The Minnesota Vikings are approaching a pivotal offseason. They are coming off a five-game winning streak that closed out the 2025 season, and want to ride that momentum into next year. In order to do that and make a strong push to the playoffs, the team has to fill some holes on both sides of the ball.
On offense, the Vikings have to find a competent backup quarterback and one who can push J.J. McCarthy to be the starter.
Minnesota is going to need a new center as Ryan Kelly is a lock to be a cap casualty and probably should hang up the cleats due to his numerous concussions. The Vikings also need to find a young offensive tackle, and some new blood at tight end and running back would be welcome.
Defensively, Minnesota needs help up front with a beefy lineman who can shut down the run and apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks.
If Eric Wilson leaves in free agency, an inside linebacker will be needed to pair with Blake Cashman. The safety position also needs an upgrade, as Harrison Smith is almost a lock to retire, even with Brian Flores returning.
That leaves one position: cornerback, the team's biggest need.
Biggest offseason need for the 2026 Minnesota Vikings
A quick glimpse at the depth chart is all one needs to realize how shockingly thin the Vikings' cornerback room is.
Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers top the depth chart, but then it falls off a cliff.
There are two young guys in Dwight McGlothern, who rarely finds himself active on game day, and Zemaiah Vaughn, who had a nice preseason but didn't register a single defensive snap in the regular season.
That's it. The cupboard is completely bare.
It can also be argued how good the starters of this depleted unit actually are. Murphy received a big contract from Minnesota last March and posted 61 tackles with two interceptions.
He allowed 39 receptions, which was 41st out of 114 cornerbacks in the league. However, his overall PFF grade was a dismal 58.5. He was also helped by an elite pass rush up front, lowering his targets and the accuracy of the quarterback, who was often running for his life.
Rodgers was a bit of an enigma in his first year with the Vikings. He had that miracle two-touchdown game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 when he scored on an interception and also by returning a fumble that he created when he punched the ball out.
Other than that, Rodgers wasn't very good in 2025.
He blew a ton of coverages and also showed a major disinterest in tackling the ball carrier. The times when he did make contact, he was often dragged yards down the field as he couldn't bring his man down. Rodgers is much better suited for the slot, and some outside cornerback help is needed.
Luckily for Minnesota, the 2026 NFL Draft is chock-full of good cornerback options. They could see players like Mansoor Delane, Jermod McCoy, and Avieon Terrell on the board when they pick at 18th overall.
There's also talent scattered well into Day 3 at their biggest position of need. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would be wise to invest multiple picks on this position group and add a mid-tier free agent into the mix.
Minnesota's cornerback room is scary thin, and rolling with Murphy and Rodgers, with inexperienced backups, is not a viable option.