It is no secret that the Minnesota Vikings are in dire need of young talent at several positions going into 2026. Ideally, the Vikings would address those needs through the NFL draft and acquire immediate contributors who can be starters or key depth pieces in their first few seasons. In reality, we all know that it is a different story for the team.
Drafting prospects who need time to develop is not a uniquely Vikings issue, and this is where the 16-man (17 with the international spot) practice squad comes into play for most teams. This developmental team is perfect for prospects who aren’t quite ready for NFL action yet. They can focus on progressing and can be called on in emergency situations to fill roles. Some notable names who spent time on Minnesota’s practice squad over the years include Adam Thielen (2013) and Ifeadi Odenigbo (2017-18).
Going into 2026, the Vikings should be looking at all their options to fill depth needs on their roster, and what better place to start than their 2025 practice squad? Here are three players who signed reserve/future contracts in January and can help fill the team’s needs and make the leap to the active roster in 2026.
Kahlef Hailassie (SAF)
The first player to highlight on this list is Kahlef Hailassie, who had a great preseason in 2025 for the Vikings. His strong showing included two interceptions in the first preseason game against the Houston Texans.
Even with this performance, the Vikings chose to assign him to the practice squad after the preseason ended. Still, moving him to the practice squad caught the eye of another team that needed safety depth. The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Hailassie to their active roster on September 17, then waived him on November 17, which led to his return to Minnesota’s practice squad for the rest of the 2025 season.
Before landing with the Vikings in 2025, Hailassie was a Second-Team All-Conference player at Western Kentucky in 2022.
Looking at Minnesota’s safety room, you can see the need for players like Hailassie to step up. Theo Jackson struggled in his elevated role, and Harrison Smith continues to consider retirement. As a result, the Vikings asked Josh Metellus – an established, versatile player – to play a traditional high safety role more often this season, rather than in the box or slot where he thrives. Conversely, Hailassie excels in the back-end coverage role, as we saw in preseason.
Jeshaun Jones (WR)
Next up is Jeshaun Jones, who has been on Minnesota’s practice squad for the past two seasons. After being part of the 2024 Vikings UDFA class, Jones has shown flashes in preseason action, and that has been enough to keep him around through multiple cutdown days.
Minnesota has also shown a clear investment in Jones’ potential, guaranteeing him the most money of the group signed in January. Before joining the Vikings, Jones excelled at the University of Maryland, earning third-team All-Big Ten in 2023.
If you have watched Minnesota’s offense during Kevin O’Connell’s tenure, you will know how important having WR depth is to the overall offensive strategy. The final 53-man roster the past two seasons has featured five to six WRs. The team will face some hard decisions this offseason. Jalen Nailor should get a big pay increase, and the Vikings don’t know what they have in Tai Felton, a fellow Maryland alum they selected in the third round of last year’s draft.
Minnesota could go several ways with filling out its WR depth for 2026, including turning to an old friend, selecting one in this year’s draft, or signing a player in free agency. Jones and fellow 2025 practice squad member Dontae Fleming have a clear route to seize a role on the active roster this season.
Caleb Etienne (OT)
The final player on this list is fairly new to the Vikings organization, having signed with the team in December 2025. Caleb Etienne was a star offensive tackle for BYU during two seasons with the program, and earned first-team All-Big 12 in 2024. He was also Tyler Batty’s college teammate.
Etienne has experience at guard and tackle. After watching some tape, he reminds me a ton of one-time Vikings do-it-all offensive lineman Oli Udoh. Etienne (6’7”, 330 lbs.) even has a similar build. Before landing with the Vikings, the Cincinnati Bengals signed him as part of their UDFA class in 2025, but waived him in late August of last year.
Last season, the Vikings quickly discovered how important offensive line depth is when both star tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill went down with injuries. In their place, depth players like Justin Skule and Michael Jurgens struggled to maintain solid play, and that spelled trouble for the Vikings, who were top five in sacks allowed in 2025.
The Vikings will need to focus on building up the offensive trenches this offseason to give J.J. McCarthy every opportunity to develop. Keep an eye on players like Etienne, Walter Rouse, and Joe Huber to have big offseasons to help solidify their spots on the roster.
All of the players listed above have a chance to fill immediate needs for the Vikings in 2026, and have a fast track to being on the practice squad last season. Maybe we will be able to see the next Adam Thielen develop before our eyes, which the Vikings desperately need this season.