The 2026 Minnesota Vikings are starting to take shape, but there are a handful of key roster battles still to be decided. Looking at the current roster, aside from the quarterback battle, edge depth is a major concern many media outlets have highlighted. It will also be worth looking at the punter competition between veteran Johnny Hekker and UDFA Brett Thorson. However, the tight end competition could have a lasting impact on the roster going forward for multiple reasons.
T.J. Hockenson will be the starting tight end. He got off to a fast start in Minnesota, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2022. However, his production has dropped due to injuries and broader team issues. From questionable offensive line play that kept him in to block Minnesota’s quarterback carousel, Hockenson has had to deal with a lot. As a result, the Vikings restructured his contract and removed the final year of his deal, calling into question his future as a TE1 in 2027.
Behind Hockenson, Josh Oliver is the clear-cut TE2. Oliver has played admirably in Hockenson’s absence and is routinely one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the league. The concern with Oliver is that he is 29, so the Vikings need young talent in the room.
The Vikings were interested in Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq in the 2026 draft, but missed out when the New York Jets took him at pick 16. So where does that leave Minnesota? Let’s dive into the internal prospects who could seize the opportunity in front of them.
Yurosek was a UDFA last season out of the University of Georgia, which was a surprise, because he made the 2025 53-man roster. Initially, this was most likely due to 2025 6th-round pick Gavin Bartholomew redshirting a year due to injury. Still, Yurosek showed he can play. PFF loved his play, highlighting him as a Top 10 graded UDFA from the 2025 regular season.
His elite blocking skills drove most of his high PFF grade, capped by an elite 90.4 PFF overall grade against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18. He wasn’t able to showcase his receiving skills much last year. Still, he did at Stanford, accumulating over 1,300 yards before transferring to Georgia.
Yurosek will have the leg up for that TE3 position and has the tools to be a future stud for the Vikings.
Gavin Bartholomew
As mentioned above, Bartholomew was part of the 2025 draft class out of the University of Pittsburgh. During his time with the Panthers, he earned All-ACC honors, which was enough for Minnesota to draft him in the 6th round. Unfortunately, Gavin dealt with a back injury throughout 2025, so he never had a chance to showcase his potential in a game setting.
Bartholomew flashed great run-blocking traits at Pitt and was known as a “rugged run finisher” when he got the ball in his hands. The Vikings clearly liked what they saw in Bartholomew’s game and spent draft capital to select him.
Still, Bartholomew will have an uphill battle to make the final 53-man roster, especially with Yurosek flashing potential in his absence.
Other Candidates
Yurosek and Bartholomew are the main players in the running to fill Minnesota’s TE3 role, but Minnesota has two other candidates for the position.
One is Bryson Nesbit, a fellow member of the 2025 draft class who spent time on the practice squad last season. Nesbit was an All-ACC performer out of the University of North Carolina and flashed some serious playmaking abilities during the preseason. Nesbit excels in the passing game, but is not built for blocking duties in the NFL.
Minnesota recently signed Marshall Lang, and the final TE to highlight. Lang comes from Northwestern and was also part of the 2025 class, but was a UDFA for the Seattle Seahawks. New GM Nolan Teasley obviously liked Lang enough to sign him in Minnesota, so that connection is relevant in making roster cuts this offseason.
The Vikings clearly identified the need for a future TE1 this offseason, but didn’t pull the trigger to acquire one quite yet. That need might not be as pressing as the need for edge depth right now, but will become a main topic come the end of the 2026 season and Hockenson’s contract.
In the meantime, Minnesota has some candidates in-house to evaluate, and whoever wins the TE3 battle this offseason will have a clear route to fill that need for 2027.
