3 Free Agents the Vikings Could Target After the Draft

The NFL calendar has reached the stage where teams are solely focused on the draft. According to most mocks, it appears likely the Vikings take a defensive prospect in the first round. While Minnesota has four picks in the top-100, they still have a few holes to address ahead of the season.

The Vikings don't possess a ton of cap space at this point. However, acting general manager Rob Brzezinski noted at the owner's meetings that, while Minnesota didn't necessarily do a whole lot this offseason, they "have some dry powder." That would appear to indicate Minnesota isn't completely done adding to its roster and could make a late-offseason addition, as they've done in the past.

With the draft around the corner, let's take a look at potential free agent targets Minnesota could go after following the draft.

Jauan Jennings

Receiver is a position the Vikings could likely look to in the draft, with several mid-round options as intriguing possibilities. However, if they don't select a receiver, the Vikings could return to the free agent market for a veteran option. While there are connections on the roster with some of the more established veterans on the market, no possibility has as much intrigue as former 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings.

Jennings remains one of the most intriguing names on the market. Regularly ranked as one of the top 50 free agents heading into the offseason, the 28-year-old is still without a deal. The assumption is that the former seventh-round pick is asking too much. In fact, one anonymous head coach told The Athletic at the owners' meetings that Jennings has "Outplayed his talent."

Jennings has been the 49ers' top receiving option in each of the past two seasons as those around him succumbed to injury. That led to Jennings catching 132 passes for 1,618 yards and 15 touchdowns. Over two years, those numbers should fetch a decent contract. Yet, eight days into April, Jennings is still on the market. If that anonymous head coach's opinion is shared across the league, he may remain available until his asking price comes down.

That's where the Vikings can come in and offer Jennings a lifeline. Minnesota doesn't need a top one- or two-receiver. They need a solid third, or even fourth, option behind Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and tight end T.J. Hockenson. Normally, that wouldn't be ideal for a guy trying to prove that he's worthy of a big deal. However, look at what Jalen Nailor just got from the Raiders.

Nailor was a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft, who, after two solid seasons as the Vikings' third option, got a three-year, $35 million deal with Las Vegas. If Jennings has talked himself out of a big-money deal this offseason, then playing well for a season in Minnesota can be a springboard to a big contract next season.

Other options: DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Deebo Samuel

Ethan Pocic

On an offensive line that largely looks settled, center is still a big question mark. At the moment, it appears likely that the Vikings are going to have Blake Brandel take over as the starting center after the retirement of Ryan Kelly.

Brandel started at center for six games in the middle of the 2025 season while Kelly recovered from a concussion. In those six games, he allowed 13 total pressures, including three sacks. While the initial games were rough, with PFF pass block grades in the 50s and 30s, he quickly picked up the position, finishing with three straight weeks of impressive grades: 84.6, 79.1, and 78.2. He didn't allow a sack in those three games while giving up only three total pressures. This offseason, O'Connell appeared to hint that Brandel is the frontrunner for the position but that he wants a "competitive situation there."

If Minnesota doesn't see enough from Brandel early on in offseason workouts, then former Browns center Ethan Pocic could become a veteran option.

The 30-year-old is still looking for a home after four seasons in Cleveland. He was initially a second-round pick by the Seahawks, where he played for five seasons before leaving for the Browns. Pocic allowed just two sacks and 14 pressures in 518 pass block snaps in what was an awful 2025 for Cleveland. There are some durability concerns with Pocic, who has yet to play a full season. However, if Minnesota can get past those and find a workable deal, then Pocic could be a smart, late-offseason addition to the offensive line in front of Kyler Murray.

DJ Reader

The Vikings' defensive line lost a lot of veteran presence with the cuts of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. That leaves Brian Flores with a three-man front that likely is anchored by Jalen Redmond, with Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins joining him for the bulk of the snaps. That's not entirely encouraging going into the 2026 season.

Enter veteran defensive tackle DJ Reader. The 31-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Lions, where he appeared in 32 total games and tallied 51 combined tackles, including four for a loss, and three sacks. Reader would immediately restore presence and experience to the Vikings' defensive line as one of the standout nose tackles in the NFL over the past decade.

There's a risk that Reader, who turns 32 in July, could have already fallen off a cliff, or close to it. However, that would be a risk worth taking with a defensive line as inexperienced as the one Minnesota currently has. There's every possibility Minnesota uses its first-round pick, or one of their four top-100 picks, on a defensive lineman, but even then, that's still a lot of youth up front.

Other options: Christian Wilkins, Calais Campbell