The Minnesota Vikings put minicamp behind them last week, and it’s time to start thinking about training camp, which starts in late July. Oddsmakers believe Minnesota will win roughly eight or nine games this season, so it’s up to head coach Kevin O’Connell and friends to prove them wrong.
Along the way at training camp, a handful of players will be under more pressure than most. These are those men, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = player under the most pressure).
Vikings’ Roster Bubble Has Real Names This Summer
5. Walter Rouse (OT)
Rouse could not have enjoyed the offseason — unless the Vikings move him to guard.
Minnesota added veteran Ryan Van Demark and rookie 3rd-Rounder Caleb Tiernan, putting Rouse on the back burner because neither of those men is slated to be a fourth depth tackle on the depth chart. Think of it this way: if Rouse is shifted to guard, he’s not under very much pressure. If he remains a tackle, it will be difficult to maintain a roster spot with Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, Van Demark, and Tiernan in the way.
4. Ivan Pace Jr. (LB)
Minnesota started the offseason with ginormous question marks at off-ball linebacker. Eric Wilson was a free agent, so was Pace Jr. The team dropped rookie Kobe King out of nowhere during the 2025 regular season and also booted Austin Keys off the roster.
Then the Vikings re-signed Wilson and Pace Jr. and drafted Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday. Blake Cashman is also under contract through the end of 2026.
If Golday is deployed as an ILB and he’s game-ready in September, Pace Jr. could be an under-the-radar cut casualty.
3. Tai Felton (WR)
Felton was floating along this offseason, relishing life after Minnesota drafted no rookie wideouts in April. Soon after, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski landed Jauan Jennings in free agency, and he’s in town as the Vikings’ best WR3 since Jake Reed, at least on paper.
UDFA wideout Dillon Bell has also turned heads at minicamp. Kick and punt return man Myles Price is likely safe in the regular season.
Felton must stand off the page in August. The guy who drafted him in Round 3 last year got fired in January. There’s a world where the Vikings keep Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jennings, Price, and Bell on the 53-man roster and end the Felton era after just one season.
It’s all up to him.
Our Brevan Bane noted on Felton earlier this month, “Now that the Vikings have signed WR Jauan Jennings to be WR3 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, things are looking a bit murky for Tai Felton. Maybe, he’s still in the long-term plans since Jennings is on a one year deal. However, it’s not a great look for those that have high hopes for Felton to be a major piece of the Vikings’ offense.”
“The Vikings likely do value Felton’s special teams ability, and to be fair, that is how Adam Thielen got his start in Minnesota. He grinded a couple seasons away on the special teams unit, and played so well that he eventually got put into a major role in the offense. Maybe that’s the scenario we’re dealing with here with Felton, but that is quite unlikely.”
It’s time to find out if Felton is the real deal — or a wasted draft pick, which has been all too common in Minnesota since 2022.
One thing is certain: Felton has the speed to thrive.
2. Theo Jackson (S)
Harrison Smith hasn’t made his return-or-retire plans known, but if he comes back, the safety room will be a little crowded. Brzezinski and defensive coordinator Brian Flores drafted Miami’s Jakobe Thomas in April, the pick used as a fruit from the Jonathan Greenard trade.
Jackson’s roster spot could be in jeopardy, as Smith (if he returns), Thomas, Josh Metellus, and Jay Ward would be roster locks. Jackson feels like the quintessential roster-bubble guy in June, especially after Ward stole his starting job down the stretch of 2025.
1. J.J. McCarthy (QB)
This one probably doesn’t need an explanation.
Last year, the Vikings handed McCarthy the QB1 job with no fight whatsoever. This year, he has the fight of a lifetime because Kyler Murray didn’t come to Minnesota to be some 23-year-old’s backup. By the end of the 2026 season, McCarthy could be the Vikings’ unabashed starting quarterback for the long haul — or he could be pondering his next NFL destination via trade.
The stakes are enormous for McCarthy. He’s on deck to prove if he’s the Vikings’ savior in 2026 or tradebait in 2027.
