A Single Vikings Rookie Gets Listed as a Starter in Depth Chart

By default, Vikings rookie fullback Max Bredeson is the starter at his position. As with somebody like Andrew DePaola at long snapper, Bredeson is the only option in town, meaning he’s the top option no matter what.

Still, though, allow me to press the point a touch that the FB looks like a sneaky important player.

The young fella got scooped up in the 5th Round of the 2025 NFL Draft, a lofty spot for a fullback without a single college carry. Kevin O’Connell has been telling anyone within earshot that he feels good about where the run game is heading. At this stage, Coach O’Connell saying that this year will be different for the run game has become an annual tradition, but the insertion of an upside rookie FB may spark a new turn.

Vikings Rookie Max Bredeson as a Puzzle Piece

On the Vikings’ website, the depth chart begins with an explanatory note: “Minnesota opted to list 12 positions on offense to account for the use of three receivers in 11 personnel (a running back and tight end) or the use of a fullback in 21 personnel (a running back, fullback and a tight end with two receivers).”

For a long time, the Vikings have favored 11 personnel. The football lingo refers to using a trio of receivers alongside a single tight end and single running back (the other players are assumed as five offensive linemen alongside a single quarterback). Pretty standard stuff for the modern NFL that’s all about passing.

But then there’s the carve out: the Vikings explicitly create a subcategory for Mr. Bredeson rather than see him lumped into the running backs more broadly. Doing so addresses the nuance between fullbacks and running backs while shoehorning the young thumper into the starting lineup.

Consider where the nine-person draft class gets listed:

• DT Caleb Banks: Second String
• LB Jake Golday: Second String
• DT Domonique Orange: Second String
• OT Caleb Tiernan: Second String
• S Jakobe Thomas: Third String
• FB Max Bredeson: First String
• CB Chuck Demmings: Third String
• RB Demond Claiborne: Fourth String
• C Gavin Gerhardt: Third String

Over and over again, the Vikings seek to insulate the young fellas even as it’s easy to see where things are trending. Putting Demmings behind Dwight McGlothern appears to be very unlikely at this stage. McGlothern’s virtue, though, is that he has been in town for a little while whereas Demmings is brand new. Making the young fella earn it is a touch old school but still smart.

At the beginning of August, Alec Lewis (The Athletic) sent along a specific thought about the young fullback: “Another non-QB Vikings thing from today: Max Bredeson was very much in the offensive mix. A pretty telling and impressive thing for a rookie FB to be as a part of it as he was this early given complexity of the system.”

Last year, Bredeson played as a tight end a good portion of the time. He is, nevertheless, a fullback in Minnesota. Look for the Vikings to shuffle him around to gain an edge when there needs to be some added ruggedness. His versatility is going to get put to good use.

Max Bredeson is listed as being 6’2″ and weighing 252 pounds. He is 23.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.