3 Burning Questions To Answer in Preseason Opener
3 Burning Questions Vikings Must Answer in Preseason Opener: OL Depth Can Make or Break the Year
The preseason is only beginning, but that doesn't change the fact that certain concerns must be addressed early on.
Good news: the Vikings play a football game this weekend.
Sure, the results don’t matter in the standings, but the lessons learned will help to formulate what will ultimately become the 2026 Vikings roster. After two and a half weeks of training camp practices in the Minnesota humidity, players fighting to secure their spots on the 53-man roster will get their chance to prove their worth against opponents in a different jersey.
The team has put the quarterback competition to bed, allowing general manager Nolan Teasley, head coach Kevin O’Connell and their staffs to focus on the other question marks surrounding the team over their three preseason matchups.
From the trenches to the backfield to defensive utility players, here are three questions the Vikings need to answer at MetLife Stadium this weekend.
3. Can the offensive line depth be trusted?
I feel confident saying this is my biggest concern for the Vikings in 2026. The Vikings experienced a rotational mess along the offensive line in 2025 as injuries impacted nearly every starter at one point or another. Ryan Kelly’s multiple concussions led to his retirement this past offseason, moving Blake Brandel into the spotlight as the projected starting center.
While O’Connell tends to avoid playing starters in preseason matchups, Brandel desperately needs the reps, especially since he had never snapped a ball in a competitive environment before last season. Backup center Michael Jurgens enters Year 3 with a significant task as well: proving the team can rely on him if and when he’s called upon.
Left tackle Christian Darrisaw seems to be back at 100%, but given his history of injuries, as well as that of right tackle Brian O’Neill, the team’s backup tackles will have a lot to prove as well. Third-round pick Caleb Tiernan and free agent addition Ryan Van Demark will be two names to keep an eye on.
Fan favorite Walter Rouse will need a great game to keep himself in consideration for the final roster
2. What will Demond Claiborne’s role look like?
Demond Claiborne has been one of the more fascinating names to follow through Vikings camp so far. The 198th overall pick out of Wake Forest has his work cut out for him, but may have the raw physical tools to hit the ground running. At 5’10”, 188 lbs, Claiborne does not have the natural build of a traditional every-down back. What he does have is explosive, game-changing speed.
Claiborne’s camp has been inconsistent, with some early struggles with ball security and pass catching and an unspecified injury. In recent days, though, he’s come alive. Claiborne has showcased his home-run ability running (h/t VikingsFanPage) with burst around the edge and, importantly, as a pass catcher.
Saturday could be the exact spotlight Claiborne needs to show what he can do in game action. I’d expect him to get more than enough opportunities to prove what he can do with the ball in his hands.
1. Whose position is it anyway?
I’ll start with this disclaimer: defensive coordinator Brian Flores will not show his full defensive hand in this, or any other preseason game. The man loves surprising his opponents mid-season and won’t want to spoil the fun by putting it on tape ahead of time. But he does have some decisions to make, especially with two new additions who could make impacts in multiple spots.
Jake Golday has already surpassed expectations for many.
While it seemed that he would spend his first year largely with the MLB group, he’s already taking snaps outside with the first-team unit in camp. Maybe the early comps to Andrew Van Ginkel weren’t too far off. Flores will need to find a delicate balance this preseason of figuring out just how good Golday is as a utility player, while also making sure he gets the needed reps at the spot he sees him playing most in 2026.
Jamal Adams is another interesting rotational piece to keep an eye on. Adams changed jersey numbers shortly after joining the team to allow him to rotate in at safety and linebacker. Most of his practice snaps have been at safety over the last week, possibly due to Ivan Pace’s solid start to camp and fellow safety Jay Ward entering concussion protocol.
What will his workload and use look like on Saturday? We’ll have to see what Flores has planned for the 30-year-old former All-Pro.
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