Vikings' Jake Golday knew the team would use him in different ways

In an offseason when the Minnesota Vikings went through a pretty significant overhaul on the defensive side of the ball, it was no surprise that the majority of the 2026 NFL Draft picks came on that side of the ball. Minnesota did well to address the holes that developed, and one rookie they hope to have a big year already knows he will be used in multiple ways.

>Vikings rookie linebacker Jake Golday told the media that he prepared to line up in different spots along Brian Flores' defense by studying tape of his scheme this offseason. Here is his full quote:

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#Vikings LB Jake Golday prepared for every scenario at linebacker this summer by learning various spots in the Flores defense. That preparation paid off immediately at camp when coaches flipped him from stacked linebacker in the spring to edge today:

“They told me first thing… pic.twitter.com/I1Jqt8ikG1

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 1, 2026“They told me first thing when I got here that they wanted me to be versatile, and play a lot of things, that’s how I’m gonna get on the field. I didn’t take that lightly, I took that opportunity to study every single backer position.”

Golday will likely be used in a handful of different positions on this defense based solely on the speed he brings to this linebacker room. His infusion of youth and athleticism should free up guys like Ivan Pace, Blake Cashman, and Eric Wilson to step into more traditional linebacker roles. Golday could see the field early and be playing significant snaps come wintertime.

>This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings' Jake Golday knew the team would use him in different ways