The 3 Ideal Scenarios for Vikings on Draft Night
The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, and there’s more uncertainty surrounding the first round than in years past. For the Minnesota Vikings, this is no different, as they’ve been mocked selecting almost every position in the first round outside of quarterback and linebacker.
The 3 Ideal Scenarios for Vikings on Draft Night
Several factors make this year’s draft less predictable for the Vikings. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and company went out and solidified the roster with a great free agency class, making the roster holes less clear than last season. A better roster is a good problem to have, allowing the Vikings to attack the best player available philosophy.
Being able to address the roster with the best available players seems like a no-brainer. However, several draft experts have labeled this year’s class as one without a ton of star power, meaning teams could have drastically different grades for players on their boards compared to other teams around the league.
The sweet spot of this year’s draft cycle seems to fall between the second and third rounds. Although there isn’t a ton of top-end talent, there isn’t a huge difference between players hearing their name called towards the end of night one and players being drafted throughout day two.
Minnesota enters the draft with only four selections, the lowest number of picks across the NFL in 2025. Adofo-Mensah and company need to figure out how to make the most of those four selections, which is easier said than done.
Here are the three ideal situations for the Vikings on the first night of the draft:
1. Vikings Find a Willing Trade-Back Partner
As mentioned above, the Vikings only have four selections throughout all three days of the draft this year. Even though they strengthened the roster quite a bit in free agency, the front office should be hungry for a successful draft class, despite the limited picks.
What better way to improve the odds of landing a few long-term starters than finding a willing trade partner and acquiring more draft capital? If the sweet spot of the draft really falls more on day two, the Vikings should focus on mixing value and need by trading back and addressing their needs that way.
A few teams to keep an eye on in a trade-back scenario are the Chiefs, Browns, and Giants. It’s also possible a quarterback falls, and a team needing a new signal caller could be calling the Vikings’ line on Thursday night.
If Minnesota can find a trade partner and move back to the late first-round or early second, it shouldn’t be that difficult. A few names worth monitoring in a potential trade-back scenario include Ohio State Guard Donovan Jackson, Michigan Defensive Tackle Kenneth Grant, North Dakota State Guard Grey Zabel, and Kentucky Cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
2. Blue-Chip Caliber Player Falls to Pick 24
Selecting in the low to mid 20s has been good to the Vikings as of late, with Justin Jefferson taken with the 22nd overall pick and Christian Darrisaw and Jordan Addison chosen with the 23rd overall pick.
In an ideal world, it still makes the most sense for the Vikings to trade back. Given the uncertainty of how the talent will come off the board, a blue-chip player may fall into their lap, taking a trade back off the table.
The hardest part about predicting a stick and pick at 24 is figuring out what areas of Minnesota’s roster need the most help. If a player falls too good to pass up, they may address a position the fan base wouldn’t label as a need.
Cornerback Will Johnson from Michigan is the first name that comes to mind in this category. The cornerback position is starting to feel more rounded out, with rumors still circulating about bringing in another free agent like Jack Jones or Asante Samuel Jr.
If Johnson were to fall all the way to 24, it would feel like a no-brainer pick. The Vikings have struggled to find a young, high-ceiling player at the position, and he’d bring day-one starting potential.
Staying put at 24 doesn’t feel like the most ideal outcome for the Vikings, but a handful of players could fall and be too good to pass up. Other than Johnson, Georgia Safety Malaki Starks, Oregon Defensive Tackle Derrick Harmon, and Texas Cornerback Jahdae Barron are a few others to keep tabs on as players start coming off the board in round one.
3. Surround J.J. McCarthy with an Abundance of Weapons
Minnesota is entering the 2025 season with a new quarterback under center, handing the keys to last year’s 10th overall selection in J.J. McCarthy. It’s pretty obvious that he’s entering an ideal situation in terms of playmakers, but could the Vikings look to make it even stronger?
To be clear, this is my least favorite of the three ideal outcomes, but it’s something I could be talked into. McCarthy will be playing behind a drastically improved offensive line this season due to the free agency additions of Will Fries and Ryan Kelley. The running back room got better with the re-signing of Aaron Jones and the trade for Jordan Mason. And the receiving corps of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson is second to none across the NFL.
Again, this doesn’t feel like a need, but the Vikings have set themselves up to a point where they shouldn’t necessarily focus on needs Thursday night. Although a skilled position player seems like a luxury, Minnesota can afford it with how they’ve rounded out their roster. Plus, who doesn’t want the opportunity to see “three deep” posters of Jefferson, Addison, and whoever the newly acquired player is?
This outcome could be addressed by staying put at 24 or finding a willing dance partner to trade back with. A few names to pay attention to include Arizona Wide Receiver Tet McMillan, Ohio State Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State Running Back TreVeyon Henderson, and Michigan Tight End Colston Loveland.
The Vikings plan to attack the roster while having a starting quarterback on a rookie deal. Being able to sign the free agents of their choice this offseason was just the beginning of building a solid roster around McCarthy.
If the front office can have an effective 2025 NFL Draft and land multiple long-term starters, the team will be set up for many years of success.
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