The Vikings have made no secret of what they want to be next season: tougher, more efficient, and a lot more dangerous on the ground. After adding Keith Carter as offensive line coach and Frank Smith as an assistant head coach, Minnesota is clearly looking for a running game that can do more than just chip away. The goal is bigger than that - more physicality, more explosive plays, and a better overall return than last year’s 12th-ranked rushing attack, which averaged 4.5 yards per carry.
There are reasons to think the backfield itself could look different. Jordan Mason is in tremendous shape, Aaron Jones is talking up the wide zone, and Demond Claiborne adds a little lightning in a bottle. But the player who may change the feel of the whole operation is Max Bredeson.
Selected in the fifth round in April, Bredeson wasn’t the kind of pick that instantly set off fireworks for everyone watching. But for a team that wants its run game to get nastier and more efficient, he looks built for the job. The Vikings are searching for a tone-setter, and Bredeson brings exactly that kind of edge.
Fullbacks may not be the centerpiece they once were, but Minnesota knows the value of the position. Jim Kleinsasser became a fan favorite in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and Tony Richardson finished out the back end of his career in Minnesota after making his first two Pro Bowls and paving the way for Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson in Kansas City.
The league moved away from fullbacks in the 2010s, but C.J. Ham still carved out a role and made an impact.
For newer fans, Ham is the modern reference point for what that position looks like. Bredeson, though, brings a different flavor - more old-school, more forceful, and built to add aggression to the run game.
At Michigan, the tape tells the story. When Blake Corum set a school record with 28 rushing touchdowns in 2023, Bredeson was on the field for 23 of them. He became one of college football’s best lead blockers and later won the 2025 LowMan Trophy, given to the best fullback in college football.
He also arrives with leadership credentials. Bredeson was a two-time captain for the Wolverines and came through as a former walk-on, which only adds to the appeal. That kind of profile fits neatly with what Smith helped build in Miami.
Since joining Mike McDaniel with the Dolphins in 2022, Smith’s offense has produced strong rushing numbers. Miami finished sixth in the NFL with 4.5 rushing yards per attempt, and three teams ahead of it had dual-threat quarterbacks - Lamar Jackson at 5.3 yards per carry, Kyler Murray at 4.8, and Josh Allen at 4.7. De’Von Achane also thrived in that system, rushing for 7.8 yards per carry as a rookie in 2023 and leading the NFL with 5.7 yards per carry last year.
A big part of Smith’s approach has been getting a fullback involved. Alec Ingold filled that role for the Dolphins and still logged heavy usage despite PFF grades that hovered around 50 over the last four seasons, averaging 382.5 snaps per year.
By comparison, C.J. Ham averaged 208.75 offensive snaps per season during O’Connell’s first four years.
The Vikings are hoping Bredeson nudges this offense closer to Smith’s model.
Saturday gave Minnesota a first look at what that might actually look like. On the first offensive snap, Bredeson opened the lane for Aaron Jones to rip off a 17-yard gain, and he spent the rest of the afternoon throwing himself into the thick of the action to help create running lanes.
He’s not just a bulldozer, either. Bredeson has enough athleticism to get to the edge and help on outside zone plays, which matters with backs like Jones and Claiborne who can turn space into something bigger. At 6-foot-2 and 252 pounds, he’s built like a tight end and carries the mentality of a fullback.
He doesn’t wear a neck roll, and he doesn’t drive his head into a car window like Steve Lattimer in The Program when he learns he’s first-string defense. But for a Vikings team that has spent the offseason looking for ways to wear opponents down, he fits the mood just fine.
If Bredeson becomes an immediate difference-maker, it should show up in the run game first. And if the run game takes a real step forward, it should make life easier for Kyler Murray Justin Jefferson, and the rest of Minnesota’s offense.
In Other News...
Vikings Roster Battle Suddenly Centers On Two Crucial Defensive Spots
With the first preseason game in the books and final cutdown day drawing close, the Vikings are moving into the part of camp where the margins get thin and every projection starts to feel more fragile. An AI-generated 53-man roster aligned reasonably well with the offensive side of the picture, but it was on defense where the matchups and depth chart guesses began to drift from what has actually been unfolding in training camp.
Two areas stand out most as the roster picture comes into focus: rookie defensive tackle Caleb Banks and the collection of outside linebackers trying to earn their place. Nothing is official yet, and every version of the roster still carries a speculative edge, but the defense appears to be where the Vikings have the most to sort through before the final decisions are made. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Suddenly Need A Veteran Safety Before Week 1
Jamal Adams season-ending quadriceps tendon injury in the preseason left Minnesota searching for a veteran answer at safety with Week 1 closing in. The loss changes the look of the back end in a hurry, and it puts the front office in position to weigh both immediate depth and how much it wants to spend to stabilize a spot that was suddenly shaken up.
One speculative idea making the rounds would send the Vikings after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin, with the move built around a late draft pick in 2027. It is only a proposal for now, not something confirmed by either team, but it reflects the reality Minnesota is facing: the need is real, the timing is urgent, and the options may not be as plentiful as they were just a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Already Have Their Answer To The Jonathan Greenard Risk
The Vikings knew they were making a longer view move when they sent Jonathan Greenard to Philadelphia during the draft and brought back two third-round picks, a deal that was always about more than the immediate depth chart. Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski made clear the trade was tied to economic and organizational considerations, even if it did not figure to make Minnesota better right away.
What has given the Vikings some early comfort is the way Dallas Turner has looked in training camp and the preseason, giving them a young edge presence who could help soften the loss of Greenard. The idea was always to absorb some short-term risk for a broader payoff, and Turners development is already making that bet look a little less daunting. [Read more 🡒]