Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has had a busy start to free agency in 2025. There were many eyes on the quarterback situation in Minnesota, with speculation on whether or not Sam Darnold would be sticking around for another season. But with Darnold off to Seattle, the Vikings wasted no time setting the rest of their roster.
After finishing last season with a 14-3 record and a playoff appearance, Minnesota has a strong appeal to free agents looking to sign with a contending team. The team made the most of this pitch and were able to bring in some of the top-ranked players at their position looking for a new home in 2025.
To determine the value of each signing for the Vikings in free agency, we will assign a grade to each new player that will be suiting up for the purple and gold in 2025.
Grading the first 15 Minnesota Vikings signings in 2025 free agency
Jonathan Allen - DL
Allen is being brought in to bolster the interior of the defensive line with a three-year, $60 million deal and will be a name Vikings fans will become familiar with very quickly. Allen presents shades of a former Viking legend, John Randle, and that goes beyond sharing the No. 93 on their jersey.
Like Randle, Allen is a force inside and will draw plenty of attention from opposing offensive lines. The attention he draws on the interior of the offensive line should help open things up for the outside rush for players like Jonathan Greenard and second-year man Dallas Turner.
Allen was a Pro Bowler in 2021 and 2022 and has recorded 42 sacks and 60 tackles for loss thus far in his career. He appeared in just eight games last season due to a pectoral injury but returned for Washington's playoff run.
Grade: A+
Javon Hargrave - DL
The San Francisco 49ers parted ways with Hargrave after two seasons, and the Vikings snatched up the dominant interior defensive lineman on a two-year, $30 million deal. The 32-year-old NFL veteran was ranked as the 11th free agent in 2025 by The Athletic and will be paired up front with fellow signing, Jonathan Allen.
Hargrave is a two-time Pro Bowler and is coming off a tricep injury suffered last season, forcing him to miss 14 games. He has accumulated 45.5 sacks and 55 tackles for loss throughout his nine seasons in the league.
The only potential downside to this signing is if Hargrave is unable to stay healthy as his career winds down. However, he has been able to stay on the field throughout his career outside of last season.
Having Hargrave and Allen together up front will make game-planning a nightmare for opposing teams next season, assuming both are able to stay healthy.
Grade: A
Will Fries - RG
Minnesota was due for a large improvement on the offensive line, and that was among their priorities early in free agency. They secured former Colt, Will Fries, on a five-year, $88 million deal. They spent a large amount to bring in the No. 2 ranked free agent guard according to PFF and keep him around for years to come.
The 6-foot-6, 305-pound lineman spent the last four seasons with the Colts and was a full-time starter beginning in 2023. He appeared in five games due to a fracture in his right tibia but will be fully recovered for the start of the 2025 season.
Minnesota was in serious need of some support on the offensive line, and this signing will help them get what they're looking for. The reason our grade drops a bit for this signing has to do mainly with being unsure how Fries will hold up after his injury. Along with the Vikings missing out on the top free agent guard, Trey Smith, whom the Chiefs elected to use their franchise tag on.
Grade: A-
Byron Murphy Jr. - CB
Bringing in players that will help in the secondary was another key goal for the Vikings during free agency, and they managed to bring back one of their key pieces in the defensive backfield from last season. Murphy came over from Arizona in 2023 and signed a new $66 million deal that will keep him in Minnesota for at least three more years.
He led the team with six interceptions last season, which is why bringing him back for a position that lacks depth is so vital. Giving a larger paycheck to Murphy may prevent them from being able to offer more money to other free agents at that position. But this was a move that had to be made to help in pass coverage for Brian Flores.
Grade: A
Aaron Jones - RB
Jones joined the Vikings offense last season after spending the previous seven seasons with the division rival Green Bay Packers. He re-signed with Minnesota on a two-year, $20 million contract.
Jones had a productive season in both the run and pass game for Minnesota last season, finishing with 1,138 yards on the ground and 408 yards through the air. He had an extremely productive 2024 season, but the 2020 Pro Bowler is entering his ninth season at the age of 30.
The lifespan for a running back in the NFL is relatively short, and Jones dealt with various minor injuries last season. Although he didn't miss a game, the wear and tear of playing running back may be getting to him. Head coach Kevin O'Connell could also work the newly acquired Jordan Mason and fourth-year back Ty Chandler into the rotation more to help preserve Jones.
If Jones can maintain his production and stay healthy, bringing him back for two more seasons will give the Vikings a serious threat to opponents out of the backfield. But in the later stages of his career, there may be a bit of risk involved in this move.
Grade: B
Ryan Kelly - C
The Vikings will gain another reinforcement on the offensive line with another former Colt, Ryan Kelly, at center. The nine-year veteran agreed to a two-year deal worth $18 million. Kelly will join his Indianapolis teammate Will Fries up front and should be a major help in pass and run protection to a team that gave up nine sacks in their 2024 Wild Card matchup against the Rams.
Kelly will be 32-years-old by the start of the 2025 season and has battled a number of injuries throughout his career. If he can hold up over the next two seasons, the grade for this free-agent signing could easily go up. At the moment, the Vikings needed to address the offensive line, and Kelly is certainly a serviceable option.
Grade: B+
Isaiah Rodgers - CB
Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers is another former member of the Colts joining the Vikings roster after spending last season with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Rodgers comes to Minnesota on a two-year, $15 million deal.
Cornerback is certainly a position of need for the Vikings, and Rodgers should at least have a chance to compete for a spot as a starter for Flores's defense in 2025. Rodgers certainly isn't one of the highest-rated free-agent corners, but he has three interceptions and 14 pass breakups over four seasons.
Rodgers was suspended for the entire 2023 season for violating the NFL's gambling policy, which caused the Colts to waive him. The Eagles signed him for the 2024 season when his suspension was lifted. The league has shown how seriously they take their gambling policy, with multiple players being banned indefinitely. Rodgers will be on thin ice for the remainder of his NFL career, and the Vikings are surely aware of this.
Grade: B-
Theo Jackson - S
Safety Theo Jackson agreed to a two-year extension worth $12.615 million with the Vikings earlier this month. Jackson has spent the last three seasons in Minnesota on special teams and playing behind Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum. Smith will be returning for another season but Bynum signed a deal with the Colts, which opens a spot up for Jackson's role to increase this season.
Jackson has impressed the coaching staff throughout his time in Minnesota and will likely see more action with Bynum gone. However, he re-signed at a time before the fates of Smith and Bynum were determined. With Smith returning, Jackson may have missed an opportunity to sign with a team that had a larger role for him.
Grade: B-
Tavierre Thomas - DB
Tavierre Thomas came over from Tampa Bay on a one-year deal. Thomas is an outstanding special teams player who can also help out in the secondary if needed. Thomas is entering his eighth season and has 50 special teams tackles and two career blocked field goals.
Thomas will help fill the void of last year's special teams standout, Trent Sherfield Sr., who signed with the Denver Broncos. Although fans may not hear Thomas' name mentioned much on Sundays, this is still an underrated signing that will help out the special teams unit.
Grade: C+
Justin Skule - OT
Offensive tackle Justin Skule is another former Buccaneer who agreed to a one-year deal with the Vikings in the early stages of free agency. Skule will likely play the backup tackle role, which is an important spot considering left tackle Christian Darrisaw is coming off a torn ACL suffered last season.
Skule has played five seasons in the NFL, including two with San Francisco and three with Tampa Bay. He has 17 career starts, including five for the Buccaneers last season, and should be more than capable of filling in at tackle if needed.
Grade: C+
Ryan Wright - P
Punter may not be the flashiest position in football, but a punter that can flip field position can change the course of a game with one kick of the ball. The Vikings seemingly liked what they saw from punter Ryan Wright over the last three seasons and have re-signed him to a one-year, $1.5 million deal.
This doesn't guarantee that he will be the starter for the upcoming season, but the deal saves the Vikings money with Wright set to become a restricted free agent. Wright will get a chance to compete to keep his spot as the starter after averaging a career-low 46.5 yards per punt.
Wright may not have near the best punting numbers in the NFL, but bringing him back to compete for a spot on an inexpensive deal makes this a small win for the Vikings.
Grade: B-
Eric Wilson - LB
Eric Wilson is on his way back to Minnesota on a one-year deal after spending the last three seasons in Green Bay. He made 12 starts for the Packers last season and finished with 72 total tackles along with one interception.
Wilson will be going into his ninth season in the NFL and will help the depth at linebacker for the Vikings in 2025. With Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman returning after a strong 2024 season, Wilson will be a nice addition behind those two.
Grade: B
Jeff Okudah - CB
Minnesota will bring in former Houston Texans cornerback Jeff Okudah on a one-year deal. Okudah played most of the 2024 season on special teams and missed time with a hip injury. The former No. 3 overall draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 2020 has struggled with injuries throughout his career, playing in just 44 games in five seasons.
Okudah is still young and has the potential to be serviceable in pass coverage for the Vikings. Flores' coaching and defensive scheme may be just what someone like Okudah needs to revive his career. But he will need to stay healthy and prove himself on the field if he wants to earn consistent playing time.
Grade: C+
Tim Jones - WR
Former Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Tim Jones will be headed to Minneapolis to likely help out on special teams and add depth at receiver. Jones was undrafted in 2021 but was signed by Jacksonville, where he spent time on the practice squad before being signed to the main roster in 2022.
Jones has 17 career receptions for 154 yards, along with six tackles and one fumble recovery on special teams. Although he has played over 650 snaps on offense during his time in Jacksonville, Jones has yet to prove himself as a legitimate pass-catching threat.
Grade: C
Rondale Moore - WR
Speedy receiver Rondale Moore is the latest addition to the Vikings roster after missing the entirety of last season with a knee injury. He spent last season with the Atlanta Falcons and was a member of the Arizona Cardinals for the first three seasons of his career.
Moore will likely spend the summer competing for the backup receiver spot with Jalon Nailor behind both Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He could also pose a serious threat as a return specialist, taking over for Brandon Powell, who currently remains an unsigned free agent.
There is a ton of potential with this pickup for a dynamic WR3 or WR4. Moore has 135 career receptions for 1,201 yards and three touchdowns. At 5-foot-7, Moore may be a bit undersized for an NFL receiver, and he only has 21 career punt returns. But his speed could present a serious threat on both special teams and in the pass game as long as he can stay healthy.
Grade: B
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