What to Watch from the Vikings’ Second-Year Players

The 2025 Minnesota Vikings draft class was the last of the tenure of former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. There wasn’t much success for this draft class in the first year, but what can we expect from the 2025 Vikings rookies in their sophomore year? 

Minnesota’s Young Depth Pieces Face a Defining 2026 Campaign

A quick glance down the list of names, including undrafted free agents that are still around, and I’m not hugely optimistic. Sixth-round linebacker Kobe King didn’t even make it to the end of his first season, which leaves only four draft picks still on the roster.

Minnesota leaned heavily on undrafted rookies, partly because of the small draft class and partly because it has been a strength in recent years. With training camp underway, there are still 11 undrafted rookies from last year competing to stay in Minnesota, whether on the main roster or the practice squad.

Donovan Jackson

The first-rounder is always the big hope of a draft class, but Donovan Jackson is in danger of being the only hope already. The Vikings’ left guard had a decent first season that was interrupted slightly by injury, playing through a wrist injury for a while before getting surgery and missing three games. Jackson had a solid enough first season, allowing just 2 sacks and 26 QB pressures, while committing just 4 penalties in the process.

 He will continue to be Minnesota’s left guard, and with better health, the hope is that he kicks on to another level. You need your first-round guard to be better than decent. The Vikings will want him to show progression towards being at least a very good player at his position.

Tai Felton

Any hopes Tai Felton might have had of moving up to become the Vikings’ WR3 were dashed by the signing of Jauan Jennings. He should remain the team’s WR4 and has the speed to be able to carve out a role as a serious deep-ball threat.

Opportunity was limited in his rookie season, no thanks to a faltering Vikings offense, but if Minnesota can produce a more consistent and dynamic offense, Felton might get the chance to shine occasionally. He proved he was capable by catching all three of his targets for 25 yards and drawing a big defensive pass interference penalty against Green Bay in 2025.

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins rotated in for a few games during his rookie year but saw limited action. Minnesota’s decision to move on from veterans Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen could have opened the door for him, but early indications from training camp are that he might be moving positions.

Reports state that he has been running drills with the edge defenders, as the Vikings are short on quality depth behind starters Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner. Versatility is a valuable commodity in a Brian Flores defense, and Ingram-Dawkins will improve his chances of playing time if he can line up anywhere across the front. It will be something to watch for over the coming months.

Gavin Bartholomew + Ben Yurosek, and Bryson Nesbit

Gavin Bartholomew lost his rookie season to a back injury, so he will almost be like a new rookie for 2026. The good news for Bartholomew is that Minnesota hasn’t added any new tight ends to the roster, and he will battle with a pair of undrafted free agents from 2025 for the TE3 spot.

Ben Yurosek jumped ahead of Bartholomew thanks to his availability last year, while Bryson Nesbit is also still around. It should be a good camp battle, and Bartholomew would be expected to get a spot on the final roster at least.

Notable Undrafted Players

Max Brosmer got to live the dream of starting an NFL game at quarterback (twice), but it’s fair to say that if he starts another one, the Vikings’ season has descended into disaster. He should hope to stick around on the practice squad this year.

Myles Price showed the dynamism required to be a good returner in the league last year, although four fumbles were too many. He probably gets the chance this year to show he can clean up on those fumbles, but if they happen too often again, his spot as the Vikings’ lead returner would come under jeopardy.

Finally, we have a trio of defenders who will hope to hold on to a depth spot on the roster. Elijah Williams, Tyler Batty, and Chaz Chambliss did well to stick around last year, but an influx of new players makes that task harder again this year. Batty and Chambliss have a chance with the Vikings’ lack of depth at OLB, but it will be a tough task for Williams to remain on the roster.

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