2025 Minnesota Vikings Projected Finish, Key Signings & Fantasy Stars

Justin Jefferson (YouTube)

In the 21st of a 32-part series, we are featuring all National Football League teams with a prediction of where each team will finish within their division, key off-season acquisitions and their top fantasy stars. Here are the Minnesota Vikings.

Key Off-Season Acquisitions

The Vikings added six notable players in the offseason, five via free agency, and one via trade. Minnesota made a deal with the San Francisco 49ers. They acquired running back Jordan Mason of Gallatin, Tennessee from the 49ers with a sixth round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft for a fifth round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a sixth round draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Mason has played the last three seasons with the 49ers, and got more playing time with Christian McCaffrey injured. In 2024, he had 153 rushes for 789 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and had 11 catches for 91 receiving yards.

The Vikings had five notable free agent signings of players who played with different teams in 2024. They were guard Will Fries of Staten Island, New York (five years, $87.72 million), defensive tackle Jonathan Allen of Anniston, Alabama (three years, $51 million), defensive tackle Javon Hargrave of Salisbury, North Carolina (two years, $30 million), center Ryan Kelly of West Chester, Ohio (two years, $18 million), and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers of Tampa, Florida (two years, $11 million).

Fries who is 6’6″, 306 pounds, spent the last four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Allen a two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle only played eight games last year with a torn left pectoral muscle. He has been with Washington since 2017, and had 19 combined tackles (16 solo tackles and three solo tackles), seven quarterback hits and three sacks in 2024.

Hargrave is joining his fourth NFL franchise, as he was previously with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2016 to 2019), the Philadelphia Eagles (2020 to 2022), and the San Francisco 49ers (2023 and 2024). A two-time Pro Bowler (2021 with Philadelphia and 2023 with San Francisco), Hargrave only played three games in 2024 because he tore his tricep. He had seven combined tackles (four solo tackles and three assisted tackles), one tackle for a loss, one sack and one quarterback hit.

Kelly, like Fries, is a former Indianapolis Colt. He spent the last nine seasons in Indianapolis, and was a Pro Bowler in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023.

Rodgers is joining his third NFL team. He was previously with the Colts from 2020 to 2022, and last season won a Super Bowl with the Eagles. In 2024, Rodgers had 26 combined tackles (17 solo tackles and nine assisted tackles), four pass deflections and one forced fumble. The forced fumble came in a 37-20 Eagles win over the Los Angeles Rams on November 24. In 2023, Rodgers was suspended a full year for betting on NFL games.

Fantasy Stars

Justin Jefferson is ranked second among wide receivers, only behind Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals. Jefferson, a native of St. Rose, Louisiana, had 103 catches for 1533 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches in 2024 with the Vikings. One thing to monitor for Jefferson is a hamstring strain, which has limited his participation in the preseason.

The Vikings defense is also ranked second, only behind Denver. This past year Minnesota led the NFL with 24 interceptions and 22 fourth down stops.

Projected Finish

Minnesota overachieved last season with a record of 14 wins and three losses. Eight of their wins came by six points or less. The Vikings will take a step back this season as quarterback J.J. McCarthy learns the offense. Minnesota is third in the NFC North.