Biggest Vikings Offseason Winners and Losers Heading Into Training Camp

The Minnesota Vikings’ offseason is now complete and the next stop is TCO Performance Center in Eagan for training camp. Vikings rookies are scheduled to report on July 26 with veterans joining on July 28. But no matter how long they’ve been in the league, everyone will be looking to continue their momentum from the offseason.

That momentum could shape how the Vikings look going into the 2026 season. But although training camp practices will determine everyone’s role, some players already look like clear winners and losers as they try to gain a starting job or a roster spot.

Winners:

EDGE Dallas Turner

Fans have been waiting for Turner to live up to the hype after the Vikings traded up to get him during the 2024 draft. While it’s been a slow burn, the Vikings may have cleared him for takeoff after trading Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles during April’s draft.

Greenard leaves Turner with some big shoes to fill as a player that had 12 sacks and 80 pressures during the 2024 season, according to Pro Football Focus. While his production tumbled to 3.0 sacks last season, he was battling a shoulder injury and still logged 47 pressures and a 17.4% pressure rate on 270 pass-rushing snaps.

The pessimist would say that Greenard’s presence opened things up and helped Turner record a career-high eight sacks last season. But Turner's time as a fill-in was just as productive as Greenard, logging 42 pressures with a 14.5% pressure rate on 288 pass-rushing snaps.

With Greenard out of town, Turner will be in a position to thrive and even if they add a pass rusher ahead of training camp, Turner will be in position to take another step forward.

WR Dillon Bell

The Vikings were expected to add depth at receiver behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but outside of Jauan Jennings, they didn’t really address the position. While 2025 third-round pick Tai Felton could fill the void, it seems like UDFA Dillon Bell made the biggest impact as he made a bid for a roster spot.

Bell’s production at Georgia didn't scream "impact player," as he caught 119 passes for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns across 56 games with the Bulldogs. That production is even more alarming considering Zachariah Branch was Georgia’s No. 1 receiver ahead of Bell.

But Bell made a positive first impression, catching passes thrown his way, showing off his 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame and even earning first-team reps toward the end of camp. In a wide-open competition on the back end of the Vikings’ depth chart, Bell landed the first shot and it could help him establish momentum during camp and build it through the preseason.

Losers:

OT Walter Rouse

Being a sixth-round pick gives a tough path for any player to make an impact. But Vikings fans probably feel like they got more of a return on Walter Rouse. The Oklahoma product has appeared in eight games over his first two seasons and last year did not go well, posting a 55.6 overall grade on 88 offensive snaps according to PFF.

With much of the Vikings scouting staff ushered out with the arrival of new general manager Nolan Teasley, Rouse’s future in Minnesota is in real jeopardy. Even before Teasley was hired, the writing may have been on the wall as the Vikings signed Ryan Van Demark in free agency and selected Caleb Tiernan in the third round of April’s draft.

Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill aren’t losing their starting jobs. But Rouse could have served as a capable backup if his development had gone well. Already 25 years old, time is running out and the Vikings' additions were a brutal blow to his outlook going into camp.

LB Ivan Pace Jr.

Pace quickly established himself as a fan favorite after joining the Vikings as a UDFA after the 2023 draft, but his career has declined through each of his first three seasons.

The Cincinnati product appeared in 17 games and made 11 starts during the 2023 season, making 102 total tackles, two tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. But he was limited to 11 games due to injury in 2024 and had a career-low 324 defensive snaps and 45.1 overall grade last season per PFF.

Blake Cashman is entering the final year of his contract, but Pace’s path to playing time remained blocked when the Vikings re-signed Eric Wilson ahead of free agency. Second-round pick Jake Golday is projected to be Andrew Van Ginkel’s eventual replacement at edge rusher, but he can also play a traditional linebacker role, which gives Pace another obstacle to clear.

With the depth the Vikings have at linebacker, Pace may be a special teams player entering his fourth season in Minnesota. But if he doesn’t provide value there, he could be on the roster bubble and continue his surprising decline with the Vikings.

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