With nearly two weeks in the books at training camp for the Minnesota Vikings, the work continues to identify the next great players to contribute to the roster in 2026.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has a ton of youth on his side of the ball and needs to figure out how to get the most out of them. Not having veterans like Harrison Smith, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave makes it more challenging for Flores.
The Vikings' secondary, though, is in an interesting spot, with a lot of unknowns about the unit. Little did Flores know that a rookie on his side of the ball might be ready to challenge for a starting job in 2026.
Brian Flores must start respecting Minnesota Vikings rookie Charles Demmings as a real choice to start
ESPN Vikings reporter Kevin Seifert gave an update on how training camp has been going. He has a large section on rookie fifth-round pick cornerback Charles Demmings and the plays he is making.
"Cornerback Charles Demmings-- a fifth-round pick from Stephen F. Austin -- broke up a J.J. McCarthy pass intended for receiver Tai Felton near the goal line. For Demmings, it was the latest in a series of pass breakups, including two earlier in camp while he was defending Justin Jefferson.
"The Vikings seem to have their top three cornerbacks set with Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers and James Pierre, and it is always dangerous to get too excited when a rookie makes splash plays. But to this point, he has demonstrated he could provide an immediate contribution this season should defensive coordinator Brian Flores need him."
A little more on what the Jamal Adams number switch meant Friday in our daily @espn NFL camp notebook. https://t.co/tPWU8ZqRBW
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 7, 2026
Last season at Stephen F. Austin, Demmings was a first-team FCS All-American and a first-team All-Southland Conference selection. He finished the year with 18 tackles, five pass deflections, and four interceptions. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 79.6, ranking 80th out of 895 cornerbacks in the nation in 2025.
Minnesota's defense was the second-ranked pass defense in the league, allowing just 158.5 yards per game. It doesn't quite tell the whole story of an average cornerback room, though, as much of the pass defense's success was due to the front four's pressure on quarterbacks.
Murphy led the corners with seven pass deflections, but was third on the team in the same stat. The cornerbacks combined for three of the team's eight interceptions on the year.
Entering training camp, Murphy, Rodgers, and Pierre were seen as the starters for 2026. Demmings has all the abilities to step in and be in the lineup, thanks to his closing speed on receivers when the ball is in the air. Those kinds of instincts are hard to teach, but for him to already have that after playing on the FCS level is just as impressive.
As Seifert mentioned, it might be too early to get excited about Demmings being a starter right away, but it's also hard to ignore. If any of the Vikings' starting corners struggle, Flores might have no choice but to give Demmings a chance to earn his spot with the other 10 Vikings defenders who starts a game.
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