Jun 9, 2021; Minnesota Vikings helmets on the ground at OTA at TCO Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings still need a running back for the upcoming 2024 NFL season after opting against adding to the position group in the draft. Aaron Jones will be the unquestioned starter, and Ty Chandler showed he can carry the load, but Kevin O’Connell can’t face the same ineptitude he dealt with last year again.
Going into the 2023 season, the Vikings understandably believed that Alexander Mattison could be their guy. After all, he showed a strong running ability when working as Dalvin Cook’s backup, and with the longtime veteran gone, elevating him on a depth chart he was already familiar with made sense.
Unfortunately, it went poorly, and the Vikings found themselves trying to shake things up on a weekly basis. It didn’t take long for Kevin O’Connell to bring in a former back of his, Cam Akers. He looked to be a much better option until he went down with an injury. Ty Chandler finally got his shot and ultimately ran away with the starting gig.
Aaron Jones has been a highly productive back for years, and that should be expected to continue moving from the division rival Green Bay Packers. What he hasn’t been able to do is stay on the field, and not acquiring internal depth alongside Chandler would be a massive misstep.
Drafting someone in the 4th round or later could have made a good deal of sense. The Vikings don’t need another back to be the bellcow type, and they really don’t even need the player to push for Chandler’s time. Someone capable if the injuries mount makes sense, though, and now it’s back to free agency in search of that.
What’s left is slim pickings, and players like Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon are both Minnesota retreads. Akers would be ideal but isn’t going to be healthy out of the gate, so someone like Josh Kelley could work if O’Connell wants a level of familiarity. Kareem Hunt was a popular name last year when Minnesota was on the market, but Boston Scott isn’t an option after having signed with the Rams.
There just aren’t many names worth paying much for left available, and that’s probably a fine proposition for the Vikings. At this point, the goal should be filling a third or fourth spot on the depth chart, and whatever amount of faith you have in the pool or similar options is probably who should be targeted.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.