Vikings rookie working again Demond Claiborne participates in rookie minicamp throughout Could 2026 on the TCO Efficiency Middle in Eagan. Minnesota chosen Claiborne within the sixth spherical of the 2026 NFL Draft after an completed faculty profession at Wake Forest, the place he earned consideration for his burst, imaginative and prescient, and talent to contribute in a number of offensive conditions. Obligatory Credit score: YouTube.
The Minnesota Vikings hosted rookie minicamp final week, the primary get-together of the yr for all new children and a few veteran invitees. Alongside the way in which, right here’s what we realized concerning the membership from that occasion.
Minnesota’s first post-draft occasion delivered greater than rookie jersey numbers.
The subsequent step for Minnesota is organized crew exercise exercises on Could twenty sixth.
The Clues from Eagan Are Taking Form
Ranked in ascending order of significance, these are the takeaways.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush seems to throw whereas Minnesota Vikings defensive deal with Dalvin Tomlinson pressures the pocket on Oct. 31, 2021, at U.S. Financial institution Stadium in Minneapolis. Rush later developed into one of many NFL’s extra reliable reserve quarterbacks, incomes repeated alternatives due to his expertise, calm pocket presence, and talent to handle offenses in aid conditions. Obligatory Credit score: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports activities.
7. Cooper Rush “for Later”
The identify of the occasion is “rookie” minicamp, however NFL groups ship invites to all comers, together with Rush for the Vikings this time.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell talked about Rush’s attendance, “As I told Cooper, it’s almost like a free agent visit. He gets to know us, we get to know him. He’s played a lot of football over the years in the National Football League.”
“I think it can open up that world to him, or if there’s an opportunity in the future, he can make that a really positive situation for himself and become our first phone call.”
So, if quarterback accidents ravage the Vikings’ season — like final yr — it most likely received’t be Desmond Ridder and John Wolford on pace dial. O’Connell has Rush in thoughts.
6. Two New Contracts: DL Smith Vilbert and ILB Bangally Kamara
Whereas Minnesota has added about 30 new rookies for the reason that begin of the draft — 9 within the draft, nineteen from undrafted free company — an additional pair wiggled their manner in because of rookie minicamp tryouts.
Smith Vilbert from the College of North Carolina evidently received a Invoice Belichick-endorsed stamp of approval for Brian Flores. He’s the brand new DT-OLB hybrid within the combine. The Vikings additionally signed off-ball linebacker Bangally Kamara from Kansas.
Each will battle for roster spots or apply squad placement this summer season.
5. Demond Claiborne Appeared the Half
Bear in mind DeWayne McBride? The Vikings’ Seventh-Spherical rookie from 2023 who appeared so horrible in his first preseason that he by no means noticed an NFL roster ever once more? Yeah, Claiborne doesn’t carry that vibe.
Claiborne appeared explosive and quick at minicamp — the other of McBride three years in the past.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis on Claiborne: “The more consistency the Vikings can get out of sixth-round running back Demond Claiborne early on, the better chance he’ll have to contribute this fall. Beyond running backs coach Curtis Modkins, many of the Vikings’ coaches and personnel staffers present were attentive to the running backs drills.”
4. Adrian Peterson to the Ring of Honor
Till Monday, the Vikings had 28 gamers within the Ring of Honor. Peterson will make it 29.
Peterson getting the ROH love was a complete no-brainer; now, it’s official.
3. GM Search Ongoing
Nolan Teasley from the Seattle Seahawks and Terrance Grey of the Buffalo Payments are mentioned to be exterior frontrunners for the Vikings’ vacant basic supervisor job. In the meantime, the interim boss, Rob Brzezinski, is strongly within the combine and expressed formal curiosity within the place final week.
Minnesota Vikings govt Rob Brzezinski speaks throughout a panel dialogue on Feb. 25, 2026, on the NFL Scouting Mix in Indianapolis alongside KFAN host Paul Allen and analyst Pete Bercich. Brzezinski has grow to be one of many NFL’s most revered contract and salary-cap minds, serving to form Minnesota’s long-term roster development technique for greater than twenty years. Obligatory Credit score: YouTube.
SI.com‘s Will Ragazt on Teasley, “It might not be a bad idea for the Vikings to poach their GM from the reigning Super Bowl champions. Teasley has been with Seattle for 12 years, working his way up from an internship to director of pro personnel and then assistant GM under John Schneider.”
Irrespective of who’s picked from the search — the choice must be introduced in a couple of week — Brzezinski figures to stay a significant function within the entrance workplace.
2. A True-Blue QB Competitors Forward
NFL Community‘s Tom Pelissero said last week, “They envision it being a true competition: Kyler Murray versus J.J. McCarthy. And both these guys are going to go into this believing they’re gonna win this job.”
“I don’t know, frankly, how friendly that quarterback room is going to be. It’s going to be a very competitive quarterback room. From everything that I’ve understood, it is truly wide open; they’re keeping an open mind as a coaching staff.”
Most have assumed that Murray didn’t signal with the Vikings to be a backup quarterback, however the membership apparently insists that he’ll battle for the QB1 job. It’ll be Murray v. McCarthy in July and August.
1. Caleb Banks Tentatively Anticipated for Coaching Camp
O’Connell gave a Banks replace final week: “Caleb is doing great. Got some more positive information here as he reported to Eagan in the last couple days, and very much looking forward to him establishing a great plan with our medical staff and the coaching staff.”
“On the coaching staff side, how can we push Caleb from an above-the-neck standpoint to be that much more comfortable when he does get healthy? He gets a great chance this spring and summer to get strong and build himself up.”
Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart throws over Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks on Nov. 23, 2024, throughout second-half motion at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. Banks entered the NFL Draft course of as one of many SEC’s extra intriguing defensive deal with prospects, drawing consideration due to his measurement, athletic motion expertise, and inside pass-rushing upside. Obligatory Credit score: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Photographs.
Drafting Banks got here with appreciable damage danger, so this spring’s monitoring of his progress was inevitable.
O’Connell continued, “With Caleb, he doesn’t necessarily have to worry about the physical side of it right now, other than just getting healthy. So we can hopefully challenge him to learn multiple spots that coincide with his versatility to align in different impactful spots along the D-line.”
“I just think we’re happy with where he’s at, all things considered. We want to have our eyes on that end-of-July date so he can hopefully have a seamless transition into training camp.”
Circle coaching camp for Banks’s debut.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker
