Vikings Veterans Who Could Lose Starting Jobs to Rookies in 2026

Do the Vikings have any starters who could lose their job to a rookie during the 2026 season? It'll obviously depend on who they select in the April 23-25 NFL Draft, but there are a handful of vets whose playing time could be ripped away by rookies on the rise.

Aaron Jones, RB

Jones isn't a spring chicken, and there's a very real chance that Minnesota drafts a running back with enough juice to unseat Jones on the depth chart. If healthy, Jones and Jordan Mason still form a solid 1-2 punch in the backfield, but Notre Dame's Jadarian Price, Arkansas' Mike Washington, Nebraska's Emmett Johnson, or Washington Jonah Coleman are among the talented runners who could contribute as rookies, especially if Jones begins to decline.

Blake Brandel, C

Brandel is the early favorite to claim the starting center job after Ryan Kelly retired and Minnesota didn't sign anyone in free agency. At this point, it's his job to lose, with Michael Jurgens perhaps sitting on an outside chance to win it.

"We just feel like it's time to allow him to really focus on that center position," head coach Kevin O'Connell said in a recent conversation about Brandel. "We think he's got a ton of upside with his smarts and athleticism and his ability to get to the second level on certain defenders. So we want to allow Blake to get comfortable in that spot, compete a little bit as well with Jurgens as well."

Jake Slaughter, Viking — Nov 1, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators offensive lineman Jake Slaughter (66) looks on during warm ups before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

If Minnesota takes a center in the draft, there's a chance that the rookie wins the job outright. Someone like Iowa's Logan Jones, Florida's Jake Slaughter, Auburn's Connor Lew, or Kansas State's Sam Hecht could create an intriguing position battle in training camp and the preseason, and if they don't win the job before Week 1, they could be thrust into the starting role if Brandel doesn't perform at a high level.

The rest of the offensive line is locked in place, with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill at tackle, and Donovan Jackson and Will Fries starting at left and right guard, respectively.

T.J. Hockenson, TE

The only truly realistic scenario where Hockenson isn't taking snaps as TE1 is if Minnesota selects Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq in the first round. That's far from a sure thing, so a more likely scenario is Hockenson beginning the season as TE1 and possibly losing snaps, or the starting job outright, to a rookie on the rise.

Eli Stowers, Viking — Nov 22, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers (9) runs with the ball after a made catch against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Hockenson looked like a shell of his former Pro Bowl self with 51 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns last season. Was it all his fault? Probably not, considering the quarterback play wasn't up to snuff, but he has not looked the same since suffering a significant knee injury on Dec. 24, 2023.

Possible tight end picks outside of Sadiq include Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers, Ohio State's Max Klare, and Georgia's Oscar Delp, who reportedly has a top-30 visit lined up with the Vikings.

Tai Felton

With last year's third-round pick (Felton) still an unknown, the Vikings have big holes behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The WR3 and WR4 jobs aren't necessarily starting positions, but they are going to be filled by players who wind up on the field quite a bit. Unless Felton and Myles Price show big improvements, rookies could immediately claim big roles in KOC's offense.

Jay Ward (or Theo Jackson)

This free safety conversation won't really matter if Harrison Smith decides to return for a 15th season, but until he declares plans, the starting job is in the hands of Jay Ward, or perhaps Theo Jackson, who lost reps late last season to Ward.

The uncertainty at free safety is precisely why almost every mock draft has Minnesota selecting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman or Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Either player, or Ohio State's Caleb Downs if he slides all the way to the 18th pick, would almost certainly be talented enough to start on Day 1.

Jay Ward, Viking — Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws the ball over Minnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward (24) during the first quarter of an NFL pre-season game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

The pressure will be significant in training camp because the Vikings are almost surely going to draft defensive linemen who are big and athletic enough to compete with Drake Rodriguez, who was a seventh-round pick in 2024, and Ingram-Dawkins, who was a fifth-round pick last year.

The only starting lock on the D-line in Brian Flores' base 3-4 defense is Jalen Redmond.

Clemson's Peter Woods, Florida's Caleb Banks, Ohio State's Kayden McDonald, Texas Tech's Lee Hunter, and Georgia's Christen Miller are among the defensive linemen likely to hear their names called on the first two days of the draft.

What about cornerback and linebacker?

Never say never, but the linebackers are set in stone with Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel on the outside, and Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson on the inside. If the Vikings trade Greenard, Dallas Turner takes over, so there's really not an opportunity for a rookie to jump into a starting job.

Now, if the Vikings land someone like Texas inside linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. in the draft, he might be good enough to eventually step into a starting role if Wilson or Cashman gets injured or sees a drop in performance.

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Clemson defensive back Avieon Terrell (DB31) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The top three cornerbacks are set with Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre. Could someone like Tennessee's Jermod McCoy or Clemson's Avieon Terrell jump one of them over the course of the season if they're drafted to Minnesota? Absolutely, and that would be a good problem to have.