Vikings have salary cap space to add veteran talent after signing NFL Draft class, but it comes with a price

Vikings salary cap update after draft class is signed

One of the biggest moves the Vikings made this offseason was to fortify the offensive line. Adding three new starters along the interior makes the unit one of the biggest strengths of the class.

Now that the Vikings have signed Donovan Jackson to his rookie contract, the salary cap situation is mostly set for the 2025 season. However, there are still some things to note.

Right now, the Vikings are $14,227,752 under the salary cap, according to Over The Cap. Within that number, there are multiple things to note about it.

Right now, it takes the top 53 contracts, and the lowest of those is the second-year rookie contract minimum. Only two of the Vikings' draft picks are currently included in the top 53, and the smallest cap hit is Michael Jurgens at $987,185. If veterans get cut for rookies, including the three draft picks that aren't currently included, the Vikings will see some salary cap relief. 

Second, the Vikings will be seeing some salary cap relief once June 1st hits. That's when they will get $1,628,000 of cap space from Garrett Bradbury's contract, as they made him a post-June 1st designation.

Third, there is still some wiggle room with the salary cap. They have around $5 million in free cap space to sign a veteran if they so choose. That comes after the Vikings set aside around $9 million for both in-season signings and the practice squad.

The Vikings might be wise to not use that money this season, as they are currently projected to be $53,706,694 over the salary cap. Any cap space that the Vikings don't use this year will roll over to next season. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has multiple options at his disposal, and the flexibility to maximize the Super Bowl window.