The Vikings’ Starting Lineup Offers 5 Central Mysteries

Deciding on who gets to start at quarterback will be the most important decision that Kevin O’Connell has made as the Vikings’ head coach. By and large, the decision was already made going into each offseason so far. Not so going into the 2026 regular season even as many assume Kyler Murray is locked-in as the QB1. More broadly, there are several mysteries to be solved.

As a basic assumption, the Vikings will lean on 11 personnel a majority of the time. Decoding the football jargon means seeing a cluster of talent consisting of 5 offensive linemen, 1 quarterback, 1 running back, 1 tight end, and 3 wide receivers.

Look at an educated guess of the setup:

As things stand, Mr. Brandel appears to be the clear favorite to be snapping the football. The veteran understands the scheme as well as anyone (or better). He’s not a natural center but could plausibly offer average play.

Where there’s true uncertainty is at running back. Aaron Jones is a stud … but he’s an older stud who has battled injury. If Jones were 25, then there would be no debate: he’s the perfect Vikings running back as somebody who can run well, catch very well, and who is a sturdy blocker. Does Jordan Mason find a way to get beyond him?

Otherwise, it’s that quarterback conundrum. Many are leaving J.J. McCarthy for dead. Don’t be among them. Let the competition unfold and then go from there.

On defense, the question is twofold in nature. Check out how the defense can look in nickle:

Who starts at defensive tackle? One answer is crystal clear: Jalen Redmond. The young fella is firmly within his prime. Over these past two seasons, Redmond has improved massively. Rodriguez, likewise, has been taking steps forward, but he now needs to fend off Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange.

In the secondary, the Vikings are going to lean on three corners when in nickle more than in past seasons due to having a better CB3 (James Pierre) and leaner safety depth (Harrison Smith). Theo Jackson appears to be the favorite but that’s written in pencil.

In particular, there’s Jay Ward. The fourth-year safety has been moved around a lot since joining the Vikings as a 4th-Round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Don’t be surprised if he breaks out. Don’t be surprised if he starts.

The Vikings aren’t considered a true contender in the NFL. And, truth be told, I find it hard to disagree with that sense of realistic pessimism. Much is uncertain beyond Justin Jefferson being elite alongside Andrew Van Ginkel being a cyborg. Can the Vikings get more out of the remainder of the talent?

The Vikings get rolling with training camp in less than a week.