The Essential Vikings Draft Big Board

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Apr 24, 2025
Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Walter Nolen (2) waits for the snap during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The 2025 NFL Draft will occur in Green Bay, Wisconsin — of all places — on Thursday night, and the Minnesota Vikings are scheduled to pick 24th if they don’t trade back with a willing partner.

The Essential Vikings Draft Big Board

Most fans’ eyes are fixated on Round 1 because after that, Minnesota has just three more picks on Friday and Saturday.

So, to prepare you for the Vikings draft, we partnered with PurplePTSD.com editor Janik Eckardt to compile a Vikings draft big board — players we’d most like to see join the purple team on Thursday night or early Friday evening if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah trades back.

For the purposes of this exercise, players not available to Minnesota, like Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Ashton Jeanty, were excluded. They won’t fall to pick No. 24.

Otherwise, via joint effort between Eckardt and Dustin Baker, here’s the purple big board for 2025.

1 to 10

  1. Will Johnson (CB, Michigan)
  2. Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas)
  3. Kenneth Grant (DT, Michigan)
  4. Walter Nolen (DT, Oregon)
  5. Tetairoa McMillan (WR, Arizona)
  6. Omarion Hampton (RB, North Carolina)
  7. Grey Zabel (iOL, North Dakota State)
  8. Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon)
  9. Tyler Warren (TE, Penn State)
  10. Donovan Jackson (G, Ohio State)

Baker’s top target? Omarion Hampton, a running back from North Carolina. Hampton would help solve Minnesota’s rushing offensive problems once and for all.

Eckardt rolled with Will Johnson as his primary rookie crush, hoping Johnson’s alleged tumble comes to life on Thursday night. He reportedly has injury concerns and didn’t run a 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, and that evidently scared teams.

vikings
Jan 28, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; American team offensive lineman Miles Frazier of LSU (70) spars with American team defensive lineman Walter Nolen of Ole Miss (2) during Senior Bowl practice for the American team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images.

Via Eckardt’s solo mock this cycle, he connected Walter Nolen to the Vikings on Tuesday and wrote: “The Minnesota Vikings have already addressed the defensive line this offseason by acquiring veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to pair with Harrison Phillips. Those guys aren’t getting any younger, and there’s never such a thing as too much depth on the defensive line. The Vikings select Walter Nolen over popular mock draft guys Grey Zabel and Malaki Starks.”

“Nolen is an explosive defensive lineman with quickness and power to be a problem for offenses. He will be a rotational guy early in his career, but he has the talent to become a long-term difference-maker if he works on some technique issues.”

11 to 19

  1. Colston Loveland (TE, Michigan)
  2. Shavon Revel Jr. (CB, East Carolina)
  3. Malaki Starks (S, Georgia)
  4. Tyler Booker (G, Alabama)
  5. Jihaad Campbell (LB, Alabama)
  6. TreVeyon Henderson (RB, Ohio State)
  7. Emeka Egbuka (WR, Ohio State)
  8. Kelvin Banks (OT, Texas)
  9. Nick Emmanwori (S, South Carolina)

This section has a bit of everything per position, but notably includes safeties, which are a national mock draft darlings on the day of the event. The who’s who of NFL mock predictions believe Minnesota will exit Round 1 with Starks or Emmanwori.

Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks (24) warms up before the start of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. © Joshua l. Jones Athens Banner-Herald USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

Eckardt and Baker, though, aren’t convinced.

20 to 30

  1. Benjamin Morrison (CB, Notre Dame)
  2. Tyleik Williams (DT, Ohio State)
  3. Trey Amos (CB, Ole Miss)
  4. Jalon Walker (EDGE, Georgia)
  5. Maxwell Hairston (CB, Kentucky)
  6. Shemar Stewart (EDGE, Texas A&M)
  7. Mykel Williams (EDGE, Georgia)
  8. Matthew Golden (WR, Texas)
  9. Azareye’h Thomas (CB, Florida State)
  10. Quinshon Judkins (RB, Ohio State)
  11. Nic Scourton (EDGE, Texas A&M)

These men checked near the bottom of the list because they’re either perceived as 2nd-Rounders or don’t fill a long-term position need for Adofo-Mensah’s roster.

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (91) celebrates with the trophy after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.

Morrison is fascinating, as he possesses Round 1 talent but a suspect hip injury.

31 to 40

  1. Mike Green (EDGE, Marshall)
  2. Luther Burden III (WR, Missouri)
  3. James Pearce Jr. (EDGE, Tennessee)
  4. Josh Simmons (OT, Ohio State)
  5. Jayden Higgins (WR, Iowa State)
  6. Aireontae Ersery (OT, Minnesota)
  7. Mason Taylor (TE, LSU)
  8. Xavier Watts (S, Notre Dame)
  9. Darius Alexander (DT, Missori)
  10. Josh Conerly Jr. (OT, Oregon)

Many of these men represent “surprise” picks for Minnesota — if they swerved against popular consensus and created chaos. Others, like Higgins and Alexander, can be drafted late-late in Round 2.

Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (0) wipe his face during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in South Bend. © MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

PurplePTSD‘s Brevan Bane mock drafted Xavier Watts to Minnesota in March and explained: “We’re on the third edition of the Harrison Smith farewell tour in 2025, and the Vikings will be three years removed from attempting to draft his replacement in Lewis Cine by the time the 2025 NFL Draft commences. In this mock, Minnesota will attempt to do so again via a trade-down with the New York Giants.”

“Watts is the top ball-hawking safety in this class due to his football IQ and ability to react quickly to the ball. Despite the lack of positional value that safeties possess during draft time, these skills will likely get him drafted on Day 2, despite his struggles with tackling.”

Of note: if Adofo-Mensah’s pick is a guard, well, Minnesota hasn’t used Round 1 capital on one in 37 years. Randall McDaniel.

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