The Minnesota Vikings knew they would undergo major changes after a season in which they finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs. On defense, Pro-Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and the team came to a salary impasse, and he was shipped to the Philadelphia Eagles for a pair of third-round draft choices. This puts former first-round draft choice Dallas Turner front and center with expectations that he will make the leap to NFL star status.

And for the first time since 2011, a Minnesota Vikings defensive lineup may not include future Hall of Famer Harrison Smith. Via the draft, there was a concerted effort to shore up the team’s interior defense, which was a deficient point for an otherwise dominating defense.

And additions at cornerback should lead to better depth at this critical position. Part 1 of this series predicted which players will power head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Part 2 reviews what the defensive and specialist units might look like to start the season.

Vikings Defense

Interior Line

Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Caleb Banks, Domonique Orange, Elijah Williams, Isaiahh Loudermilk

Redmond had a breakout season in 2025, becoming a force against the run and an underrated pass rusher. The Vikings hope that Banks is available on Week 1, but will not push him after foot surgery. Rodriguez and Orange will compete for minutes at the nose tackle position. Williams and Lowdermilk provide depth to this position group.

Edge

Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Hassan Reddick, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Bo Richter

Van Ginkel is one of Vikings’ defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ “Swiss Army Knives. He is adept at both pressuring quarterbacks and dropping into coverage. He also has an uncanny knack for tipping passes in the backfield and turning them into short touchdowns. Turner’s time has arrived, and the Vikings have high expectations for their former number-one draft choice. He contributed eight sacks playing part-time in 2025.

The versatile free agent Reddick comes in as a solid backup to Van Ginkel. Ingram-Dawkins shows promise and will see action both inside and on the edge. Richter has been a valuable special-teams contributor. If Flores decides to keep a sixth player on this unit, look for special-teams players, Chaz Chambliss or Tyler Batty, to get the nod.

Linebacker

Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, Jake Golday, Jacob Roberts.

Cashman’s health will be the key to this unit. He led the team in tackles once again with 144, but suffered some nagging injuries. Wilson came back to the team and was so productive that he replaced Pace in the starting lineup. He brought great pressure on blitzes, totaling six sacks last season, and is a heady special teams performer.

Golday provides Flores another opportunity to utilize the talents of a flexible defender. He will see the bulk of his time in his rookie season at the inside position. But look for the Vikings to occasionally move him to the edge to take advantage of his speed and aggressiveness. Pace was a nice story a couple of years ago, earning a starting position as a UDFA. But missed tackles have been his calling card since he arrived, so look for the former Calgary Stampeder Roberts to snatch the final linebacking spot from him.

Cornerback

Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, James Pierre, Charles Demmings, Zemaiah Vaughn

Murphy is a first-rate NFL cornerback, even though he saw a huge reduction in interceptions. Rodgers made some big plays for the Vikings in 2025 but lacked some consistency in coverage. He should see improvement in his second year as a starter.

The presence of Pierre means Minnesota can slide Murphy inside to his natural position in nickel packages. Rookie Demmings comes in with a ton of athleticism and is an able man-on-man defender. Vaughn provides important depth for this unit.

Safety

Joshua Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, Jakobe Thomas, Tavierre Thomas

A position in flux. Will Harrison Smith retire or join the team at a later date? Jackson could be a salary cap trade candidate after a disappointing first year as a starter. Also, because Ward looks poised to step into the starting free safety spot.

Mettelus is another of Flores do-everything guys, playing more of a monster-back position than a traditional safety role. Injuries slowed him last season, but he remains one of the league’s most underrated players. Tavierre Thomas is an excellent special teamer, and the versatile rookie Jakobe Thomas earns the final spot.

Specialists

Will Reichard, P Brett Thorson, LS Andrew DePaola

Reichard is one of the best kickers in the league. He’s coming off a Pro-Bowl season where he only missed two field goal attempts. Veteran Johnny Hekker was brought in to replace Ryan Wright, who signed with New Orleans.

But I believe the big-legged rookie out of Georgia, Brett Thorson, will ultimately win the job. Pro-Bowl long snapper DePaola is simply one of the best in the game.

Training Camp

The Minnesota Vikings’ 2026 Training Camp will start on Tuesday, July 28 at the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota. I’ll be back with the Vikings’ 53-man post-training camp roster before Minnesota takes on the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, September 13.