3 Vikings Rookies Ready to Make a Week 1 Impact (Including Domonique Orange)

Starting your NFL career with a home game against your team’s biggest rival in the prime afternoon slate isn’t the most common entrance into the NFL, but the Vikings’ rookie class will experience just that on Sunday.

After over four months of work since the conclusion of the NFL draft, 10 rookies stand on the final 53-man roster. While it will take each of them time to acclimate to NFL speed and competition, some seem more poised for early impact than others.

Three players in particular have stood out enough through training camp and the preseason to give me confidence in their potential for week one contributions. I should note that undrafted rookie safety Jacob Thomas would easily be on this list if not for Harrison Smith's return and the fact that he is still recovering from an ankle injury.

With that, here are my three impact rookies to watch for the Vikings as they host the Packers on Sunday.

1. Domonique Orange, DL

Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange was something to behold during Vikings camp and three preseason games. The man is a mountain, but certainly not a stagnant one. His ability to eat space and create chaos is impressive, but it's clear defensive coordinator Brian Flores already trusts him to do much more than just that, even dropping him into coverage during preseason action (h/t Bobby Football).

You’ve gotta love that Brian Flores dropped Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange into coverage in the preseason … and it worked.

The 320+-pound nose was known a little more for eating space and running backs (38 run stops) during his career at Iowa State than dropping in coverage pic.twitter.com/0Dl3tFKItk
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) August 22, 2026

The third-round pick has the potential to be a steadier and more impactful piece than first-round pick Caleb Banks early on, a stroke of smart and insightful drafting by interim general manager Rob Brzezinski while Banks ramps back up from injury. I expect him to see a ton of work on Sunday as a key piece of a rotating defensive front.

2. Jake Golday, LB

The Vikings’ selection of linebacker Jake Golday out of Cincinnati in the second round had defensive coordinator Brian Flores’s fingerprints all over it. This kid seems to have the unique versatility Flores loves in his handpicked players, and he showcased it early in camp.

While the team initially slated Golday as a middle linebacker, he quickly started taking reps outside, sometimes even relieving Andrew Van Ginkel on the first-team unit. He swatted passes up for interceptions, created pressure, and recovered fumbles. While it is a tall ask to expect him to be AVG 2.0, his versatility and ability to find the football from different positions have me excited for his usage as a new weapon against Green Bay.

3. Chuck Demmings, CB

Chuck Demmings had an unbelievably hot start to training camp for the Vikings, culminating in multiple passes broken up against the team’s star-studded wide receiver group, including Justin Jefferson. The fifth-round pick from FCS Stephen F. Austin turned heads at Senior Bowl practices all the way back in January before climbing up draft boards. Eventually, he found his home in Minnesota, where he has quickly become a fan favorite due to his solid summertime performance (h/t Will Ragatz).

Chuck Demmings! pic.twitter.com/BiRuyjlavr
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 29, 2026

Demmings is unlikely to see the field on a majority of snaps, with free-agent addition James Pierre likely to take a fair share of reps, but he’ll certainly have some opportunities. The good news? Demmings has proven capable of making big plays in limited action, and the intensity of the NFC North rivalry may add a new layer to his already patented physicality.

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