{"id":840159,"date":"2026-03-29T02:36:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T02:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/840159\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T02:36:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T02:36:28","slug":"the-vikings-players-ready-to-break-out-in-2026-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/840159\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vikings Players Ready to Break Out in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"JayMinnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward (20) intercepts a deflected pass during fourth-quarter action against the Philadelphia Eagles, with the play unfolding on Aug 24, 2024 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, as Ward tracks the tipped ball and secures the turnover late in the game. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-USA TODAY Sports.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Aside from signing quarterback Kyler Murray two weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings didn\u2019t do much in free agency, constrained by a tight salary cap situation<\/a> and needing existing players to step up in 2026. So, it\u2019s time for the annual breakout player article, keeping tabs on the purple team four weeks before the draft.<\/p>\n

Minnesota has young players poised for bigger roles this season.<\/p>\n

This go-round, Minnesota has plenty of options for breakout personalities on both sides of the ball.<\/p>\n

Five Vikings with a Real Chance to Level Up in 2026<\/p>\n

Ranked in ascending order \u2014 No. 1 is the top breakout candidate \u2014 here\u2019s the list.<\/p>\n

\"TaiMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Tai Felton works through drills and timing sessions during rookie minicamp, getting his first on-field reps in purple and beginning his development within the offense on May 2025 at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota, as the third-round pick starts carving out a long-term role in the team\u2019s plans. Mandatory Credit: YouTube<\/p>\n

5. Tai Felton | WR<\/p>\n

With Jalen Nailor, the WR3 for 2024 and 2025, now out of the picture, the Vikings opted not to sign a free agent to fill the void. Numerous options were available, with players like Hollywood Brown, Kendrick Bourne, Romeo Doubs, Mike Evans, and Christian Kirk<\/a> signing elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Minnesota passed on them all. Therefore, barring a new acquisition, the WR3 role is open. If Felton doesn\u2019t emerge as a viable contender, the remaining free agent pool looks something like this:<\/p>\n

DeAndre Hopkins<\/p>\n

Deebo Samuel<\/p>\n

Keenan Allen<\/p>\n

Stefon Diggs<\/p>\n

Tyreek Hill<\/p>\n

The list reflects the current point in the offseason more than it reflects actual available talent. Had the Vikings been genuinely concerned about the WR3 position, they likely would have already made a move. Their patience suggests confidence in Felton or a specific draft strategy.<\/p>\n

As of March, Felton has already cleared two significant hurdles: Nailor\u2019s departure and the absence of a veteran signing. The opportunity is there; it\u2019s now up to him to seize it.<\/p>\n

4. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins | DT<\/p>\n

The 2025 5th-Rounder played 250 defensive snaps last season as a rookie, a noteworthy figure for a late-round pick. For his troubles, he banked a 58.3 Pro Football Focus<\/a> grade \u2014 not very good but also not heinous for a lottery draft pick.<\/p>\n

This month, Minnesota said goodbye to Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, the two men directly in front of Ingram-Dawkins on the depth chart. Assuming the Vikings don\u2019t sign Christian Wilkins or D.J. Reader from free agency or draft Peter Woods, Kayden McDonald<\/a>, Caleb Banks, or Lee Hunter early next month, the seas have parted for Ingram-Dawkins to play a more meaningful role.<\/p>\n

3. Jay Ward | S<\/p>\n

Ward flashed so much down the stretch of 2025 that he took Theo Jackson\u2019s job, who began 2025 as the starter next to Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus.<\/p>\n

The man will enter Year No. 4 in 2026, hoping to capitalize on a third season when he tallied a PFF grade north of 70.0. Ward played about the same number of snaps as Ingram-Dawkins in 2025. If the Vikings don\u2019t draft Dillon Thieneman or Emmanuel McNeill-Warren<\/a>, Ward could be looking at a clear path to a starter\u2019s job in September.<\/p>\n

\"JayMinnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward aligns along the boundary in coverage, tracking pre-snap motion and settling into position against Philadelphia during a primetime matchup on Sep. 14, 2023, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the defense prepares for the snap in a loud and demanding road environment. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.<\/p>\n

Our Janik Eckardt called Ward a \u201cfree agency winner\u201d earlier this month, explaining<\/a>, \u201cSafety Jay Ward had his workload raised at the end of last season, consistently getting more snaps in Brian Flores\u2019 unit after seemingly earning his trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWard, a 2023 draft pick, is in line for a promotion. Harrison Smith<\/a> is currently unsigned and might retire. The Vikings didn\u2019t acquire a safety to take his spot, perhaps because they trust Ward. Flores\u2019 trust and the depth chart uncertainty give him a clear path to doubling or tripling his snaps in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Donovan Jackson | LG<\/p>\n

Despite battling numerous injuries this season, including a wrist injury requiring surgery in September, Jackson demonstrated remarkable toughness, returning to the starting lineup within weeks of undergoing surgery in Los Angeles the day after the injury occurred.<\/p>\n

He allowed 2 sacks as a rookie and was generally accepted by fans as a worthwhile 1st-Round draft pick<\/a>. Jackson will start at left guard once again in 2026 and seems primed for a second-year jump.<\/p>\n

Jackson should also benefit from Christian Darrisaw\u2019s return to the full-time lineup at left tackle \u2014 the guy right next to him. <\/p>\n

1. Dallas Turner | OLB<\/p>\n

Turner finished 2025 strong, recording 8 sacks and anchoring the defense after Jonathan Greenard\u2019s December injury<\/a>. The second-year pass rusher\u2019s performance demonstrated his ability to rise to the occasion when Minnesota needed him most.<\/p>\n

\"VikingsSep 21, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner (15) applies the pressure on Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) during the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Still early in his career, Turner has significant potential for further development. If he were entering the league in 2026, his age would align perfectly with that of incoming rookie EDGE prospects<\/a>. With time on his side, increased playing time could lead to a significant leap in performance.<\/p>\n

His current production already hints at this trajectory. Turner earned a 70.2 pass-rushing grade from PFF and ranked second among all EDGE defenders with 4 forced fumbles.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"avatar\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Minnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward (20) intercepts a deflected pass during fourth-quarter action against the Philadelphia Eagles, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":840160,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2073],"tags":[7,233,259,2529,6,234],"class_list":{"0":"post-840159","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-minnesota-vikings","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-minnesota","10":"tag-minnesota-vikings","11":"tag-minnesotavikings","12":"tag-nfl","13":"tag-vikings"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116310142226508239","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=840159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/840159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/840160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=840159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=840159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=840159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}