Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner gestures throughout fourth-quarter motion in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sep. 28, 2025, throughout an NFL Worldwide Collection sport at Croke Park in Dublin, Eire. Turner confronted veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers in one of many Vikings’ marquee worldwide appearances as Minnesota continued constructing round its younger defensive core. Necessary Credit score: Kirby Lee-Imagn Photographs
It’s the pre-summer breakout checklist for the Minnesota Vikings, and we’ll simply get this disclaimer out of the best way: rookies should not included on this article as a result of: in fact rookies have an opportunity to interrupt out. It’s the essence of being a rookie.
Minnesota’s depth chart has a number of strain factors the place new contributors can drive their manner up.
Except for first-year gamers, these males have the strongest possibilities to bust out into stardom for the 2026 Vikings.
Younger Defenders Lead Minnesota’s Subsequent Step Ahead
The lads are listed in ascending order (No. 1 = high breakout candidate).
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Bo Richter (98) reacts after recovering a fumble in opposition to the Chicago Bears throughout second-half motion on Nov. 24, 2024, at Soldier Discipline in Chicago. Richter delivered one in every of Minnesota’s greatest defensive moments of the afternoon, serving to swing momentum because the Vikings battled a division rival in an intense NFC North matchup on the highway. Necessary Credit score: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Photographs.
4. Bo Richter | OLB
The Vikings may have already got their third outdoors linebacker on the roster, and Richter is the guess. Earlier than the Jonathan Greenard commerce, Minnesota boasted one of many NFL’s deepest outdoors linebacker rooms. Nevertheless, sending Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles thinned the depth chart behind Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner.
This void explains why names like Jadeveon Clowney and Leonard Floyd proceed to flow into within the rumor mill. The Vikings may shortly signal a veteran to handle the necessity, or they might place their belief in Richter.
If the Vikings consider Richter is an undervalued expertise poised for elevated snaps, that is his alternative. The Greenard commerce created a gap, and Richter stands because the in-house candidate with the clearest path to say it.
Our Kyle Joudry on Richter: “Think of Richter as being akin to tough, gritty 4th-line forward in hockey. Looking for someone who can score 30 goals means being disappointed. Looking for someone who can play with physicality while chipping in in ways that don’t always show up in the normal stats is where Richter can shine.”
“As a rookie, Bo Richter played 29 snaps on defense and 267 on specials. His sophomore season involved 52 snaps on defense and 372 snaps on specials. Look for those trends to continue — modest playing time for Coach Flores but being a key piece of the effort for Coach Daniels.”
3. J.J. McCarthy | QB
You’ll in all probability be upset about this one or chuckle at it — and we get it. Hear us out.
The Vikings ought to overlook McCarthy’s late-season surge. For the primary 13 weeks of 2025, he ranked thirty fifth of 35 quarterbacks in EPA per play — all-time low within the sport. Then, he dramatically turned issues round.
J.J. McCarthy.EPA+CPOE Rating in 2025:
Week 1-13: thirty fifth of 35Week 14-18: fifth of 34
Whereas it is a wild swing, the caveat is essential: McCarthy confronted weaker defenses in December and January, so his late-season efficiency shouldn’t be thought of a completed product.
Nonetheless, he clearly improved. The Vikings witnessed it, the numbers confirmed it, and the teaching employees should issue this progress into the 2026 plan — even with Kyler Murray’s arrival altering the dynamic within the quarterback room.
There’s an opportunity that Murray will get damage this season — that occurs to him — and McCarthy takes over, choosing up the place he left off in December 2025, which was fairly marvelous.
2. Jay Ward | S
Ward’s path to elevated enjoying time is vast open.
Minnesota Vikings security Jay Ward strains up in protection in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sep. 14, 2023, at Lincoln Monetary Discipline in Philadelphia. Ward settled into his task alongside the boundary earlier than the snap because the Eagles adjusted offensively, showcasing the younger defender’s positioning and consciousness throughout a difficult primetime highway setting early in his NFL profession. Necessary Credit score: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports activities.
With Harrison Smith not on the roster, these security snaps should be reallocated. The Vikings additionally handed on Dillon Thieneman and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren within the draft, regardless of many mock drafts projecting Thieneman to Minnesota for months.
That leaves Ward, Theo Jackson, and newcomer Jakobe Thomas — the Third-Rounder from Miami — squarely within the security dialog. Ward already made a powerful case late in 2025, quietly taking snaps from Jackson and offering the Vikings with a grittier, extra aggressive presence within the secondary.
Now for the larger query: Ward has just one 12 months left on his contract. If he aspires to be greater than only a rotational defensive again, that is his second to show it.
1. Dallas Turner | OLB
Turner lastly has a transparent beginning job forward of him. The Greenard commerce modified every thing. The Vikings shipped Greenard to Philadelphia for 2 Third-Spherical picks, successfully clearing a beginning spot for Turner in 2026.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner celebrates a defensive cease whereas Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff reacts throughout second-half motion on Dec. 25, 2025, at U.S. Financial institution Stadium in Minneapolis. Turner helped Minnesota’s protection seize momentum late within the rivalry matchup because the Vikings pressured Goff and managed the tempo throughout a pivotal stretch of the Christmas Day contest. Necessary Credit score: Matt Krohn-Imagn Photographs.
Turner had seen significant enjoying time earlier than, notably in 2025 when Greenard was sidelined. Nevertheless, this setup is now totally different. He’s not ready for an harm, a rotation tweak, or a selected Brian Flores particular bundle to get on the sector.
For 2 seasons, Flores struggled to discover a constant full-time function for the Vikings’ 2024 1st-Rounder, however Greenard’s exit has pressured the problem.
By September, the Vikings ought to lastly get a definitive reply on Turner’s potential — and whether or not Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s aggressive trade-up was actually well worth the funding.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker
