The 10 most interesting players at Vikings training camp in 2025

There's always a certain level of excitement and anticipation around the start of training camp in Minnesota, but this year is on a different level. The Vikings are coming off a 14-win season and still felt comfortable letting Sam Darnold walk in order to hand the keys to J.J. McCarthy. They spent the offseason loading up the roster around their 22-year-old quarterback. Now it's time to really find out what he can do.

Ahead of the team's first practice on Wednesday, let's go over the 10 most interesting players at Vikings training camp in 2025.

1. QB J.J. McCarthy

There's nowhere else we could possibly start. One national analyst recently called him "the most interesting man in the NFL" heading into training camps across the league. The opportunity that's in front of McCarthy is a rare, unprecedented one. Now healthy after missing his rookie season with a torn meniscus, last year's No. 10 overall pick has the weight of an entire franchise and fan base on his shoulders. If he's even decent this season, the win-now Vikings have a chance to be really, really good. That's how star-studded this roster and coaching staff are. If he struggles, all of the pieces around him won't matter a whole lot, and questions will be raised about the decision to let Darnold depart. All eyes will be on No. 9 over the next month and beyond.

2. OLB Dallas Turner

The Vikings' other 2024 first-round pick should not go overlooked. Turner had a quiet rookie season, playing just over 300 defensive snaps while stuck behind Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Pat Jones II on Minnesota's outside linebacker depth chart. The context of who else was in his room matters, but it wasn't an ideal debut season from a player the Vikings traded so much to move up and acquire in the draft. Still, Turner showed some flashes as a rookie and is just 22 years old. Jones is gone, clearing a path to more playing time. The hype for Turner's second season began really building last month during minicamp. The hope is he will continue ascending in training camp.

3. S Josh Metellus

What makes Metellus interesting isn't about what he can or can't do on the field — we've seen how talented and versatile he is over the past two seasons. This is about how much he actually will do once practices begin. Metellus appeared to limit his participation during the offseason program (OTAs and minicamp) while he awaited a potential new contract. No agreement has been reached, and he's set to head into the final year of his deal. Will either he or the Vikings budge? And if not, will Metellus participate in full or continue some sort of hold-in situation?

4. CB Isaiah Rodgers

This name may come as a surprise if you haven't been closely following the Vikings this offseason. Rodgers, Minnesota's first free agent signing of the spring, has earned praise from Kevin O'Connell and Brian Flores, who led the push to acquire him. The former Eagles and Colts cornerback is 27 years old and in line to be an every-down starter for the Vikings. He's a critical player because of the understandable questions around whether or not this defense has enough at the corner spot. If Rodgers is who the team thinks he can be, that room becomes much less of a concern.

5. DT Javon Hargrave

You could certainly put Jonathan Allen here too. Back in March, the Vikings went out and signed Allen and Hargrave to big contracts to upgrade their interior pass rush after both players were released by their previous teams. They're both two-time former Pro Bowlers who are now on the other side of 30 and missed a big chunk of time due to injury last season. If one or both can get anywhere close to being the dominant player they were in their prime, this Vikings defensive front will be terrifying for opponents. Hargrave gets this spot because he's a couple years older (32 vs. 30) than Allen and had an even more significant injury last year. Thus, he's arguably a bit more of an unknown.

6. RB Jordan Mason

Another Vikings newcomer to watch is Mason, who was acquired for a late-round pick a few days after the initial surge of free agency. He could be a massive addition for O'Connell, who has been chasing improvement in the running game since he arrived in Minnesota. Mason was an advanced metrics darling during his time with the 49ers, and his powerful running style figures to make him a perfect complement to Aaron Jones in the Vikings' backfield. Mason is a physical back who picks up yards after contact and has had success even when facing loaded boxes. He's the kind of player who could help take this offense to another level.

7. S Theo Jackson

In a much less publicized or significant way, the Vikings letting Camryn Bynum walk in favor of Jackson isn't that different from the Darnold-McCarthy dynamic. For as much as they loved Bynum, they were comfortable allowing someone else to pay him market value. That's because they're big believers in Jackson, who has mostly impressed behind the scenes over the past few years. Poached off the Titans' practice squad back in 2022, Jackson has thrived in practices and has carried it over to real action with a couple interceptions. The 26-year-old is set to step into an every-down role in Flores' defense in 2025.

8. QB Sam Howell

With McCarthy largely unproven and coming off a significant knee injury, the backup quarterback role is an important one in Minnesota. That's why the Vikings made a trade during the draft to land Howell, the former Commanders starter who spent last season with the Seahawks. Howell showed plenty of flashes of arm talent when he threw for nearly 4,000 yards while leading the league in pass attempts (and interceptions, and sacks taken) on a bad Washington team in 2023. He's now in a much more advantageous situation in Minnesota, working with O'Connell. It'll be interesting to see how he looks during training camp as well.

9. LG Donovan Jackson

It would feel wrong to leave out the Vikings' first-round pick from this year's draft, even if Jackson was viewed as a fairly safe pick at an unglamorous position. If he pans out quickly as the Vikings' presumed starter at left guard, this offensive line has a chance to be outstanding. Jackson was the final piece, along with veterans Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, in the overhaul of the interior offensive line. He's big, he's smart, he's athletic, and it'll be fun to watch him compete when the pads come on.

10. CB Mekhi Blackmon

Cornerback is such a position of importance on this Vikings team that we'll wrap up our list by including a second one. Blackmon had a solid rookie season as a third-round pick in 2023, but his year two buzz came to a crashing, unfortunate halt when he tore his ACL on the very first day of last year's camp. Now healthy, he's in position to compete for the Vikings' CB3 role with newcomer Jeff Okudah, among others. Blackmon, like Rodgers, has the potential to quiet the uneasiness around Minnesota's cornerback room with his play.