Vikings Training Camp Preview: Defense & Special Teams

Vikings training camp is underway. Minnesota’s defense and special teams will have many new additions but the expectation is that these areas of the team will continue to perform at a high enough level and with the aid of a better performing quarterback lead the team to the playoffs..

The defense comes off a fine season in which the Vikings ranked third in yards per game, second in pass defense, 21st in run D, and seventh in points allowed (which is extra impressive considering the offense led the league with 30 giveaways, often giving the opposing teams good field position).

DC Brian Flores will be looking for his unit to improve against the run and produce more takeaways this season. The Vikings led the NFL with 33 takeaways in the 14-win season of 2024 but dropped to 21 last season (still ranked 10th). There was a big drop-off in interceptions from a league-leading 24 in 2024 to eight in 2025.

It appears the defense could have five new starters this season—two on the defensive line, one at edge rusher after the trade of Jonathan Greenard, one at safety if Harrison Smith retires, and one at the third corner spot (a virtual starter who usually plays more than 50% of the defensive snaps).

The special teams will break in a new punter/holder in Johnny Hekker who replaces the departed Ryan Wright. Kicker Will Reichard comes off a First-team All-Pro season.

Let’s further break down the defense and special teams by position.

Vikings Training Camp Preview

Defensive Line:

Gone are vets Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave who were starters in 2025. Newcomers include a pair of heavyweight high draftees—first rounder Caleb Banks and third rounder Domonique Orange.

I’m excited to watch these two rookies go against the Vikings interior O-line in camp and in the preseason games and joint practices with Baltimore. But will Banks be able to get on the field in team drills immediately or be phased in after his foot surgery and can he stay healthy? And how quickly will Orange earn Flores’ trust?

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Jalen Redmond comes off an excellent second season (six sacks, 62 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss and eight QB hits). Redmond will be highly motivated to have a big season to set himself up for a possible big payday next offseason when he’ll be a restricted free agent. Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins are later round picks from recent years who have shown promise and could push for starting roles.

The young players on the D-line must come through to keep the defense as a top-five unit.

Edge/Outside Linebackers:

The starters are fine with the terrific, instinctual Andrew Van Ginkel and the super-athletic Dallas Turner. Van Ginkel has to stay healthy after missing five games with a concussion and neck injury last season yet he still managed to produce seven sacks, 54 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, and 13 QB hits. The 2024 Pro Bowler is being counted on to be a great playmaker again.

Turner had a breakout second season in which he started 10 games due to Greenard’s shoulder injury. Turner led the Vikings with eight sacks and had four forced fumbles, 66 tackles, 11 TFLs and 15 QB hits. He should become a double-digit sacker in his third season as a former first-round pick and he needs to produce at that level with Greenard traded to the Eagles (which I didn’t agree with).

The big question at this position is the depth as top defenses usually have waves of edge rushers. I think second-rounder Jake Golday is a key player who played both inside backer and edge in college. Unless we see a big improvement from the likes of Bo Richter, Chaz Chambliss, and/or Tyler Batty, it seems that Golday is going to have to make an impact as an outside rusher from Day One.

If there is doubt in the coaches’ minds about the quality depth on the edge, the wise extension of Brian O’Neill could free up some cap room for the Vikings to take a necessary run at signing a veteran from the list of available free agents that includes Jadeveon Clowney, Haason Reddick and Kyle Van Noy.

Inside Linebackers:

This is a strength on defense with a pair of excellent playmakers inside—Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson who were the top two tacklers last season (144 tackles for Cashman with two sacks in 13 games and Wilson had 115 tackles plus 6.5 sacks and a team-leading 17 tackles-for-loss).

Ivan Pace is a former starter who was beat out by Wilson but Pace along with Golday and possibly newly signed Jamal Adams provide good depth inside. Adams is a former three-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro early in his career as a safety before battling injuries for several seasons. He played in every game for the Raiders last season with four starts and had 45 tackles. Perhaps he can play a Josh Metellus type linebacker-safety combo role for the creative Flores.  

Cornerbacks:

The top three appear set with two solid starters in 2024 Pro Bowler Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers plus the third corner role will go to free agent signee James Pierre unless speedy fifth-round rookie Charles Demmings makes a big move in camp. But it may take Demmings some time as he comes from smaller school Stephen F. Austin. The third corner is a critical position with so many teams having three quality wide receivers so the third corner often is picked on.

I’ll be watching how Pierre and Demmings perform in camp against the Vikings excellent WR corps as a precursor to how they can help or hurt the team in the regular season.

The Vikings may again only keep four corners as they did on their initial 53-man roster last season. So players such as Dwight McGlothern, Tavierre Thomas, and Kahlef Hailassie will have to make a big impression in camp and in preseason games in the secondary and on special teams to earn a roster spot.    

Safeties:

If Harrison Smith returns, I think the defense is in good enough shape at safety with Smith and Metellus as starters and third-rounder Jakobe Thomas as a young up-and-comer at the position who should supplant a shaky Theo Jackson as the third safety (and I like Jay Ward’s play better than Jackson).

I think Smith will return. He loves playing in Flores’ defense and has a great relationship with Kevin O’Connell. I think Smith should return after playing well down the stretch last season. If he decides to retire, then safety is a trouble spot where Thomas will have to develop quickly into a quality starter.

Metellus is a good tackler and blitzer but he’s limited in his coverage skills and has to be protected against getting caught in a situation as was the case when A.J. Brown beat him for a TD last season in the loss to the Eagles. Perhaps Adams can fill in if needed but he probably can’t run like he used to which is why he was a linebacker in Vegas last season.

Special Teams:

I was surprised Wright left in free agency after a good 2025 season. He had great chemistry with Reichard and snapper Andrew DePaola. But Wright obviously loves the New Orleans area after playing at Tulane so he signed with the Saints.

The Vikings saved cap room with the Hekker signing compared to Wright’s new deal but Wright is 10 years younger. Hekker had a solid 2025 season in Tennessee (46.8 yard average; Wright averaged a career-best 49 yards per punt). We’ll have to see how this plays out with the change to Hekker.

Myles Price, Tai Felton, and Demond Claiborne will compete for the kickoff and punt returner roles. I thought Price was okay last season and should be better in his second season.

As for the coverage units, the Vikings will miss the retired C.J. Ham. There are a lot of good young athletes who have been added and I like the potential of players from the 2026 draft class such as fifth-rounder Max Bredeson along with Golday, Thomas, Demmings, and Claiborne to be impact special teamers. But whoever is on the coverage units can’t get out of their lanes as happened on the costly kickoff return by the Bears’ Devin Duvernay in the second meeting last season that set up the winning field goal.

Bottom line: a lot of young players are being counted on and must perform well for the defense and special teams to be playoff caliber. I believe overall that will be the case.

It will be fascinating to watch as all three phases come together in training camp in preparation for a massive season opener against the Packers. 

Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year … More about Jeff Diamond