5 Players Who Might Not Be on the Vikings' Roster by Week 1

After doing very little in free agency, the Minnesota Vikings are a team with a roster that could be greatly influenced over the next four-plus months by what happens in the NFL Draft and trades.

It's also possible that Minnesota does very little outside of the draft before the start of the 2026 regular season. If that's the case, the depth chart might not change much from where it currently stands. However, acting general manager Rob Brzezinski said Monday that he's proud of the discipline and restraint the Vikings showed in free agency, setting the stage for more activity this spring and summer.

"We don't kick off until September. There are many, many markets still ahead of us. I think there's going to be unique opportunities that may present themselves as we work through the offseason, and we want to be ready and have some dry powder to be able to capitalize on those opportunities," Brzezinski said.

Based on Brzezinski's comment, the state of the roster, and expected draft goals, we can logically identify players who might not be on the roster by the time Week 1 comes around in September.

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Jonathan Greenard, EDGE

While head coach Kevin O'Connell expects Greenard to be on the team, it's impossible to ignore the fact that he's been in the rumor mill for more than a month, as the cap-strapped Vikings may not be able to meet his desire to be paid at his market value.

There's no question that Minnesota is better with Greenard lined up on the edge, but as Brzezinski said, more markets will develop as the offseason evolves, and that could mean more teams show interest in trading for Greenard.

It certainly doesn't sound like the Vikings have closed the door on trading Greenard, so he's the No. 1 name to watch as the offseason progresses.

T.J. Hockenson, TE

After restructuring his contract to drop his 2026 cap hit from roughly $22 million to $15.6 million, Hockenson is playing in a contract season after a couple of rough campaigns following his December 2023 ACL injury.

While it's probably unlikely that he's not on the roster in Week 1, there is a scenario where trading him this summer could make sense, and that's if the Vikings use a high draft pick on a tight end. For example, if the Vikings take Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq in the first round, are they going to make him sit behind Hockenson for an entire season?

In that scenario, the Vikings could look to trade Hockenson after June 1, when the dead money for dealing him drops from $12.4 million to $5.3 million, according to Over The Cap.

Theo Jackson, S

Jackson found himself behind Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, and Jay Ward on the depth chart late last season, and with Metellus and Ward locks to make the team, Jackson's roster spot could be determined by Smith and the draft.

If Smith returns for a 15th season, that could be bad news for Jackson. The double whammy for Jackson is if Smith doesn't retire and the Vikings take a safety early in the draft.

Zavier Scott, RB

With Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason set to return as the top two running backs, Scott is currently the No. 3 option. However, if the Vikings take a running back in the first three rounds of the draft, Scott could find himself fighting for a roster spot — and he'd likely be losing that battle because Minnesota isn't going to cut a running back if they take one in the first, second, or third round.

Dwight McGlothern, CB

The training camp standout from 2024 has made the team each of the last two seasons, but entering his final year under contract, he may need to take a big leap to make the 53-man roster in 2026.

With Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre taking the top three cornerback jobs, the Vikings are likely going to add to their depth by selecting a talented corner or two in the draft. If that happens, McGlothern might be battling Zemaiah Vaughn, Kahlef Hailassie, and rookies for a roster spot.