Vikings Free Agency Big Board: Top 5 Targets at Every Position of Need

NFL free agency is upon us. The legal tampering period began on Monday at noon eastern, which means deals that have been informally agreed to since the combine can now be announced, even if they won't become official until the start of the league year on Wednesday.

The Vikings aren't expected to make the kind of big splashes we've seen from them over the past couple years, but they've cleared enough cap space to be active. The expectation is that Rob Brzezinski, Kevin O'Connell, and company will be involved on plenty of middle- or lower-tier free agents at positions of need.

Below, here's a big board of possible realistic Vikings targets at a handful of positions. This won't be a ranking of the top five free agents at each of those positions, but rather our guess at the top five players who Minnesota might actually be in the mix for. It'll be updated as players come off the board.

Quarterback

Kyler Murray
Aaron Rodgers
Geno Smith
Joe Flacco
Marcus Mariota

Murray is the clear-cut favorite here, but it's not a sure thing at this point. He won't be able to sign with a team until Wednesday, and he's expected to be deliberate about exploring his options. All eyes in Vikings land are on Kyler's decision. Tua Tagovailoa, who is expected to land with the Falcons, never seemed to be a realistic option for the Vikings due to his history with Brian Flores. Malik Willis figures to be well out of Minnesota's price range.

Running back

Rico Dowdle
Rachaad White
Michael Carter
JK Dobbins
Austin Ekeler

Off the board: Kenneth Walker III (to KC), Kenneth Gainwell (to TB), Travis Etienne Jr. (to NO)

Walker, who signed with the Chiefs, was always unlikely to be in the Vikings' price range as the top running back on the market. Someone like Gainwell, who catches a ton of passes, could make a lot of sense as a stylistic complement to Jordan Mason.

Center

Ethan Pocic
Graham Glasgow
Luke Fortner
Lloyd Cushenberry III
James Daniels

Off the board: Cade Mays (to DET)

Notably not listed here is Tyler Linderbaum, who is almost certainly going to drive a bidding war that the Vikings will not be serious contenders to win. Mays is the obvious second-best option, and he could also get a sizable deal. Fortner is an interesting one to keep in mind. Generally speaking, the price for starting centers could cause the Vikings to address that need in the draft instead.

Defensive tackle

John Franklin-Myers
Sebastian Joseph-Day
Dalvin Tomlinson
D.J. Reader
Tim Settle

With both Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen expected to be released, the Vikings could be in the market for a veteran addition at DT. Franklin-Myers is the big name out there and thus unlikely to wind up in Minnesota. A run-stuffer like Tomlinson (who was cut by the Cardinals) or Reader could fit well next to Jalen Redmond.

Safety

Bryan Cook
Jalen Thompson
Nick Cross
Kyle Dugger
Ifeatu Melifonwu

This is a deep free agent safety group, which should help the Vikings as they look to replace Harrison Smith (assuming he doesn't decide to run it back for another year). Cook, Coby Bryant, and Jaquan Brisker are among the top names on the market. Players like Cross, Dugger, and Melifonwu could be more reasonably-priced options.

Cornerback

Tariq Woolen
Greg Newsome
Marshon Lattimore
Jack Jones
Roger McCreary

It's a deep cornerback class, too. The Vikings likely won't be in on the big names like Jaylen Watson (who just signed with the Rams), Jamel Deal, and Nahshon Wright, among others, but there are several players in the middle tier who make plenty of sense for Minnesota. They need another solid option alongside Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers.

Update: Vikings signing veteran corner James Pierre to two-year deal