3 Sneaky Vikings X-Factor Players Helping Fuel the Perfect Start @VikingTerritory #Vikings #NFL #Skol pic.twitter.com/UlXc3MiMFA

— Vikings Territory (@vikingterritory) October 17, 2026

Opinion: 3 Sneaky Vikings X-Factor Players Helping Fuel the Perfect Start

Everybody knows about Kyler Murray, Justin Jefferson, and Dallas Turner. Digging deeper would still involve lots of people recognizing the effort from Aaron Jones, Blake Cashman, and Jalen Redmond (among others).

Are there some sneaky x-factor Vikings players who have been critical to the team’s success? I think so.

The Minnesota Vikings have been leaning on an elite defense, an elite special teams, and an offense that some view as being less than stellar. Go ahead and consider who has been playing some good ball but in an overlooked manner.

3 Sneaky Vikings X-Factor Players

Center Blake Brandel

He was an August concern. Not so in October. The C1 have been playing solid football.

On PFF, Brandel is being listed with a 64.5 grade, good for 15th in the NFL. His 76.1 pass blocking grade sits at 4th in the league, suggesting that the former offensive tackle has proven capable of wrestling the NFL’s nose tackles. He did have that one snap gaffe earlier in the year, but Brandel has been nice piece of the puzzle.

Good player who may spend the rest of his career snapping the ball. Not too shabby for a 6th-Round selection who was supposed to become the backup OT.

Defensive Tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez

For a little while, the 7th-Round selection from the 2024 NFL Draft has been a diamond in the rough. If he continues sparkling he’ll just be a diamond in the trenches.

Levi Drake Rodriguez is the starting nose tackle even if he’s undersized at 6’2″ and 307 pounds. Across his five starts and 170 snaps on defense, Rodriguez has climbed up to 9 tackles, 1 sack, 3 quarterback hits, and 2 tackles for loss. Look for him to continue functioning as Jalen Redmond’s partner in crime as the pair of young DTs create problems for the interior o-line.

Corner James Pierre

The long-and-strong corner has been really good. Boasting a CB3 who has that kind of size and snarl allows the DC to matchup better against the division’s larger receivers.

The former Steeler is under contract for $8,500,000 across a pair of years, per Over the Cap. He has 16 tackles alongside 1 interception and 3 passes defended. Better yet, Pierre moves well and has good compete, allowing him to drape himself over the receiver. Completing a pass into his coverage isn’t easy.

The Vikings signed a good corner.