of the defense. Former Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold, who followed former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to the Los Angeles Chargers, became a fixer in the run-blocking phase.

Bredeson’s early involvement evokes many of these possibilities. Add in the potential of Murray’s dual-threat skill set, and you can conceptualize the Vikings’ expectations.

Gavin Bartholomew

Both of the Vikings’ starting tight ends, T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver, have missed games in recent years due to injury. This means depth will be important.

Bartholomew, a sixth-round pick in 2025 out of Pittsburgh, missed his entire rookie season due to a back injury. But his pass-catching reliability stood out during the first week of camp. Bartholomew adjusted to throws down the seam. He secured completions in the red zone. Padded practices will provide more data on his run-blocking ceiling, but he is already making a case for a back-end role.

Levi Drake Rodriguez

Because the Vikings drafted two interior defenders in 2026, Rodriguez lost some shine. But he should still play an important role. So far in camp, when the starters have trotted out onto the field and the team sets up with a five-man front, Rodriguez joins Jalen Redmond on the unit.

The story still resembles a fable. Rodriguez went from athlete at Southwestern Assemblies of God University to defensive lineman at Texas A&M-Commerce. The Vikings found him and drafted him in the seventh round. He developed enough to play 461 snaps last season, and the recent infusion of youth does not mean the 25-year-old has become a finished product.

Fallers

Dwight McGlothern Jr.

In the past two training camps, McGlothern made enough plays on the ball to pique the team’s interest. He even flashed in some spare 2024 snaps when matched up with then-Chicago Bears wideout Keenan Allen. The locker room adores him. Neither the front office nor coaching staff questioned his commitment in recent years. But through the first week, McGlothern received few snaps with the premier groups of players.

It also doesn’t help that another undrafted cornerback, Zemaiah Vaughn, has earned meaningful opportunities. Demmings’ athleticism is eye-catching, too. Depending on health and how many cornerbacks the Vikings keep on the 53-man roster, McGlothern may face an uphill climb.

Special teams intrigue

The Vikings ranked eighth in the league in special teams DVOA last year. Reichard’s efficiency played a major role in the success. Former punter Ryan Wright reached a palatable floor as well. The team’s 23 special teams penalties were the seventh most in the NFL, but special teams coordinator Matt Daniels often attributed the flags to youth.

Assessing this phase isn’t easy because the Vikings have kept the team-oriented special teams work to a minimum thus far. Reichard hasn’t kicked in front of the media. Punters Johnny Hekker and Brett Thorson haven’t booted the ball or held for Reichard, either.

Edge rusher depth

Golday shifted from the traditional linebacker position to the edge Saturday. His comfort there offers some conviction about what the Vikings have behind Dallas Turner and Van Ginkel, but the rest of the possible replacements come with questions.

Bo Richter, Chaz Chambliss and Tyler Batty are all undrafted players trying to carve out bigger roles. Even though the Vikings have high hopes for Turner, and their defense doesn’t hinge on one pass rusher taking over games, acquiring a more veteran pass-rushing replacement still makes sense.

Ivan Pace Jr.

Three years ago, Pace was the belle of the training camp ball. Flores tossed him into snaps with the starters, and Pace ducked his way underneath blockers with reckless abandon. He’s still capable and can cause major problems for running backs in pass protection. His 5-foot-10 frame can serve as an advantage when he’s weaving his way through attempted pullers and blockers.

His positives, however, often come with positioning in the wrong gaps and a lack of reliability in coverage. That’s why his defensive snaps have diminished each year. He played 706 defensive snaps in 2023 and 323 in 2025. Bringing in versatile defender Jamal Adams means infusing the roster with another blitz-capable body who may push Pace for one of the team’s final roster spots.

I think the new 'standard' is going to see some guys hitting the highway (i.e. Pace, Rouse)....all depends how healthy things remain in the upcoming weeks.

Pretty much forgot about Nudie with the way the Cornerfusious has been balling out.

4 winners (and 2 losers) from week 1 of Vikings' training camp

Story by Allison Koehler

• 2h •

2 min read

Four practices are far too few for final judgments, especially before full pads. Still, the Minnesota Vikings' opening week of training camp created real movement in the quarterback race, introduced several rookie playmakers and exposed one offensive operation that needs immediate tweaking.

Winner: Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray's week was uneven, but its trajectory mattered. After pushing the ball downfield while learning Kevin O'Connell's offense, he delivered his sharpest practice Saturday with quicker decisions, explosive connections with Justin Jefferson and two red-zone touchdowns to T.J. Hockenson. He exits Week 1 with a firmer grip on the QB1 lead.

Winner: Charles Demmings

The rookie corner turned an unexpected opportunity into a legitimate camp story. Charles Demmings received first-team snaps after Isaiah Rodgers exited Wednesday, then broke up two red-zone passes Saturday -- one intended for Jefferson and another for Tai Felton. Holding his own against top targets is how a late-round pick accelerates his roster case.

Winner: Jake Golday

Jake Golday already looks comfortable moving around Brian Flores' defense. He chased down Jordan Mason from the backside, received work on the edge and tipped a J.J. McCarthy pass that Blake Cashman intercepted Saturday. The second-round linebacker keeps showing the instincts and range needed to contribute immediately.

Winner: Jordan Mason

Jordan Mason supplied the opening week's loudest offensive highlight when he caught a checkdown, shook Josh Metellus and raced to the end zone. He remained sharp through Saturday, when observers described both him and Aaron Jones as game-ready. Minnesota's refreshed run-game emphasis appears to suit him.

Loser: J.J. McCarthy

Three steps forward, two steps back. J.J. McCarthy completed a high percentage of mostly short throws early in the week, but Saturday was costly. His accuracy wavered, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins beat the protection for a sack and a forced rollout pass became a tipped interception. A few late completions softened the day, but Murray generated the stronger closing argument.

Loser: Blake Brandel

Blake Brandel's move to starting center began with repeated exchange trouble. He was involved in an off-target shotgun snap Wednesday, then another poor snap Thursday as Minnesota's top two centers continued fumbling quarterback exchanges. These are correctable early-August errors, but the center-quarterback exchange needs to become a nonstory before padded practices begin.

Minnesota Vikings wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison detail observations from quarterback competition | 'Back Together Weekend'

Let's see what happens in pads. What happened Saturday, like I said yesterday, worries me a bit. To me, if you have learned from last year's mistakes, then why did we see a lot of the same on Saturday. You shouldn't still be making those mistakes. Looked like he was getting in his own head again. Definitely can be fixed, but that is a sign of a young player yet.

This video also worries me with Kyler. When they were asked about Kyler's leadership, they side stepped it. The answer was telling IMO. Jefferson didn't seem to know. Said we are still trying to figure that out. I've never really been a fan of QBs that don't have that natural leadership. You need that at the position. Jefferson shouldn't have to bail you out in that area. He side stepped the question into Kyler's arm talent, that we all know what he can do with the ball in his hands. That is why it may work for this year. After that, it may wear thin in the locker room.

Canthony wrote:

Let's see what happens in pads. What happened Saturday, like I said yesterday, worries me a bit. To me, if you have learned from last year's mistakes, then why did we see a lot of the same on Saturday. You shouldn't still be making those mistakes. Looked like he was getting in his own head again. Definitely can be fixed, but that is a sign of a young player yet.

Yep. I love JJM but my leash with him is WAY shorter. 'Nuff said.

StickierBuns wrote:

Yep. I love JJM but my leash with him is WAY shorter. 'Nuff said.

I just didn't want to see the same mistakes as last year. I unfortunately did on Saturday. Watched things over and over to try and pick things apart. In the end, it was hard for me to stick up for him. He has a chance to make it up, but he will have to grind and make decisions faster and trust the play. Don't think, just do. I can't express that enough.

StickierBuns wrote:

Yep. I love JJM but my leash with him is WAY shorter. 'Nuff said.

Canthony wrote:

I just didn't want to see the same mistakes as last year. I unfortunately did on Saturday. Watched things over and over to try and pick things apart. In the end, it was hard for me to stick up for him. He has a chance to make it up, but he will have to grind and make decisions faster and trust the play. Don't think, just do. I can't express that enough.

My hope is he continues to show improvement...

Honestly? I think he just needs more seasoning. My conviction grows over time that he would have benefitted in the GB approach of 3 years incubating ala Rogers and Love.

Not sure JJ is ready yet to process faster. His comfort level seems to be a shorter, Nix type game. He's got the cannon to be so much more.

At some point he'll turn the corner. Could be this camp still. I hope so, would luv the kid to earn a 2nd contract here.