NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players next Sunday, August 30. It looks like the Vikings may announce a roster that includes nine rookies.
Training camp and the preseason indicate the Vikings could have one of their highest value group of first season players in the last 10 years. Typically, NFL teams see 6 to 10 rookies make their final rosters of 53 players, so Minnesota likely ends in the high range in 2025.
Certainly, this class looks like a sharp contrast to the 2022 group that produced no high impact players and saw most of the rookies experience a brief stay in Minneapolis. The 2020 class is the best in recent years and contributed two starters still with the club, Justin Jefferson and Josh Mettellus. Cam Dantzler, D.J. Wonnum and K.J. Osborn were also solid rookie additions.
The way it looks here, eight drafted rookies make the roster next Sunday, plus one free agent first-year player. That surprise rookie is safety Jacob Thomas from James Madison who started his college career there as a walk-on quarterback.
The drafted rookies who project in making the roster are:
Defensive lineman Caleb Banks, first round.
Linebacker Jake Golday, second round.
Defensive lineman Domonique Orange, offensive lineman Caleb Tiernan and safety Jakobe Thomas; all third round.
Fullback Max Bredeson and cornerback Charles Demmings, fourth round.
Running back Desmond Claiborne, sixth round.
During the season Minnesota will have starters or frequent rotational players among the rookie class. Bredeson is the only fullback on the roster and has been impressive in training camp. The interior defense was an offseason priority and Orange could be a starter at nose tackle in September, while Banks, with a recent history of foot injuries, may be eased in at defensive tackle with his workload likely to increase during the fall.
Other rookies referenced here figure to contribute as rotation players and on special teams. Claiborne, with his elite speed and acceleration, could be among the most fun players to watch, possibly as a “home run” return man and situational runner out of the backfield.
If this group of rookies holds up in value, it warrants props to Rob Brzezinski who as interim general manager led the 2026 draft. He remains with the team as executive vice president of operations and works with GM Nolan Teasley who was hired in late spring.
BTW, in a glass half full view 11 rookies might make the 53-man roster for the regular season. Impressive Georgia alums and free agent signed wide receiver Dillon Bell and punter Brett Thorson are worthy of inclusion but face challenging competition from veterans to be included.
Props for Golden Gophers General Manager
An anonymous Big Ten Conference assistant football coach gave the Gophers and key leader Gerrit Chernoff props in the Athlon Sports College Football Preview. “They evaluate really well,” he said. “…Their GM (Gerrit Chernoff) is awesome. They have a really, really good personnel staff. They know exactly what their wheelhouse is, and they strike really well in it.”
Chernoff was named general manager of the Minnesota football staff in January 2017, the same month Fleck was hired. He was promoted to assistant athletic director/general manager in January 2021. Chernoff oversees all off-field aspects of the Minnesota football program including player personnel, where the Gophers have excelled in retention of their starters despite the lure of the transfer portal.
“I mean, Gerrit is the glue to our entire organization,” Fleck said. “He’s probably the most important person in the entire building, (and even) more important to me. He really is.
“One, he is very selfless. And I think as a head football coach—I was told this a long time ago—it might be your program…but don’t think every single person cares as much as you do about your program. And Gerrit does.
“And I think that’s what makes him incredibly valuable. He’s a tremendous friend, but he’s a very selfless worker, and there’s so much that he’s … (involved with), you can’t even put a job description together for him because he just does so much.
“We’ve known each other now 12 years and that’s a long time to work with somebody. We work cohesively at making a lot of decisions, not only just personnel, just day-to-day situations and decisions. But I don’t want to ever make a decision without running it by him because I think he knows me better than anybody inside the organization.
“Heather (Fleck’s wife) even says at times…like he knows me better than Heather knows me… spending every single waking hour together, especially in football. This program wouldn’t be where it is without Gerrit Chernoff for sure.”