Vikings Stock Report: 3 Players Rising (and 3 Falling) After Week 1

What was surely going to end up as an embarrassing Week 1 defeat after three quarters quickly turned into an epic comeback for the Vikings. Despite early mistakes, the Vikings put up 29 unanswered points on the Packers to win late in dominant fashion, heading into Week 2 with an unblemished record.

Plenty of Vikings showed up big, while some others wilted in the moment. Here is who is trending up and who is heading in the opposite direction after the season-opening victory.

Stock up: Carson Wentz, QB

If there was ever a doubt that Wentz should be the backup quarterback, not J.J. McCarthy, Sunday provided all the proof needed.

Wentz took essentially no snaps with the first-team all summer as McCarthy and Murray battled for the starting role, but came in against the Packers to steady the ship, finishing with 143 yards and three touchdowns.

With Kyler Murray set to enter the concussion protocol, he's likely to miss at least one more game. Wentz showed that not only can he give stability to the position, but also a spark, something that most believed only McCarthy could inject between his erratic moments. Murray is still the best option moving forward, but Wentz in Year 2 of Kevin O'Connell's system is objectively better than 2025's version.

Stock down: Joshua Metellus, S

What a day to forget for the Vikings' secondary.

Minnesota was torched by Love to the tune of 387 yards and two touchdowns, and Joshua Metellus found himself as the most snake-bitten victim with a team-low 29.6 Pro Football Focus grade. He looked to be the one to blame for Jonnu Smith's 42-yard chunk gain (h/t acosta32_jp), and finished the contest with just three tackles and no pass breakups.

I think the big Jonnu Smith catch is on Metellus. AVG is dropping into the window of the over and Theo Jackson is over the top of it. Metellus loses track of Smith and locks onto Kraft even though they have it covered pic.twitter.com/2wjgzniziy
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) September 14, 2026

A veteran and team captain, he certainly expects more of himself and will be an obvious bounce-back candidate against the Bears next week.

Stock up: Levi Drake Rodriguez, DL

The seventh-round selection in 2024 took over starting duties on the Vikings' defensive front after the team moved on from Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen and made an impact right away. Levi Drake Rodriguez registered Minnesota's first sack of the season, beating Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel to the spot. He finished with two tackles and a sack on his way to earning the top PFF grade along the Vikings' front with an 82.1.

Rookie Domonique Orange impressed as well, but the Vikings may have found a late-round gem at nose tackle.

Stock down: Theo Jackson, S

Another forgettable day from a Vikings safety, Theo Jackson had some bad misses all afternoon.

He took a poor angle on the Christian Watson touchdown and gave Brian Flores and the Vikings plenty to think about for his role moving forward. With Harrison Smith ramping up and the Thomas rookies up-and-coming, Jackson may find himself sliding down the depth chart rather quickly.

Stock up: Dallas Turner, LB

A popular breakout pick for 2026, Dallas Turner wasted little time earning that nomination. Turner notched a blistering 10 pressures to go with his sack and strip of Jordan Love, showing every bit that he's the future at edge. He had more pressures than any other player in the league in week 1, and at just 23 years old, the Vikings have a budding star to build around.

Stock down: Caleb Banks, DL

Caleb Banks played just 16 snaps in the season opener and didn't register a stat. The Vikings' first-round pick was always going to be a developmental project, especially after rehabbing a foot injury most of the summer, but there doesn't seem to be much of a window for Banks to carve out a significant role in 2026.

Caleb Banks lines up. — The Vikings need Caleb Banks to find another gear if he's going to play a key role along the defensive line in Year 1. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The starting trio of Jalen Redmond, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Rodriguez had a strong showing in Week 1, and will likely retain their roles all year. Fellow rookie Orange had a solid debut as well, leaving Banks as a clear afterthought on the defensive front.

His career shouldn't be defined by one year and especially not one week, but it's hard to see Banks contributing much in 2026 (barring any injuries).

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