Vikings

Five Tiers Of Vikings Free-Agent Possibilities

Photo Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings enter the 2025 offseason with lots of cap space and plenty to do with it. We all have our pipe-dream free-agent acquisitions, but there is more to address this spring than just bringing in a marquee name or two. I combed through PFF’s Top 100 Free Agents list and some unlisted players and ranked them into tiers by future value to the Vikings.

Minnesota’s chief needs are no secret:

  • One to three interior offensive linemen,
  • Two to five defensive backs, depending on pending in-house free agents
    running back
  • One to two interior defensive linemen
  • Stop-gap offensive tackle (while Christian Darrisaw recovers)
  • General depth

Contract projections will be a combination of projections from sites like PFF and Spotrac, as well as a bit of my own opinion. Let’s dive into some potential 2025 Minnesota Vikings.

Tier One: Game-Changers

These players would have an outsized impact on the 2025 squad based on their skill, timeline, and the position they play. These established stars will come with a corresponding price tag.

RG Trey Smith (25, Kansas City Chiefs)

Contract Projection: 4yr/$112 million

Smith is the pie-in-the-sky, big-time investment that many Vikings fans crave. Foremost among the reasons that Minnesota’s season ended unceremoniously is their interior offensive line play. Smith is an All-Pro right guard entering his prime who would take over for the Ed Ingram/Dalton Risner pairing for years to come.

S Jevon Holland (24, Miami Dolphins)

Contract Projection: 4yr/$86 million

This deal would reset the safety market. If Harrison Smith retires, safety becomes a glaring need for the Vikings, given Cam Bynum’s free-agent status and that Minnesota’s safeties have been the fulcrum of Brian Flores’ scheme over the past two seasons.

CB D.J. Reed Jr. (28, New York Jets)

Contract Projection: 3yr/$51 million

We got an up-close look at D.J. Reed’s skill in Week 5 in London this season. Reed did a great job in man-to-man coverage against Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and he still has some great years left in him. There is no doubt that he will be available.

When questioned about his future following New York’s final game this season, Reed responded, “I’m ready to go to free agency, bro.”

CB Charvarius Ward (28, San Francisco 49ers)

Contract Projection: 2yr/$38 million

Ward is one of the best press-man corners in the NFL and has spent his entire career as part of a contender (Chiefs, then 49ers). The 49ers would undoubtedly want him back were it not for the memory of a personal tragedy, the loss of his young daughter this past season, that has led him to seek employment outside the state of California.

Minnesota is far from the West Coast and would offer him the chance to remain on a contending team in the “back nine” of his career.

Tier Two: Pre-Prime/Buy-low (AKA, the Kwesi Tier)

This is where things get much more realistic. While Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has never entered an offseason with this much financial flexibility, his M.O. to this point has been to find value in the second wave of free agency with ascending players coming off of rookie deals and promising players returning from an injury.

The Jonathan Greenards and Byron Murphy Jrs. of the world. Players of this ilk have been emblematic of Adofo-Mensah’s “competitive rebuild” philosophy: guys who help the team now and will remain for the foreseeable future.

IDL Milton Williams (25, Philadelphia Eagles)

Contract Projection: 4yr/$98 million

The Eagles could re-sign Williams, but he could also become a casualty of the immense depth they have assembled. He was 19th among all interior defensive linemen in pressures this season and would provide the interior push Minnesota’s defense has been lacking for years.

I expect him to get a massive contract, but at his age and given the way that the Vikings structure contracts, they could add void years for his age 30 and age 31 seasons and be comfortable extending into those when the time comes.

IDL Osa Odighizuwa (25, Dallas Cowboys)

Contract Projection: 4yr/$90 million

The Cowboys defensive tackle is not the run-defender that Williams is but provides excellent interior pass rush. Odighizuwa logged a 14.6% pressure rate this season and would complement Harrison Phillips and Jalen Redmond as a base defender and relieve one or both of them in sub packages.

OG James Daniels (27, Pittsburgh Steelers)

Contract Projection: 4yr/$68 million

Daniels was PFF’s second-highest-graded run-blocking guard this season before tearing his Achilles in late September and missing the remainder of the season. Adofo-Mensah could buy low on another player who may be entering his prime.

OG Will Fries (26, Indianapolis Colts)

Contract Projection: 3yr/$51 million

Similarly to Daniels, Fries underwent season-ending surgery after a great start to his season. Fries was PFF’s fourth-highest-graded guard before fracturing his tibia in Week 5.

Tier Three: Good Starters

This tier is for the known quantities of the offseason who could play functional starting roles this coming season. Think of the Shaq Griffin signing this past offseason.

OG Kevin Zeitler (34, Detroit Lions)

Contract Projection: 1yr/$10 million

At an imposing 6’4”, 340 lbs., Zeitler has been one of the best run-blocking guards in the league for quite some time. While he would not be a long-term solution, acquiring Zeitler to start and drafting a guard to take over in 2026 could be an enticing strategy.

NCB Mike Hilton (30, Cincinnati Bengals)

Contract Projection: 1yr/$8 million

We wait with bated breath to find out how many spots the Vikings need to fill in the secondary. Whether Byron Murphy Jr. returns or not, an experienced full-time slot corner like Mike Hilton could be an excellent addition to the group. He is a good cover corner, a savvy blitzer, and plays the run well for his size.

S Justin Reid (27, Kansas City)

Contract Projection: 3yr/$36 million

Reid is a well-rounded safety with championship experience who would be an excellent fit were the Vikings to lose Harrison Smith or Cam Bynum.

IDL B.J. Hill (29, Cincinnati)

Contract Projection: 2yr/$20 million

At 6’3”, 311 lbs., Hill is a factor against the run and the pass. Hill logged 32 pressures this season. For Vikings context, Harrison Phillips logged the most pressures of any defensive tackle on the team with 15 total pressures this season.

Tier Four:  Flyers/Cheap Vets

S Elijah Molden (25, Los Angeles Chargers)

Contract Projection: 2yr/$10 million

Molden is a young, average safety with slot flexibility who could fit well as a bridge starter if Bynum walks and/or Smith retires.

OG Zack Martin (34, Dallas)

Contract Projection: 1yr/$7 million

Martin is a sure-fire Hall of Famer who has struggled with injuries recently. This would be a great bet if he’s willing to sign for relatively cheap.

HB Nick Chubb (29, Cleveland Browns)

Contract Projection: 1yr/$4 million

Chubb suffered a life-changing injury in 2023 and wasn’t himself when he returned this season. If Aaron Jones and/or Cam Akers do not return, adding Chubb would be another high-reward dice roll.

Tier Five: Depth

IDL Jordan Phillips (32, Buffalo Bills)

Contract Projection: 1yr/$3 million

Phillips is one of the bigger defensive tackles in football but doesn’t always play like it. He’s good for a few splash plays per season.

CB Michael Davis (30, Washington Commanders)

Contact Projection: 1yr/$3 million

Davis is past his prime but has played outside cornerback at an above-average level in the past, as well as over 200 special teams snaps this season; he’s likely to make a team somewhere in 2025 for that reason.

OG Cody Ford (28, Cincinnati)

Contract Projection: 1y/$4.5 million

Ford played over 600 snaps for the Bengals this season and could provide good competition for the other guards.

The Vikings have the money to spend. We have no reason to believe that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Co. won’t use it wisely. We haven’t seen him operate with this much financial flexibility, and he may be more likely to pursue some impact players.

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