Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Four Minnesota Vikings players face uncertain futures as OTAs begin with key roster battles heating up.
- Each veteran must fight off younger competition and prove their value to avoid being pushed down the depth chart or off the roster entirely.
- The outcome of these battles will shape the Vikings' offensive and defensive lineups well before the regular season opener.
All eyes are going to be on Minneapolis as NFL fans wait to see how the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback battle plays out over the summer. Newcomer Kyler Murray appears to have the inside track right now, and that hasn't sat well with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.
But as the speculation grows over whether McCarthy's employment in Minnesota could come to an abrupt end (most likely via trade), there are other position battles and plenty of veterans that will need to secure their jobs the hard way to help this team reach Super Bowl contention. Let's identify which are most likely to slip from the depth chart in the next handful of months.
C Michael Jurgens
The Vikings are having to experiment at center this year with Ryan Kelly departing. Blake Brandel appears to be getting first dibs as the starter, and he'll probably be given a significant grace period with Murray still getting adjusted as well. However, if an injury strikes or things just aren't working out, the decision for coaches will quickly pivot to either Jurgens or rookie Gavin Gerhardt.
Jurgens' chances of clinging to the second-string spot appear slim, as the team would not have put Gerhardt through a full pre-draft install and then spent a seventh-round pick on him if they didn't believe in him as a developmental prospect. The Cincinnati product isn't expected to be a starter (yet); that just doesn't happen for a rookie unless the circumstances are dire. That being said, coaches may find themselves more comfortable with him backing up Brandel than Jurgens if there's a show of serious capability throughout camp.
RB Zavier Scott
The unexpected return of Aaron Jones must've been a real bummer for Scott, but alas, the veteran starter restructured his deal to stick around for the 2026 campaign and avoided becoming a salary cap casualty. Backup Jordan Mason remains exactly that, but Scott, who recorded 114 yards on 32 carries last season, is going to have to fight off a rookie to regain his RB3 status.
Wake Forest's Demond Claiborne has a smaller stature than Scott at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, but the 2026 sixth-round pick was seen as a worthy selection for a reason. That gives him the slight advantage going into training camp, especially considering he had a strong showing at rookie minicamp earlier this spring. Claiborne averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2025 for the Demon Deacons, so if he brings that kind of juice as a change-of-pace back, Scott could be in serious danger of landing on the practice squad.
NT Taki Taimani
Taimani, 26, is entering his second season as a former UDFA, but Minnesota's 2026 draft class was the clearest indication his tenure in Minneapolis could be coming to an end soon. The Vikings selected Florida's Caleb Banks and Iowa State's Domonique Orange to plug up the interior, which appears to have pushed Taimani to third on the depth chart at his position.
It would be surprising to see Taimani included on the 53-man roster unless there's another position along the defensive line for which the coaching staff believes he could be a solid insurance policy. However, the practice squad appears to be the most likely destination for the Oregon product — and perhaps, with Banks' injury history, there may be a need for him to step up as Orange's backup at some point in the season. For now, he's going to be the odd man out just by virtue of basic roster math.
S Theo Jackson
The 27-year-old was demoted out of the starting safety role he earned in 2025 after a poor performance which featured just 22 solo tackles, a single pass defended and zero picks. He's currently back at the top of the depth chart, but there's no guarantee he'll stay there considering he's entering the start of a fully guaranteed $12.615 million extension signed last year. Minnesota is going to be looking for a return on its investment.
Third-round pick Jakobe Thomas was probably selected to push Jackson into finding another level to his game or force him to step aside for a younger, faster player. Experience is going to serve Jackson well in this scenario, but he's going to have to show a spark that seems to have faded in Minnesota's secondary.
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