The Vikings Have a Clear Hidden Gem Stashed on Their Practice Squad

A young cornerback on the practice squad has "breakout" written all over him.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell could eventually call on this promising practice squad member if all goes to plan. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Vikings announced their practice squad on Monday, and while it's not finalized just yet, one player who impressed this summer may be in line for a promotion soon.

Two 2026 undrafted free agents, safety Jacob Thomas and punter Brett Thorson, are on the 53-man roster. Dillon Bell, the UDFA receiver out of Georgia, briefly made the initial roster, but was soon waived to make room for a pair of new offensive linemen.

There's another UDFA, though, in North Texas cornerback Da'Veawn Armstead. Although he didn't make the initial roster, Armstead did land on the Vikings' practice squad as a promising young player to watch once the regular season begins.

UDFA cornerback Da'Veawn Armstead could be the Vikings' next diamond in the rough

After going undrafted, Armstead has consistently shown up throughout the summer and was even working with the second-team defense as recently as the joint practices with the Ravens. And for such a young player, he actually played sparingly in preseason with no injury reported, which could imply that Minnesota was hoping to hide him from other teams' prying eyes.

That plan, if it was indeed the plan, worked, and now Armstead will start the year on the Vikings' practice squad.

Da'Veawn Armstead oozes potential. Assuming he plays his cards right, it might not be long before he's playing key snaps in Purple and Gold. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In his final collegiate season, Armstead must have had Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores drooling.

The cornerback nabbed two interceptions, but also worked up near the line of scrimmage, notching one sack and 3.5 tackles for loss as well. He's aggressive and confident, and possesses many of the traits Flores likes at corner. He also posted an 8.99 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) ahead of the draft, ranking in the top 10% of cornerbacks all-time.

Still, there's a good reason he didn't make the initial 53-man roster, but it has more to do with the defensive scheme than it does with Armstead.

Armstead's fit on the Vikings still has some wrinkles to work out

Armstead's best fit with Minnesota is likely at nickel, and the Vikings don't really play a lot of three-cornerback sets. Flores typically uses three safeties before he'll toss out a third cornerback, and Armstead's build has led the Vikings to play him more at slot than on the outside up to this point.

Meanwhile, fifth-round pick Chuck Demmings has done well on the outside this summer and will rotate in from time to time. Zemaiah Vaughn, the fifth corner to make the roster, boasts a 6-foot-3 frame and has locked in that final roster spot for the time being. For Armstead, it's not that his play wasn't good enough, but more that Flores's utilization of safeties more than corners made him a better candidate for the practice squad for now.

Of course, an injury to the starters or inconsistent play from the safety group could expedite Armstead's trajectory. For 2026, though, it's likely. that he will sit and learn on the practice squad.

Next year will be a new story; however, the Vikings could lose Isaiah Rodgers to free agency, opening the door for Armstead to make the 53-man roster then.

Get Vikings On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.