The Minnesota Vikings' preseason is underway with training camp now several days in, and many players are vying for a spot on the 53-man roster. Some are rookies who are looking to get their NFL careers off to a hot start, and others are vested veterans looking to keep their NFL dreams alive. The majority of these drafted and signed players end up on the roster, but not all.
New Minnesota Vikings who may never play a snap in purple
DT Isaiahh Loudermilk
The Vikings signed Isaiahh Loudermilk back in May -- a bit of a surprise, since the team had just used two picks on the defensive tackle position in the draft a month earlier. They also brought in free agent Eric Johnson, creating a logjam at the position. The defensive tackle battle will be an intriguing one to watch as camp unfolds. There are only three locks to make the roster: Jalen Redmond, first-round pick Caleb Banks, and third-round pick Domonique Orange. The rest is completely up for grabs.
Loudermilk will be battling against the aforementioned Johnson, Levi Drake-Rodriguez, Elijah Williams, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Taki Taimani for a spot on this roster. The Vikings are likely only going to keep maybe six defensive linemen this year, so every single rep in practice and snap in preseason games will hold plenty of weight. It's possible Loudermilk defies the odds and makes the team, but it's more likely his Vikings career will end with him never playing a meaningful down.
C Gavin Gerhardt
Most teams want to keep the majority of the rookies they select. Sometimes they are given a little more wiggle room to learn and grow than an aging veteran or an undrafted player of similar caliber. Even seventh-round draft picks like Gavin Gerhardt get some leniency. That being said, Gerhardt is going to have to scrap and fight to make the 53-man roster and ever play a snap that matters for the Vikings. The irony with Gerhardt is that what made him attractive in the draft might also be his downfall for making the team.
Gerhardt was a captain and leader and started 49 games at center out of the 54 he played for the Cincinnati Bearcats. He was a very experienced center who didn't allow a single sack all last season and was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list for the nation's best center. That's great and all, but the problem is that when it comes to making a 53-man roster as a late-round draft pick or an undrafted free agent on the interior offensive line, versatility is key.
Gerhardt hasn't played any other positions. He's strictly been a center. If the Vikings keep 10 offensive linemen and it's getting down to the final couple, they may choose a player with position flexibility over one that only provides depth at one position. Gerhardt could move around and try other positions in camp, but there are other players out there already experienced at playing guard and center, and on either side. This puts Gerhardt behind, and he could end up being a draft pick who never plays a snap for the team when it counts.
P Johnny Hekker
Johnny Hekker is the splashiest name on this list and one who could end up never playing a snap in purple. Hekker has been one of the best punters in the league over the past decade, but he's in the twilight of his career and doesn't quite have the same pop in his cannon of a leg that he used to. He'll face competition from undrafted rookie Brett Thorson from Georgia, and there is precedent in the Kevin O'Connell era of going with an undrafted rookie over a veteran.
Ryan Wright beat out Jordan Berry in O'Connell's first year as the head coach, so he's clearly not afraid to go with a rookie punter. If Thorson looks like the better option on punts and as a holder, he could definitely win the job. Thorson, being an International Player Pathway player, also doesn't currently count against the roster, so the Vikings don't lose anything by keeping him around.
That means he could get ample time and opportunities to prove to the special teams staff and to Nolan Teasley that he deserves to be the Vikings' punter in 2026. If Brett Thorson accomplishes all of this, then that'll mean Hekker will join the list of veterans who wore the Vikings' colors but never played in a game that mattered.
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