2020 Minnesota Vikings season


The 2020 season is the Minnesota Vikings' 60th in the National Football League, their fifth playing home games at U.S. Bank Stadium and their seventh under head coach Mike Zimmer. They will attempt to improve upon their 10–6 season from the previous year and make the playoffs for the third time in four years.

Offseason

Transactions

NamePositionType2020 teamContractRef.
Mackensie AlexanderCBUFACincinnati Bengals1 year, $4 million
Kentrell BrothersLBUFA
Stefon DiggsWRTradeBuffalo Bills
Everson GriffenDEUFA
Linval JosephDTReleasedLos Angeles Chargers2 years, $17 million
Jayron KearseSUFADetroit Lions1 year, $2 million
Josh KlineGReleased
David Morgan IITEReleased
Xavier RhodesCBReleasedIndianapolis Colts1 year, $3.25 million
Andrew SendejoSUFACleveland Browns1 year, $2.25 million
Marcus SherelsCBUFA
Laquon TreadwellWRUFAAtlanta Falcons1 year, $910,000
Trae WaynesCBUFACincinnati Bengals3 years, $42 million
Stephen WeatherlyDEUFACarolina Panthers2 years, $12.5 million

NamePositionType2019 teamContractRef.
Ameer AbdullahRBUFAMinnesota Vikings1 year, $1.0475 million
Dan BaileyKUFAMinnesota Vikings3 years, $10 million
Britton ColquittPUFAMinnesota Vikings3 years, $9 million
Kirk CousinsQBExtensionMinnesota Vikings2 years, $66 million
Dakota DozierTUFAMinnesota Vikings1 year, $1 million
DeMarquis GatesLBUFAHouston Roughnecks 1 year, $610,000
C. J. HamFBExtensionMinnesota Vikings4 years, $12 million
Anthony HarrisSUFA Minnesota Vikings1 year, $11.441 million
Rashod HillGUFAMinnesota Vikings1 year, $1.0475 million
Brett JonesCUFAMinnesota Vikings1 year, $1 million
Sean MannionQBUFAMinnesota Vikings1 year, $1.047 million
Michael PierceDTUFABaltimore Ravens3 years, $27 million
Tajae SharpeWRUFATennessee Titans1 year, $1 million
Eric WilsonLBRFA Minnesota Vikings1 year, $3.259 million
Anthony ZettelDEUFASan Francisco 49ers1 year, $1 million

Draft

The Vikings had a total of 15 selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, a record number since the draft moved to a seven-round format in 1994. Although they had lost their original fifth-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens in the trade for kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik prior to the 2019 season and their seventh-round pick in the trade that sent wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills earlier in the 2020 offseason, the Diggs trade gave the Vikings extra picks in the first, fifth and sixth rounds. They also had an extra pick in the seventh round after trading guard Danny Isidora to the Miami Dolphins at the start of the 2019 season, as well as one compensatory pick in the third round and two in the seventh as a result of free agency losses in 2019.
After taking Louisiana State wide receiver Justin Jefferson 22nd overall with the first-round pick they acquired from the Bills, the Vikings traded their original first-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the 31st overall pick, as well as selections in the fourth and fifth rounds; with the 31st overall pick, the Vikings took Texas Christian cornerback Jeff Gladney. The Vikings used their second-round pick on Boise State offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland, then took Mississippi State cornerback Cameron Dantzler in the third round, before trading their third-round compensatory pick to the New Orleans Saints for the Saints' remaining picks in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.
In the fourth round, the Vikings used the picks they acquired from the 49ers and Saints to select South Carolina defensive end D. J. Wonnum and Baylor defensive tackle James Lynch, before taking Oregon linebacker Troy Dye with their original fourth-round pick. The Vikings traded the fifth-round pick they acquired from the Bills to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft, before using their remaining fifth-round selections on Temple Owls cornerback Harrison Hand and Miami wide receiver K. J. Osborn. In the sixth round, the Vikings traded the other pick they acquired from the Bills – along with the seventh-round selection they got from the Dolphins – to the Ravens for another seventh-round pick and a fifth-round pick in 2021 before taking Oregon State offensive tackle Blake Brandel and Michigan safety Josh Metellus. The Vikings then had four remaining picks in the seventh round, which they used on Michigan State Spartans defensive end Kenny Willekes, Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley, Mississippi State safety Brian Cole II and Washburn guard Kyle Hinton.
NamePositionCollegeRef.
Brady AielloOLOregon
Jake BargasTENorth Carolina
Dan ChisenaWRPenn State
Nevelle ClarkeCBCentral Florida
Quartney DavisWRTexas A&M
Myles DornCBNorth Carolina
Jordan FehrLBAppalachian State
Nakia Griffin-StewartTEPittsburgh
Tyler HigbyOLMichigan State
Jake LacinaOLAugustana
Blake LynchLBBaylor
David MoaDTBoise State

Notes
Draft trades

Staff

Current roster

Preseason cancellation

The Vikings' preseason schedule was announced on May 7. However, on July 27, in a letter to fans, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell officially announced the cancellation of the entire preseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regular season

Schedule

The Vikings' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7, and is subject to change, pending developments in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Notes