The Vikings’ Starting Lineup, But with an Age Cutoff Catch
The Vikings’ starting lineup is strong enough to compete. Win it all? Not likely, but good enough to make some noise.
What happens, though, when the roster needs to offer up just the young fellas? Put differently, what would the starters look like if the age cutoff was set at players who are 25 or younger? Admittedly arbitrary, the exercise is meant to highlight some of the roster’s deficiencies as it relates to the youth pipeline.
The Vikings’ Starting Lineup: 25 and Under
To begin, the special teams, albeit in a perfunctory manner.
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Punter Johnny Hekker (36) and long snapper Andrew DePaola (38) are the team’s oldest players. That’s not an issue given the positions under consideration, but the takeaway is simply that these guys are short-term solutions (with intermediate being possible). Only Will Reichard, the All Pro kicker, qualifies since he’s 25.
So, the fictional Vikings team can kick field goals. Myles Price, 24, can return the ball, too.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Check out how the offense looks if the team leaned on 12 personnel (with a tip of the cap to the team website):
| LT: Caleb Etienne (24) | LG: Donovan Jackson (23) | C: Joe Huber (23) | G: Vershon Lee (24) | RT: Walter Rouse (25) |
| QB: J.J. McCarthy (23) | ||||
| RB: VACANT | ||||
| WR: Jordan Addison (24) | TE: Ben Yurosek (24) | TE: Gavin Bartholomew (22) | WR: Tai Felton (23) |
Best case, the McCarthy connection with Addison and Felton proves profitable. Even better is that the tight ends are youthful, as well, giving further optimism about where the pass catcher crew could go even if the options are a 6th (Bartholomew) and UDFA (Yurosek).
Up front, the offensive line isn’t pristine. Jackson looks like a long-term building block along the o-line, someone who demonstrates great leadership, toughness, and upside. Huber, an undrafted add from last year who made the 53-man roster, could be a nice depth option. He’s a guard who has been kicked inside due to necessity.
To be sure, there’s a deficit of high-end talent. Rouse seems to have lost the confidence of the coaching staff, but he was a draftee in 2024. Michael Jurgens, the top option at center who also got picked in the ’24 Draft, is already 26.
The running game is non-existent here since no runners on the roster are at 25 or younger. Maybe Max Brosmer, the 24-year-old QB4, can scamper.
Meanwhile, there’s the defense, which is in nickel:
| EDGE: Dallas Turner (23) | DT: Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (22) | DT: Levi Drake Rodriguez (25) | EDGE: Bo Richter (25) | |
| LB: Ivan Pace (25) | LB: Jacob Roberts (24) | |||
| CB: Dwight McGlothern (24) | S: Jay Ward (25) | FS: Vacant | S: Kahlef Hailassie (25) | CB: Zemaiah Vaughn (23) |
Start off in the secondary. Add up all of the safeties and corners who are at 25 or below. Doing so would mean being a man short to play nickel defense (5 DBs) since there are just a pair of corners — both of whom are UDFAs — and a pair of safeties — a 4th-Round selection in Ward and an undrafted talent in Hailassie.
Meanwhile, the linebackers aren’t looking too much better. Pace, at least, has proven to be a capable starter, though he has flaws. Snuggling in beside him is Roberts since he’s the only other ‘backer to fit the criteria.
Up front, the Vikings’ defense offers some reasonably strong options. Turner has the potential to be a high-end edge rusher. Rodriguez is a good defensive tackle who is getting better; Ingram-Dawkins has loads of potential. And then Richter is a rugged defender who has been on the roster for a pair of seasons.
Most draftees break into the NFL at the age of 22, 23, or 24. As a result, there are just a few seasons at that ultra youthful age before the arbitrary cutoff applies. Not too many players are akin to Justin Jefferson, playing five NFL seasons at 25 or younger (part of the reason why he’s so special).
Nevertheless, consider the point that’s worth circling back around to: recent draft failures has resulted in a roster that shows a deficit of young talent. Addressing that issue in a month is very important.
The 2026 NFL Draft takes place from April 23rd until April 25th.
