Minnesota Vikings training camp is moving along, and a handful of players are doing more than just holding their own. Some were always expected to make noise, whether that’s a rookie the team needs right away or a veteran who shows up every summer and does his job. But the real storyline has been the group of players who weren’t supposed to be front and center and now look like they’ve got a legitimate path to the 2026 roster.
That’s where the intrigue sits: not at the top of the depth chart, but at the bottom, where jobs are still up for grabs.
Dontae Fleming is one of the names forcing the conversation at receiver. Minnesota’s top options are set enough, but the WR4 spot is where things can get interesting, and Tai Felton appears to have the inside track there. If the Vikings keep more than that, though, Fleming has made himself impossible to ignore.
Signed in 2025 as an undrafted free agent, Fleming showed some promise as a rookie but never really had a real lane to the final roster. This camp has looked different.
He’s been a steady presence, bringing in almost everything thrown his way and flashing the kind of consistency that keeps coaches watching. At 6-foot-2 and about 180 pounds, he also gives the receiving group a bit of size.
He’s caught passes from nearly every quarterback in camp, and that kind of adaptability matters when the roster math gets tight.
Jeshaun Jones belongs in that same receiver conversation. He’s in his third season with Minnesota after joining the team in 2024 as a priority undrafted free agent, and his history has been a familiar one: strong preseason showings, then a trip to the wrong side of cut day. He did land on the practice squad and was brought up for the final game of 2025, where he handled punt return duties.
This summer, though, Jones has looked like a different kind of candidate. He’s been more involved in the offense and has clearly raised his level.
Someone who attended camp a week ago said Jones caught every pass thrown his way, whether it was Murray, McCarthy, or Wentz delivering it. He’s also a thicker-bodied receiver, which gives Minnesota something a little different in that room.
The final decision may still come down to numbers, but he’s making it difficult to leave him out.
The tight end spot has its own under-the-radar battle, and Gavin Bartholomew is right in the middle of it. He was already a surprise selection by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the pick drew even more attention once it was revealed that Bartholomew had a back issue and would miss his rookie year.
In his absence, Ben Yurosek earned a roster spot as an undrafted rookie and carved out a role as tight end three while contributing on special teams. He remains Bartholomew’s main competition, and it would still qualify as a surprise if Bartholomew won the job.
But he’s put together a strong camp so far, with smooth routes, soft hands, and a willingness to block. That has to keep showing up in preseason games and the rest of practice if he’s going to make this push count.
Kahlef Hailassie is another player who could sneak onto the roster if his momentum keeps building. He was a name that drew attention in camp last year, and more than a few Vikings beat writers projected him to make the final roster. Instead, he ended up on the practice squad, was taken by the Jaguars in midseason, and then found his way back to Minnesota after they released him.
The safety room doesn’t look overly crowded. Josh Metellus and Jay Ward are listed as starters, and rookie Jakobe Thomas is the only other player who feels locked in.
Theo Jackson has had his moments in spot duty, but more responsibility exposed some flaws. Tavierre Thomas stuck around last year as a special teams player, though the flags piled up too often.
If Hailassie puts together a strong camp and shows up in exhibition games, Minnesota could decide he’s the better bet.
That’s the theme here: the Vikings have a few names on the fringe who are no longer acting like fringe players. If these four keep trending the way they have, the final roster decisions in August could get a lot more interesting.
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