The Search Is On

Last week, Minnesota Vikings ownership kicked off the team’s search for a new general manager with the following statement.

"With the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, our search for the next general manager of the Minnesota Vikings is underway. This will be a thorough and deliberate process led by ownership, with support from a small internal advisory committee of senior leaders. We have also engaged respected firm TurnkeyZRG to assist in conducting a wide-ranging search that includes experienced football executives, emerging candidates and individuals with diverse professional backgrounds. Our focus is to identify a decisive leader with a clear vision for team building, strong communication skills and the ability to build alignment across an organization. Out of respect for all involved, we do not intend to publicly announce candidates and will provide further comment when the search is complete."

The Vikings general manager search has started and will proceed in secrecy. Very few things proceed in secrecy these days. That’s especially true of the NFL. The Vikings having no intention of publicly announcing candidates and interview requests doesn’t mean that someone else will have similar restraint. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reported this morning that the Vikings have requested an interview with Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray. He’s a familiar name as he spent his formative scouting years with the Vikings. Prior to joining the Bills in 2017, Gray spent 11 years as an area scout for the Vikings. When Brandon Beane was hired as the Bills general manager in 2017, he hired Gray to be his director of college scouting. From there, Gray was promoted to assistant director of player personnel in 2021, director of player personnel in 2022, and assistant general manager in 2025. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer described him as being on the doorstep of a general manager opportunity for a couple years. It would be a nice story if Gray get’s that opportunity with the team for which he started scouting 20 years ago. 

Gray got his scouting start with the Vikings but his NFL start came with the Kansas City Chiefs. From 2003 to 2005, he worked with the team’s player development. In 2006, he joined a real team.

Vikings interim general manager Rob Brzezinski as an internal candidate to get the full-time job. From all appearances, he did an excellent job coordinating the offseason and especially the draft. I’d prefer that he return to his job as salary cap wizard with perhaps a promotion and/or expansion of duties. Brzezinski is too valuable to the Vikings franchise to be on the annual chopping block. A general manager is always a bad draft away from being a former general manager. I’d rather see Brzezinski working with a new general manager than being that general manager. Doing so with someone he already knows could be a good start to a great franchise future. 

For what it’s worth, Terrance Gray is on my short-list of favorite candidates for the Vikings general manager job. The others:

Chad Alexander - Los Angeles Chargers Assistant General Manager

James Liifert - Houston Texans Assistant General Manager

May is an unusual time for major NFL team decisions like picking a new general manager but that’s the situation for the Vikings. Thanks to Tom Pelissero and his insider information, we know the first external candidate for the job. That candidate is Terrance Gray. With my limited information, he’s a damn fine start. The search for the Vikings next general manager is on. 

Possible Vikings Roster Additions

By my count, the Minnesota Vikings roster has 88 players. Undrafted rookie punter Brett Thorson is among the 88. He’s an International Pathway player and exempt on the 90-man roster. As a result, there’s room for three roster additions. Who might those players be?

The possible additions begin with a familiar name. Harrison Smith. The Vikings franchise great has been mulling his retirement since completion of his 14th season. As a roster and salary cap formality, he was released earlier in the offseason. Personally, I’m not ready for a Vikings defense without Smith. If he’s yet to officially announce his retirement, I’m guessing that he’s coming back. Perhaps I’m being foolishly optimistic but I just don’t see a spring or summer retirement announcement. The longer he waits, the more likely it is that Harrison Smith returns for season #15. 

So Harrison Smith is roster addition #1. Two more. 

It doesn’t take a long review of the Vikings roster to find two positions of significant need. Neither position was addressed in the draft. Not only was neither addressed in the draft, one of the positions was significantly weakened. The Vikings traded outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles during the third round. There were a couple reasons the team’s top pass rusher was traded. The first reason was his contract demands. Two years after signing a four-year, team-friendly free agent deal, Greenard wanted a more player-friendly contact extension. Honestly, his play earned a better deal but the Vikings decided they couldn’t afford such an extension. The second reason was that Dallas Turner is ready for a bigger role heading into his third season. It’s a bold hope but if Turner plays to his potential, the trade of Greenard could be a net positive. Even if Turner effectively replaces Greenard, the outside linebacker depth needs some help. Selected in the second round, Jake Golday is an option. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets some edge rushing opportunities as a rookie. Tyler Batty and Bo Richter are young, formerly undrafted players with potential. The Vikings need a veteran outside linebacker option behind starters Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel. Initially, I liked the idea of adding A.J. Epenesa. Returning from an injury, he’s had a problematic offseason. At the end of March, it looked like he was signing with the Cleveland Browns. That ended with a failed physical. He recently visited with the Miami Dolphins. Who knows where he is in his recovery from injury? The Epenesa injury situation moved me on to an older but maybe more intriguing option. Jadeveon Clowney. At 33, he’s still playing at a high level. He managed 8.5 sacks with the Dallas Cowboys last season. That’s only a sack short of his career high. He started his career as such a freak athlete that he’s still a freak athlete after 12 years of defensive line work in the NFL. He always seems to be ready to play and has averaged over seven sacks over those 12 years. 

So, Jadeveon Clowney is roster addition #2. One more

Receiver is the third position of need. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are the best receiver duo in the league. The Vikings need a third receiver to impact opposing defenses. Jalen Nailor had that role the past couple seasons. Tai Felton was drafted in the third round in the 2025 NFL Draft to potentially replace Nailor this season. As a rookie, Felton showed that he has a lot to learn when it comes to playing receiver in the NFL. The Vikings need a third receiver option with no questions? This one’s easy as the best option visited with Minnesota last week. After a nearly two-day meet-and-great, Juaun Jennings left without a contract agreement. I’m an optimistic sort and the guess here is that Jennings and the Vikings will reach an agreement on a contract. A Vikings receiving trio of Justin Jefferson - Jordan Addison - Juaun Jennings is a very exciting thing. 

So, Juaun Jennings is roster addition #3. 

Get it done. 

Vikings Defensive Line

Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings took a big free agent swing at boosting the talent on the defensive line. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, at the time, felt like great additions to a defensive line that only had Harrison Phillips as an established player. After trading Phillips to the New York Jets in the summer and cutting loose Allen and Hargrave, following a modest on-field return for those free agency dollars, earlier this offseason, the Vikings were left with an underrated and unheralded collection of defensive linemen. It’s a plucky, fun group with potential. Despite that potential, the Vikings approached last week’s NFL Draft with defensive line at the top of the need list. The position was addressed in the draft this season much like it was addressed in free agency last season. For what it’s worth, I’ll always prefer the draft approach. 

In the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings went big, literally, with the selection of giant Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks. If multiple broken foot issues hadn’t clouded his evaluation, Banks has the talent and potential to be a top-10 pick in nearly any draft. The draft is all about potential and Banks is loaded with potential. His ceiling is as high as a franchise-defining player. I was both surprised and thrilled with Caleb Banks as the Vikings pick in the first round. I was even more surprised and thrilled with Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange as the Vikings pick in the third round. I really liked that the team doubled-down on improving the defensive line. 

Minnesota has a great defensive line tradition. Over six decades of following the Vikings, I’ve been excited about a lot of the team’s defensive lines. This group has me excited.

Jalen Redmond

Caleb Banks

Domonique Orange

Levi Drake Rodriguez

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

Elijah Williams

Taki Taimani

Eric Johnson II

Monkell Goodwine

Despite a stuttering start to his professional career, Jalen Redmond has emerged as an impact player. He signed his exclusive rights free agent tender but he deserves a long-term deal. At 27, he’s definitely earned the riches and security of a long-term deal. I can’t wait to see him next to talented giants like Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange. The starting defensive line projects as:

Jalen Redmond - Domonique Orange - Caleb Banks

While I can’t wait to see that trio on the field, I really like the depth of Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Elijah Williams. Because I liked the potential of Rodriguez, Ingram-Dawkins, and Williams so much, there was a pre-draft thought that defensive line wasn’t the need that many made it out to be. I’m glad the actual decision-makers didn’t see it like I did. The position now projects as a team strength. 

With the unfortunate trade of outside linebacker backer Jonathan Greenard, there’s a chance that Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins might, on occasion, set up a little wider as a situational edge rusher. Drafted in the second round, linebacker Jake Golday might factor into the defensive front rotation. Even with the Greenard trade, the Vikings defense got better in the last week. It’s mostly because of the gigantic rookie duo of Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange. I can’t wait to see them and this new Vikings defense on the field. 

Minnesota Vikings GM Search

Early May is supposed to be the start of some idle time in the NFL calendar. It’s the post-draft days with some minicamp action. There’s draft pick and scattered free agent signings. The Minnesota Vikings have picked this time to handle some serious football business. They are looking for a new general manager. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired late enough in the process that Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf decided it better to wait until after the draft to find a new general manager. They were criticized by many for the wait but I agreed with it then and agree with it still. Adofo-Mensah was fired on January 30. A proper search would’ve lasted a few weeks. A new hire would’ve probably happened after the Scouting Combine and on top of the start of free agency. A wait was made easier with Rob Brzezinski in the building. He’s been a big part of the Vikings team-building process for all of the 2000s. It was easy to tap him as interim GM. Despite the constant honking of pundits against the decision, the Vikings draft evaluation process was probably more coordinated than it’s been in years. Enough so, that Brzezinski is a strong candidate for the GM job moving forward. If that happens, I wouldn’t be upset with it but I’d prefer he return to his old job. He’s too important to the Vikings franchise to be on the annual chopping block. An unfortunate aspect of the NFL general manager job is always being a bad draft, or two, away from looking for a new job. I’d rather Brzezinski not be in that sort of position. He’s too important to the organization. 

Three months ago, the Wilfs said that the new general manager search would start after the draft. The draft is in the past and the Vikings general manager search has started. Ownership said that it would be done in secret with the help of search firm TurnkeyZRG. I would’ve assisted for free. After Aofo-Mensah was fired, I made a GM Wish List. 

Chad Alexander - Chargers Assistant GM

John McKay - Rams Assistant GM

Mike Bradway - Assistant GM

James Liifert - Texans Assistant GM

Ed Dodds - Colts Assistant GM

Terrance Gray - Bills Assistant GM

Ryan Cowden - Patriots VP of Player Personnel

Andy Weidl - Steelers Assistant GM

Reed Burkhardt - Broncos Assistant GM

Trent Kirchner - Seahawks VP of Player Personnel

Most of the above, and some others, have made the list of potential candidates put out by the Athletic’s Alec Lewis and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. For some reason, a few pundits and some fans have tossed out Broncos GM George Paton as a possibility. How someone can suggest a currently employed GM as a possibility is a mystery to me. 

Three months removed from making that initial list of candidates, I’ve thinned it to the following:

Chad Alexander

James Liifert

Terrance Gray

Reed Burkhardt

Trent Kirchner

Again, I wouldn’t be against Rob Brzezinski getting the job but I’d prefer he didn’t. A negative to him even being a candidate is that it probably takes him out of the decision-making process. Of course, I’ve never met any of the candidates and only know them through their published history. So, it seems silly to even make a personal list of candidates let alone have a favorite. It’s what fans do. It’s definitely what this fan does. Chad Alexander has been my favorite from the start. James Liifert and Terrance Gray have since joined him as a trio of favorites. 

This is supposed to be the idle time. These are supposed to be the days waiting for draft pick-signing news. Maybe a free agent addition, or two. Instead, the Vikings decision-makers have a gigantic decision in front of them. It’s a decision that will significantly impact on the present and future of the franchise. They must get it right. 

A Vikings Lineup

The Minnesota Vikings had nine selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

1. Caleb Banks, DL, Florida

2. Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati

3. Domonique Orange, DL, Iowa State

3. Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern

3. Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami

5. Max Bredeson, FB, Michigan

5. Chuck Demmings, CB, Stephen F Austin

6. Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest

7. Gavin Gerhardt. C, Cincinnati

While the nine picks only had a 5:4 split between defense and offense, it felt very much like a defense-centric draft. That happens when four of the top five picks went defense. The four offensive players might eventually earn significant roles. Only one projects as an immediate starter. The impact of the five defensive players will be seen soon. At least, they better. A couple were selected with an immediate impact in mind. 

Here’s a look at a potential starting lineup for this season.

Offense

WR	Justin Jefferson
LT	Christian Darrisaw
LG	Donovan Jackson
C	Blake Brandel
RG	Will Fries
RT	Brian O’Neill
TE	T.J. Hockenson
WR	Jordan Addison
QB	Kyler Murray
RB	Aaron Jones
FB	Max Bredeson

Rookie fullback Max Bredeson was selected as an immediate heir to C.J. Ham. Bredeson’s sledge-hammer blocking will make an impact on the Vikings offense. Other than the free agent addition of quarterback Kyler Murray, the rest of the offense carries over from last season. Unlike last season, the offense, especially the offensive line, must stay on the field. 

Defense

DE	Caleb Banks
NT	Domonique Orange
DE	Jalen Redmond
OLB	Dallas Turner
LB	Blake Cashman
LB	Eric Wilson
OLB	Andrew Van Ginkel
CB	Byron Murphy Jr.
CB	Isaiah Rodgers
S	Josh Metellus
S	Jay Ward

I can not wait to see first-round pick Caleb Banks and third-round pick Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange incorporated into the defensive line. The Vikings had an interesting group of talented but unheralded defensive linemen but they had nothing like Banks and Orange. The two combine for about 660 pounds of moving, immovable football mass. The Vikings front, and as a result the entire defense, will look so different. For the pass three years, the schemes of defensive coordinator Brian Flores have been the driving force of a mostly successful Vikings defense. Now, Flores is able to pepper those schemes with some elite talent up front. While probably not first-team players in their first year, Jake Golday, Jakobe Thomas, and Chuck Demmings could earn impactful playing time. 

At the safety position, it’s still possible that Harrison Smith returns for his 15th season. 

Special Teams

K	Will Reichard
P	Brett Thorson
LS	Andrew DePaola
KR	Demond Claiborne
PR	Myles Price

One of the most intense competitions of training camp might be at punter. Both contenders are new to the team. Very veteran Johnny Hekker was signed this offseason. Georgia punter Brett Thorson was signed as an undrafted free agent. Despite going undrafted, Thorson was arguably the best punter in the draft. The only holdup with his candidacy for the position is that he never held in college. Maintaining a smooth kicking rhythm between Will Reichard, Andrew DePaola, and the holder might be as critical to the punting job as punting. 

Myles Price handled both kick and punt returns last season. I have sixth-round running back Demond Claiborne penciled in for the kick return job this season. 

There are only a handful of changes on offense, defense, and special teams but they are significant changes. Especially the defensive line changes. 

 

Is The NFL Draft Coming To Minnesota

Word around the league is that Minneapolis-St. Paul is the “clear favorite” to host the 2028 NFL Draft. The NFL’s events committee is scheduled to meet next week to discuss the matter, with an ownership vote expected at their May 19-20 meeting in Orlando. 

In March, the Vikings and Minnesota Sports and Events submitted to the league a bid to host the annual event. The plan had the spectacular US Bank Stadium as the center of the draft weekend with events in St. Paul, the Mall of America, and the Viking Lakes development around the team’s TCO Performance Center in Eagan. 

While Minnesota is “a clear favorite” at the moment, the league’s decision-makers can always spin to another location on a whim. Few things are predictable in the NFL. Fewer things are predictable amongst an exclusive club of rich folks. Seeing as the draft has been held in Chicago (2x), Detroit, and Green Bay during it’s recent travels, it should be held in Minnesota simply to check off all of the NFC North teams. 

The NFL Draft became a nomadic event in 2015. 

2015: Chicago, IL

2016: Chicago, IL

2017: Philadelphia, PA

2018: Arlington, TX

2019: Nashville, TN

2020: Virtual due to the global pandemic

2021: Cleveland, OH

2022: Las Vegas, NV

2023: Kansas City, MO

2024: Detroit, MI

2025: Green Bay, WI

2026: Pittsburgh, PA

2027: Washington DC

2028: Minnesota?

The NFL Draft became a thing in 1936. For the first five decades, it was a barely noticeable thing. For the next couple decades, it was a noticeable thing. For the past three decades, the NFL Draft has become a very big thing. The ridiculous growth of the NFL Draft has been a very curious thing. A movie was even made about the damn thing. 

When the draft went on the road in 2015, it felt new because it had been held in New York City for the previous fifty years. Before becoming a New York staple in 1965, the draft roamed about for thirty years.

Pre-2015 draft locations:

1936: Philadelphia, PA

1937: New York City, NY

1938: Chicago, IL

1939: New York City, NY

1940: Milwaukee, WI

1941: Washington DC

1942-43: Chicago, IL

1944: Philadelphia, PA

1945-47: New York City, NY

1948: Pittsburgh, PA

1949-50: Philadelphia, PA

1951: Chicago, IL

1952: New York City, NY

1953-54: Philadelphia, PA

1955: New York City, NY

1956-61: Philadelphia, PA

1962-64: Chicago, IL

1965-2014: New York City, NY

I have been, and always will be, fascinated with the NFL Draft. The draft as an event, it’s critical part in team-building, it’s history. All of it. It all fascinates me. 

A Pick That Traveled

Every pick in every NFL Draft has a story. Some are a little more interesting than the rest. The 198th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft has one of the interesting stories. That pick was the 17th pick of the sixth round. The Minnesota Vikings used it to select Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne. The story of the 198th pick ended where it began. In between, it’s a story of a pick that traveled. 

The traveling started during the 2024 NFL season. 

October 15, 2024

The Minnesota Vikings acquired running back Cam Akers and a 2026 7th round pick from the Houston Texans for a 2026 6th round pick. 

March 13, 2025

The Houston Texans acquired guard Ed Ingram from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2026 6th round pick.

March 15, 2025

The Minnesota Vikings acquired running back Jordan Mason and a 2025 6th round pick from the San Francisco 49ers for a 2025 5th round pick and a 2026 6th round pick. 

October 28, 2025

The San Francisco 49ers acquired defensive end Keion White and a 2026 7th round pick from the New England Patriots for a 2026 6th round pick. 

April 25, 2026

The Minnesota Vikings acquired the 2026 6th round pick from the New England Patriots for a 2026 7th round pick and a 2027 6th round pick. 

The sixth round pick that bounced from Minnesota to Houston to Minnesota to San Francisco to New England and finally back to Minnesota was the 198th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Vikings held it twice before they finally used it to select Demond Claiborne. Many picks are held by multiple teams. Very few are held by one team multiple times. In this case it was held by one team on three separate occasions. The Vikings held the 198th pick non continuously in 2024, 2025, and 2026. I’d be real surprised if that’s ever happened in NFL history. 

A Vikings 2026 running back depth chart projection:

Aaron Jones

Jordan Mason

Demond Claiborne

Perhaps, the most interesting aspect of the travels of the 198th pick is that it was used to bring both Jordan Mason and Demond Claiborne to Minnesota. How often has one pick been used to add two players to a single position group? I’m guessing maybe never.