Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson

WR

While Jefferson's status as the Vikings' top pass catcher is secure, it remains to be seen who will be throwing him the ball come Week 1. Newcomer Kyler Murray is on board to compete with incumbent J.J. McCarthy, and according to coach Kevin O'Connell it's possible that the team's looming QB competition could extend into the preseason, Kevin Seifert of ESPN reports. That said, Murray -- the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft -- is viewed as the favorite to win the job, and if that ends up being the outcome, he'd be Minnesota's fourth different Week 1 starter in the past four seasons. Subpar QB play hampered Jefferson's fantasy upside in 2025, but if Murray seizes the top job and engineers a bounce-back season of his own in the process, Jefferson stands to benefit.

Marshall Lang

TE

Lang shifted between practice squads for Seattle and New England during his rookie year in 2025, and now he's getting a new opportunity with the Vikings. With T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver both expected to contribute at tight end in 2026, there won't be much breathing room for others to find their way onto the field.

Christian Darrisaw

OT

Tackle Brian O'Neill had high praise for Darrisaw when asked about his first full offseason back from a torn ACL, which is a promising sign for his recovery. Darrisaw had a scheduled down day Wednesday, but once fully healthy, he's expected to operate as Minnesota's starting left tackle.

J.J. McCarthy

QB

Fellow signal callers Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer remain in the reserve mix, while Kevin Seifert of ESPN relays that Murray was on the field for the first QB snaps during team drills Tuesday, after which McCarthy took about an equal number of snaps with the starters -- as was the trend during the media-access portions of Minnesota's OTAs. Per Seifert, Murray is viewed as the favorite to win the the team's ongoing quarterback competition, but at this stage the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft continues his transition to a new offensive system while splitting work with McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in 2024, who is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he threw for 1,632 yards with an 11:12 TD:INT in 10 regular-season starts.

Aaron Jones Sr.

RB

Jones is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he carried 132 times for 548 yards and two touchdowns while adding 28 catches (on 41 targets) for 199 yards and a score in 12 games. With Mason (758 rushing yards and six TDs on 159 carries and 14 catches for 51 yards in 16 contests) still around, another RB time-share -- one that favors Jones in PPR formats -- looms in 2026, with Claiborne a candidate to mix in.