Vikings Depth Chart - To Be Updated

[Danchat]

I've posted my PFF depth charts around here before, I think it'd be best to give them their own thread that I can update down the line. FYI, the grades are based on a mix of the players' 2023-2025 PFF grades weighted more towards recent seasons. Here is how the roster looked at the end of the year:

The grades themselves are based on percentiles, with Elite being the top 10%, with each being the next 10% percentile with the exception being that Average is the 40-60th.

Here is what the roster looks like with the free agents removed:

 

Feel to leave comments - keep in mind that PFF grades are not gospel and I have problems with many of the grades.

[TheLeviathan]

My god this team's depth is a mess.  Flopping on 90% of your picks is coming home to roost.

[The Great Hambino]

On 1/8/2026 at 7:24 PM, Danchat said:

Feel to leave comments - keep in mind that PFF grades are not gospel and I have problems with many of the grades.

Which grades in particular do you have problems with?

Skule average?  In what, the UFL?

[Danchat]

1 hour ago, The Great Hambino said:

Which grades in particular do you have problems with?

Skule average?  In what, the UFL?

The safeties being a bit overrated, Mason only being average, Addison has been seen as below average to average through his whole career, though this season he actually wasn't that good. 

Skule jumped back to average because his final few games of the year were inexplicably really good, but it doesn't erase how bad he was early on in the season. I don't think he is an average tackle.

[Danchat]

Here's the updated depth chart, including all moves made within the last few days.

 

I would take the CB grades with a pound of salt... they greatly benefit CBs who don't have to cover WR1s.

[nicksaviking]

3 hours ago, Danchat said:

I would take the CB grades with a pound of salt... they greatly benefit CBs who don't have to cover WR1s.

 

I was going to ask just that until I read this sentence.

Honestly, I don't know that it matters. Flores is so good at masking coverages and getting quick pressure, most of these guys don't have to be great at man coverage. Even with a secondary full with guys most fans weren't terribly impressed with, the Vikings were second in the league in passing yards per game. Big pass plays typically weren't due to a CB getting beat, it was almost always due to blown zone coverage or the receiver just being good at finding the soft spots. 

[Danchat]

1 minute ago, nicksaviking said:

I was going to ask just that until I read this sentence.

Honestly, I don't know that it matters. Flores is so good at masking coverages and getting quick pressure, most of these guys don't have to be great at man coverage. Even with a secondary full with guys most fans weren't terribly impressed with, the Vikings were second in the league in passing yards per game. Big pass plays typically weren't due to a CB getting beat, it was almost always due to blown zone coverage or the receiver just being good at finding the soft spots. 

Yup, our CBs rarely got tested last year (only 2,694 yards allowed!) in part because of the blitzes, playing some really bad offenses, and teams focusing on running the ball on us.

The difference between 2025 and 2026 the way it stands is interior pressure - Hargrave and Allen disappointed, but they did combine for 70 pressures and 7 sacks and their replacements are not currently on the roster. That's 1400 snaps to fill. The pass rush could take a step back if they plug replacement level players in there.

[TheLeviathan]

1 hour ago, Danchat said:

Yup, our CBs rarely got tested last year (only 2,694 yards allowed!) in part because of the blitzes, playing some really bad offenses, and teams focusing on running the ball on us.

The difference between 2025 and 2026 the way it stands is interior pressure - Hargrave and Allen disappointed, but they did combine for 70 pressures and 7 sacks and their replacements are not currently on the roster. That's 1400 snaps to fill. The pass rush could take a step back if they plug replacement level players in there.

Right.  Allen was hot garbage against the run but the man did get an interior push.  At this point it feels like Smith is back at safety and this team is investing a lot of this draft at DT with positions like RB, C, WR, CB, and (hopefully) LB.

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Danchat said:

Yup, our CBs rarely got tested last year (only 2,694 yards allowed!) in part because of the blitzes, playing some really bad offenses, and teams focusing on running the ball on us.

The difference between 2025 and 2026 the way it stands is interior pressure - Hargrave and Allen disappointed, but they did combine for 70 pressures and 7 sacks and their replacements are not currently on the roster. That's 1400 snaps to fill. The pass rush could take a step back if they plug replacement level players in there.

Maybe different sites have different methodology, but on NFL Reference it shows Hargrave with 10 pressures and Allen with 15.

Either way, It could take a step back. But the Vikings were 1st in pressure rate and 5th in sack rate in 2024 without those two. Sack total was 49 and pressure rate was 44% in both seasons. I can't remember if it was Allen or Hargrave who complained that DEs can't thrive in Flores' system, he's probably right, they're probably regularly clearing runways for the LBs and DBs to blitz. 

[Danchat]

15 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Maybe different sites have different methodology, but on NFL Reference it shows Hargrave with 10 pressures and Allen with 15.

Either way, It could take a step back. But the Vikings were 1st in pressure rate and 5th in sack rate in 2024 without those two. Sack total was 49 and pressure rate was 44% in both seasons. I can't remember if it was Allen or Hargrave who complained that DEs can't thrive in Flores' system, he's probably right, they're probably regularly clearing runways for the LBs and DBs to blitz. 

I've never checked out PFR for pressures, those don't seem right to me.

Hargrave was the one complaining about it. What I don't get it is if Flores wants his DL to open up lanes for other players, why did we need to spend so much on Allen/Hargrave vs Phillips/Bullard?

[nicksaviking]

4 hours ago, Danchat said:

I've never checked out PFR for pressures, those don't seem right to be.

Hargrave was the one complaining about it. What I don't get it is if Flores wants his DL to open up lanes for other players, why did we need to spend so much on Allen/Hargrave vs Phillips/Bullard?

Yeah, not sure what's going on exactly, but until it doesn't work, I'll trust it to work.

[Danchat]

1 hour ago, nicksaviking said:

Yeah, not sure what's going on exactly, but until it doesn't work, I'll trust it to work.

On second thought, I wonder if PFR's pressure is a PFF "hurry" which they categorize as a type of pressure. As in the kind that forces the QB to throw the ball.

[Danchat]

Updated depth chart:

[Vanimal46]

Man we need to hit a grand slam in the draft this year. Enormous holes at center and interior DL. Razor thin depth in the secondary, WR, and RB. Woof. 

[Mike Sixel]

3 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Man we need to hit a grand slam in the draft this year. Enormous holes at center and interior DL. Razor thin depth in the secondary, WR, and RB. Woof. 

Yup. 

[Danchat]

Time for an update through Day 2 of the draft:

[Vanimal46]

2 good edge rushers, 1 who misses multiple games a season, and 3 UDFAs as immediate depth. What could possibly go wrong?

[Mike Sixel]

2 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

2 good edge rushers, 1 who misses multiple games a season, and 3 UDFAs as immediate depth. What could possibly go wrong?

And no center. And how many actual WRs?

[Danchat]

Post draft depth chart, with the new WR addition:

[Danchat]

With the unofficial Vikings depth chart now available, here's my updated chart:

[Danchat]

Here is your first 53 man roster of the year:

[Mike Sixel]

4 TEs and a fullback that is really a TE. WTF?

[Danchat]

Updates with the practice squad:

2 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

4 TEs and a fullback that is really a TE. WTF?

There are a handful of other teams that carry that many, but yeah, maybe not the best balance. Yurosek and Bartholomew are barely going to play... and if you consider the formations this team is going to run, they'll use 3 WRs frequently with Jennings being a really good third receiver, and it's apparent they will use Bredeson liberally. That doesn't leave a lot of room even as many 2 TE sets as they ran last year.

They have something like $20M tied in up Hockenson and Oliver combined this year, hopefully they move on to cheaper options next season. Maybe use that money to spend on defense, given we have one of the most expensive offenses in the game and one of the cheapest defenses.

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, Danchat said:

Updates with the practice squad:

There are a handful of other teams that carry that many, but yeah, maybe not the best balance. Yurosek and Bartholomew are barely going to play... and if you consider the formations this team is going to run, they'll use 3 WRs frequently with Jennings being a really good third receiver, and it's apparent they will use Bredeson liberally. That doesn't leave a lot of room even as many 2 TE sets as they ran last year.

They have something like $20M tied in up Hockenson and Oliver combined this year, hopefully they move on to cheaper options next season. Maybe use that money to spend on defense, given we have one of the most expensive offenses in the game and one of the cheapest defenses.

I think that's why they kept the two young guys....so they are the TEs next year....

[Danchat]

46 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

I think that's why they kept the two young guys....so they are the TEs next year....

I don't see Bartholomew replacing Hockenson, maybe Yurosek + Bredeson can replace Oliver.

[Vanimal46]

On 9/1/2026 at 4:26 PM, Danchat said:

Updates with the practice squad:

 

My biggest concerns heading into week 1 is Center and the DL. Genuinely shocked we did not pursue a better option at center than Brandel. On the DL, I don't think Banks or Big Citrus will be plug and play immediately type of players. That puts a lot of pressure on Redmond being the star of that position group. LDR and Ingram-Dawkins both have to step up in their new roles.  

Edit: Safety doesn't look great either, but I still believe Harry the Hitman will be back soon.

[nicksaviking]

58 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

My biggest concerns heading into week 1 is Center and the DL. Genuinely shocked we did not pursue a better option at center than Brandel. On the DL, I don't think Banks or Big Citrus will be plug and play immediately type of players. That puts a lot of pressure on Redmond being the star of that position group. LDR and Ingram-Dawkins both have to step up in their new roles.  

Edit: Safety doesn't look great either, but I still believe Harry the Hitman will be back soon.

There were center options available so it was pretty odd. They must think that Brandel will be better, if not actually good because either 1) they'll ask him to concentrate on just one position this year, or 2) this new wide zone horizontal run blocking is more geared toward his skillset.

Because it wasn't just the three stooges interim front office that passed on center in early free agency and the draft, after Teasley got here, he also didn't seem interested in Ethan Pocic, who was on his team in Seattle.

I guess that does bring up option 3) they really like Garhardt or Samac. Seattle's CURRENT center was a UDFA.

[Danchat]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

My biggest concerns heading into week 1 is Center and the DL. Genuinely shocked we did not pursue a better option at center than Brandel. On the DL, I don't think Banks or Big Citrus will be plug and play immediately type of players. That puts a lot of pressure on Redmond being the star of that position group. LDR and Ingram-Dawkins both have to step up in their new roles.  

Edit: Safety doesn't look great either, but I still believe Harry the Hitman will be back soon.

Yeah, it feels like they could use a vet on the DL but they don't appear to be considering that. Banks is out of shape and won't play much, whereas the buzz on Orange has been positive, but he's always going to be a rotational guy. Ingram-Dawkins should be a passing-downs only DL but he might have to play a lot, and he didn't flash much last year in 250 snaps.

A 37 year old Hitman isn't going to bump this defense positively in my opinion. He hasn't been in his prime for 2+ seasons and having to ramp up mid-season is probably going to lead to some bad early games for him... when he could have just showed up to training camp like the rest of the players.

6 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I guess that does bring up option 3) they really like Garhardt or Samac. Seattle's CURRENT center was a UDFA.

Gerhardt got cut from our practice squad, he was center #4/5 in camp. I have no idea why they bothered to draft him when he wasn't a top 500 player on some boards, wasn't that good in college and whadda know, his NFL career might already over. They probably just turned that pick over to an area scout who took his favorite 'deep sleeper'... but yeah, they should have went center earlier in the draft. Maybe over drafting the highest FB taken over a decade. The 7th round would be the right time for a FB instead of Round 5 and then blowing the 7th on a non-NFL caliber prospect.

[Mike Sixel]

If only the draft was filled with great centers last year, but taking an always injured out of shape guy was more important. 

[nicksaviking]

I'm looking at the Vikings draft class once again. It's just as unfathomable now as ever, that KAM got fired because of his bad drafting, and they let the three guys who were most influential in his drafts (or secretly running it all along), do the job. 

They were NEVER qualified for that job. Did the Wilfs ever rationalize why they couldn't hire a new GM in February?

What was the Teasley interview like?

KOC: "Nolan, tell me about your draft strategy."

Teasley: "It's the exact opposite of what you guys have been doing up here for half a decade."