The Minnesota Vikings have been a destination for redemption stories over the years. Most recently, Vikings fans witnessed Sam Darnold’s career revival (2018: first round, third overall), a former bust before he made a stop in Minnesota.
Last season, the Vikings took a swing at a former blue-chip draft prospect, Jeff Okudah (2020: first round, third overall), with mixed results. Byron Murphy Jr. (2019: second round, 33rd overall) is another highly drafted prospect who took his game to the next level with the Vikings in the Kevin O’Connell era. He made the Pro Bowl in 2024. Also, Jerry Tillery (2019: first round, 28th overall), who ended up starting 11 games for the Vikings at the 3-4 DE spot in 2024.
The Vikings are not the only team taking flyers on former busts and trying to revive their careers. Another positive redemption story in the NFL is Baker Mayfield with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Outside of a great feel-good story, taking chances on highly touted busts is good for business. This approach is kind of the NFL’s version of Moneyball. If teams can tap into that potential at a fraction of the cost of drafting or signing them, that is a huge win for the organization.
With all of that in mind, here are three 2026 free agents who have failed to live up to expectations to this point in their careers, but who could potentially fill immediate needs for the Vikings at below-market-value contracts.
Kenny Pickett (2022: first round, 20th overall)
Let’s kick off this list by trying to find the next Sam Darnold. The Vikings are in a similar situation to 2024, balancing a difficult cap situation while trying to find a legit QB2 to push and mentor J.J. McCarthy.
Enter Kenny Pickett.
Pickett has followed a similar career trajectory as Darnold, bouncing between teams after flaming out with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the similarities don’t stop there.
Like Darnold, Pickett’s strengths coming out of the University of Pittsburgh include running a pro-style offense well, above-average arm strength, and accuracy at all three levels of the passing game. Heck, Darnold and Pickett are even similar builds at 6’3”, 220 lbs.
All of these traits mesh well with O’Connell’s offensive scheme and make Pickett worth a look.
Trevor Penning (2022: first round, 19th overall)
Next up, we have one of Pickett’s 2022 draftmates — and ironically, the pick right before him that year. Coming out of the University of Northern Iowa, Penning caught major steam in the draft process leading up to the 2022 Draft, and the hype was enough that the New Orleans Saints took him at Pick 19 that year.
His strengths coming out of college were a nice mix of quickness and power that could “operate in any scheme.” He also has experience playing both tackle and guard.
Last season, the Vikings had an unfortunate string of injuries on the offensive line, and they suffered from their lack of depth. With his versatility and added value of being a current swing tackle, Penning would be a welcome addition and be a great insurance policy if injuries continue to plague Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill.
With 33 NFL starts to his name, the Vikings should look at Penning to fill that OL depth need.
Jahan Dotson (2022: first round, 16th overall)
Johan Dotson is another 2022 draftee who failed to live up to the expectations of their draft position, but who could revive his career in Minnesota.
The Vikings will likely be letting Jalen Nailor walk due to his projected $4.7 million contract value this offseason. Last season, Dotson played a similar WR3 role with the Philadelphia Eagles and could seamlessly step into that role with the Vikings. In his role with the Eagles, Dotson was still able to flash his elite athletic profile even with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith getting most of the targets.
Now, how important is the WR3 role in Minnesota’s offense, you might ask?
Last season, according to Sharp Football Analysis, the Vikings ranked among the league leaders in 3WR offensive personnel usage at 63.8%. Even with the 2025 offseason focus on building up the running game, O’Connell still leans on what he is comfortable with, which is passing out of 11 personnel. I believe Dotson would fit that role well if the Vikings fill this need through free agency.
The NFL is full of redemption stories over the years, and the Vikings have seen their fair share. As we look at the 2026 off-season, the time of major change is coming fast in the organization, and Minnesota will face multiple difficult personnel decisions due to misvaluations of players in the draft over the past few seasons.
On top of that, there was a major spending spree during free agency last year that put the Vikings in a difficult cap situation heading into this season. Due to all of this, the team will need to get crafty with their roster construction by finding value through free agency, the draft, and scouting talent from alternative football leagues. Time for the Vikings to embrace the Moneyball approach and get this ship back on course.
