With the Draft behind us, the Vikings’ roster for the offseason is mostly fulfilled. They still have a few spots open, and as we’ve seen with the Jauan Jennings signing, they are looking for key contributors.

The idea of a roster prediction in early May isn’t to be 100% correct (although I fully intend to brag if I am), but rather to gauge where things stand before OTAs, minicamp, training camp, and the preseason.

Several Vikings Roster Spots Are Already Getting Tight

And I also think this is a fun exercise, so let’s get to it.

Quarterbacks (3)

In: Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz;

Out: Max Brosmer

For now, I think this is the easiest one. Murray is likely to start things off as the starter, but McCarthy will have his fair shot if he shows improvement. Carson Wentz gives you an experienced voice in the room, and I don’t think he’d have returned for 2026 if he didn’t think he’d stick around.

Max Brosmer could still develop into a solid backup, but he played poorly in 2025, even for an undrafted rookie. One of my hot takes for 2026 is that Murray and McCarthy won’t both be on the roster, but we’ll see about that.

Wide Receivers (6)

In: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, Tai Felton, Myles Price, Dillon Bell;

Out: Joaquin Davis, Dontae Fleming, Jeshaun Jones, Shaleak Knotts, Marcus Sanders, Luke Wysong.

I’ll be bold here: I think Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison make the roster. They form one of the best duos in the league and will continue to do so for at least two more seasons. Jauan Jennings is a much-needed, stronger, and taller wide receiver.

Felton is a high pick, only in his second season, and was great on special teams, so there’s no reason to think he won’t stay. Price handled both returning spots, and he’ll probably do it again in 2026. Rookie UDFA Dillon Bell is a fun one.

He was a gadget player and could find himself in a similar role in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, as the team doesn’t have anyone with this skillset.

Halfbacks (5)

In: Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Demond Claiborne, Zavier Scott, Max Bredeson;

Out: Kejon Owens.

With the Vikings not spending heavily on the running back position, it’s fair to assume that Jones and Mason will handle the bulk of the carries again. Demond Claiborne can be a demon (bad pun intended) on the field, but his ball security woes can cost him playing time.

If he can figure it out, though, the rookie can be the home-run threat this room lacks. Scott got one of the last spots on the roster, but mostly because I don’t know if Kevin O’Connell will have four running backs.

However, Scott’s ability as a receiver complements this backfield really well, and he had some good plays in 2025. Bredeson comes in as the new fullback on the roster and should be a contributor right away, given his prowess as a run blocker.

Tight Ends (4)

In: T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Gavin Bartholomew, Ben Yurosek;

Out: Bryson Nesbit.

This may be the team’s weakest position on offense. Hockenson doesn’t look the same after his knee injury and has had one of the worst seasons of his career. There’s a chance this had to do with the quarterback play, but it’s still cause for concern.

Josh Oliver is excellent as a blocker and more than capable as a pass catcher, but heavily underused in this aspect. Bartholomew missed his entire rookie season due to a back problem, so this will be the first time we see him in action. Yurosek had over 100 snaps and appeared in 12 games in 2025, giving him a shot at making the roster this season.

Offensive Linemen (9)

In: Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Gavin Gerhardt, Will Fries, Brian O’Neill, Blake Brandel, Joe Huber, Ryan Van Demark, Caleb Tiernan;

Out: Michael Jurgens, Delby Lemieux, Henry Bird, Vershon Lee, Tomas Rimac, Caleb Etienne, Tristan Leigh, Walter Rouse.

Four spots on the offensive line are set in stone. Blake Brandel will kick things off as the starting center, but I think this can evolve into a competition with rookie Gavin Gerhardt. Although he’s a seventh-round pick, he has a lot of experience at the position, starting for four years in college.

I also like the idea of Brandel working at center and being able to serve as the backup for every position. The Vikings spent a considerable amount of money on Van Demark in the restricted free agency and used a top-100 pick on Caleb Tiernan, so both should be locks.

If Gerhardt wins the starting job, I’m okay with having only Huber as a true backup guard, as Brandel would also be able to fill in.

Defensive Tackles (5)

In: Jalen Redmond, Caleb Banks, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Domonique Orange, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins;

Out: Elijah Williams, Monkell Goodwine, Eric Johnson II, Taki Taimani.

Arguably the most promising position on the roster, the Vikings have young defensive tackles with tons of potential. Redmond had a breakout season in 2025, and hopefully that was just the start.

At 27, he could be the leader of this group for the next handful of years. If we’re talking about potential, no one embodies it better than the first-round rookie Caleb Banks. The early signs are that he’ll be able to practice fully at the start of training camp, and, if his foot doesn’t bother him again, could make a nasty duo with Redmond.

The other three round out this duo really well: Ingram-Dawkins comes in on passing downs, Orange possesses the ability to be a great nose tackle, and Rodriguez can contribute on both, although he’s more of a nose tackle as well. How well they perform will hinge on Redmond’s continued development and Banks’ health, but if all goes well, they can wreak havoc in opposing backfields.

Edge Rushers (5)

In: Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Kyle Van Noy, Bo Richter, Tyler Batty;

Out: Chaz Chambliss, Cam’Ron Stewart, Arden Walker.

I wasn’t fond of the idea of trading Jonathan Greenard. The price was mostly fair, considering he’ll turn 29 and has an extensive injury history.

But this trade left the Vikings in an odd position. Van Ginkel will continue to do Van Ginkel things, while I fully believe Dallas Turner is ready to take that additional step. However, the depth behind them is way less than optimal. Both Bo Richter and Tyler Batty are special teams players who have never had more than 6% of the defensive snaps.

In the NFL, you must rotate your front seven as often as possible, so this is not enough. There aren’t any premium edge rushers in the market, as we are in the middle of May. Kyle Van Noy is my pick here, mostly due to his familiarity with Brian Flores, and he has played at least 50% of the snaps in each of the last three seasons. After Jauan Jennings’ signing, I believe that a veteran edge rusher is the next big priority.

Linebackers (4)

In: Blake Cashman, Jake Golday, Eric Wilson, Ivan Pace;

Out: Keli Lawson, Jacob Roberts, Josh Ross, Scooby Williams.

This is another position that I believe is set in stone. Blake Cashman is a very underrated player, but his injury woes are cause for concern. Eric Wilson had a career year in 2025, but banking on it happening again wouldn’t be wise, which is one reason I picked Golday even more.

Speaking of Golday, I think he can impress enough to be the starter alongside Cashman. Wilson should still see the field a lot, but more as a rotational player. Ivan Pace provides solid depth and special-teams play.

Cornerbacks (5)

In: Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, James Pierre, Charles Demmings, Zemaiah Vaughn;

Out: Marcus Allen, Da’Veawn Armstead, Tyreek Chappell, Kahlef Hailassie, Dwight McGlothern.

I think the first four players are safe bets. Murphy is the best cornerback on the team and has slot-boundary versatility. Isaiah Rodgers had his moments in 2025, and James Pierre is an improvement at the CB3 position.

I believe that Flores would’ve pushed harder for a cornerback if he weren’t comfortable with this trio. Most of the other cornerbacks fighting for a roster spot are current or former UDFAs, so the fact that the Vikings used a pick on Demmings is a great sign that he makes the roster. The final spot was between Vaughn and McGlothern, although Marcus Allen is likely to have an opportunity as well.

Safeties (4)

In: Josh Metellus, Jakobe Thomas, Jay Ward, Theo Jackson;

Out: Jacob Thomas, Tavierre Thomas.

The hope here is that Metellus can go back to his 2024 form. He played with a shoulder injury through most of 2025, and it clearly impacted him. A top-100 pick, Jakobe Thomas will have an opportunity to play early if he can quickly understand Flores’ scheme. Jay Ward got some snaps late last season and impressed, and he also has a chance to be an impact player this season. Theo Jackson was kind of underwhelming in 2025, but unless Harrison Smith returns, I can’t see him not making the roster.

Special Teams (3)

In: Will Reichard (K), Brett Thorson (P), Andrew DePaola (LS);

Out: Johnny Hekker (P).

Will Reichard is an All-Pro caliber player. Andrew DePaola is an All-Pro caliber player. Even if the Vikings had brought someone to “compete” with them, the other player would certainly lose. This means that the only true debate is Johnny Hekker and Brett Thorson.

Hekker will absolutely go to the Hall of Fame when he decides to hang up the cleats, but he’s coming off arguably his worst season in the NFL. Thorson, an UDFA, won the Ray Guy award for the best punter in college last season. The punter position came down to who’s the better holder in the last few seasons, and it’s likely to happen again in 2026. When it comes to punting, though, Thorson has all the momentum.

Shakur Stevenson has looked unbeatable in recent fights, but in the eyes of two-division world champion Tim Bradley, there is one man he would struggle against.

Stevenson won the WBO super-lightweight title and became the third-youngest four-division world champion in boxing history when he dethroned Teofimo Lopez in a dominant display back in January.

Now, he has options at 135lbs and 140lbs, but is also being called out by several welterweights to jump up to 147. Ryan Garcia, Conor Benn and Devin Haney have all targeted the pound-for-pound star, who has said he would only agree with either a rehydration clause or catchweight in the contract.

Rumours of a potential showdown with Haney emerged recently and, speaking to FightHype, Bradley said that he believes that the match-up favours Haney if it is at the welterweight limit.

“Right now, at 147lbs, I would give Devin the edge, but at 144lbs I would give it to Shakur.

“Devin understands Shakur, he understands how to deal with him and knows what he has got to do. It will be a mixture of boxing and smart pressure and letting his hands go. I have watched their sparring sessions a hundred times and Devin has got some dog in him too.

“Shakur has got dog in him, as well, but Shakur wouldn’t be able to be cute on the outside and beat him with just one hand, ain’t no way. So, at 147lbs, right now, I would favour Devin.”

Both Haney and Stevenson have been linked to a move to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing ahead of that proposed fight, although their signatures have not yet been confirmed, and Stevenson has told fans that there is little truth in the reported fight talks.

There’s no better indicator of the long-term success of a college football program than its overall winning percentage over a couple of consecutive decades.

Winning consistently attracts talented players, coaches, and wealthy donors, which breeds more winning.

The table below shows the overall winning percentages and win-loss records for the region’s top programs over the last 20 seasons.

In the Premier League, Tottenham squandered a golden opportunity in the battle to avoid relegation. In tennis, Jannik Sinner made short work of his opponents on home soil in Rome. There was relief for Victor Wembanyama, who will not face a suspension in the NBA. Finally, FC Barcelona celebrated their title.

TRICON Garage will honor Greg Biffle this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, with Tanner Gray running a special throwback scheme on the No. 15 Toyota Tundra. The tribute, announced ahead of the All-Star weekend, revisits one of Biffle’s most recognizable Busch Series (now O’Reilly Series) designs.

Biffle died on December 18, 2025, in a private jet that crashed near Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. The crash claimed seven lives, including his wife Cristina Grossu, his children Ryder and Emma, along with his friend Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth. The loss continues to be felt across the NASCAR garage months later.

Several teams have since paid multiple tributes to Biffle this year. TRICON Garage has now confirmed their homage on X, writing:

“Be like Biff. Tanner Gray and the No. 15 team will pay homage to 17x @NASCAR_Trucks winner Greg Biffle this weekend at Dover 🎨.”

The truck itself mirrors Greg Biffle’s 2006 Dover Ameriquest-era design. It carries a bright, multicolored layout with bold abstract patterns, staying close to the original look. The updated version also includes personal elements, with the names of those lost in the December crash placed on the rear of the truck as part of the tribute.

Fans called it one of the best tribute designs of the season, praising both the accuracy to the original and the emotional detail added. There has also been early demand for a diecast version, reflecting how strongly the design has connected with the fan base.

Greg Biffle’s 2006 season remains one of the defining stretches of his career. He finished 13th in the Cup Series with 4,075 points and two wins, coming at Darlington and Homestead. He also ran 30 Busch Series races and finished ninth in the final standings. At Dover that year, he finished eighth in both Series, driving the No. 16 Roush Racing Ford, making it a fitting place for the tribute to return.

For Tanner Gray, the weekend also carries a competitive arc. Through eight Truck Series races in 2026, he has yet to record a top-10 finish in the No. 15 entry, while teammate Kaden Honeycutt in the No. 11 truck currently leads the standings.

Investigation continues in Greg Biffle’s crash

The investigation into Greg Biffle’s December crash remains ongoing, with NTSB and federal authorities still working toward a final report. Preliminary findings confirmed that Dennis Dutton was the pilot in command, with his son beside him.

Four occupants on board held pilot certifications, including Biffle, but there was no clearly structured two-pilot setup. Investigators also pointed to a mix of instrument-related issues and increasing cockpit workload during the flight. There were also signs of system anomalies, which may have affected situational awareness during the final landing.

A final determination on the cause is expected once the full report is completed. Away from the investigation, Greg Biffle’s personal estate has also been in the spotlight. Reports of a burglary at his North Carolina home and other incidents around his assets have added to an already difficult period for those close to him.