The Minnesota Vikings didn’t target a safety in the first round as a lot of NFL Draft pundits expected. But 27-year-old safety Theo Jackson could find himself on the outside looking in this summer nonetheless.
That’s what Minnesota Territory’s Dustin Baker argued Sunday when he named four Vikings players “on thin ice” after the 2026 NFL Draft.
“Harrison Smith may not be back in 2026, which should be ‘good’ news for Jackson’s playing-time outlook,” wrote Baker. “But then Minnesota picked Jakobe Thomas in Round 3. He plays the same position as Jackson, and Jackson was already demoted in December of 2025 in favor of Jay Ward.
“There’s a world where Smith returns for Year No. 15, and Jackson hardly plays in the regular season or even straddles the roster bubble beforehand.”
Jackson started the first six games of the 2025 NFL season for the Vikings. Beginning in Week 8, though, the team moved the former sixth-round pick into a reserve role.
He started again in Weeks 12 and 18. But in other contests, Jackson didn’t play on defense at all.
The Vikings added third-round safety Jakobe Thomas in the NFL Draft. Jackson may only have a roster spot this fall with a very strong training camp.
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