The Undercover Rookie for Vikings Everybody Wants
Every draft cycle, Minnesota Vikings fans lean toward one prospect with starry eyes, hoping the purple team onboards him somewhere in the event.
The Undercover Rookie for Vikings Everybody Wants
That rookie usually has a unique story, off-the-charts athletic traits, or geographic proximity to the state of Minnesota.
This year, the body politic of Vikings fans has leaned heavily into the geographic connection. And the draft darling is North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel.
Grey Zabel Is “The Guy” This Draft Cycle
Undoubtedly, fans will warm up to almost any selection of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. This draft has that much flexibility — Adofo-Mensah can pretty much choose whoever because his roster is stacked.
But none quite take the cake like Zabel.
Tweets like these are prevalent on X:
Zabel smashed the Senior Bowl a couple of months ago, causing his mid-round draft stock to climb into Round 1, almost universally across the board by late April.
In fact, many credible mock drafts envision the Seattle Seahawks selecting him at No. 18. He may not be available to Minnesota at No. 24.
Grey Zabel Scouting Report
Zabel is 23. He’s 6’5″ and 320 pounds, featuring bizarre-but-fantastic versatility on the offensive line. He can basically play “wherever” in the trenches.
The 33rd Team‘s Kyle Crabbs on Zabel: “Grey Zabel has the goods. He’s an old-school grinder up front who plays the game with the needed edge to help be an asset along the offensive line. That said, he pushes the envelope and will need refinement to properly apply his gifts as an NFL starter.”
“His toughness stands out on tape. He’s constantly churning his feet and straining and plays with the killer instinct you like to see from an offensive lineman charged with creating displacement up front. Zabel will mirror with his hands set before converting to try to press defenders down into the grass.”
Minnesota would likely toss Zabel at left guard, possibly replacing Blake Brandel, and call it good.
Crabbs added: ‘He gets strong movement on his combination blocks to create displacement, but he isn’t reliant on his guard to create space. Downblocks and turnout blocks showcase the ability to dictate terms. You don’t expect the same level of physical weardown against NFL competition relative to the majority of the FCS schedule, but Zabel did play one of the best games of the season in 2024 against Colorado.”
“Zabel projects as a starting offensive lineman at the NFL level. Given his experience, I could see him taking to NFL coaching quickly, thanks to maturity, but his hand placement and technique must be more consistent before he’s relied upon to take the field as a quality starter. He projects best to an inside zone blocking scheme, but could provide schematic flexibility to play in any system thanks to his toughness and sufficient athleticism.”
Vikings Fans Love Geographic Proximity
Zabel is from Pierre, South Dakota, and played college ball at North Dakota State. Vikings enthusiasts tend to adore men with ties to Minnesota, South Dakota, or North Dakota. Adam Thielen and Chad Greenway can tell you about it.
This go-round, Zabel is that guy, reared in a neighboring state about six hours west.
Filling an OL Need
Minnesota can probably start Blake Brandel, Michael Jurgens, or Walter Rouse at guard this September and expect reasonable efficiency. Free agency also still offers names like Brandon Scherff, Shaq Mason, and Will Hernandez if the Vikings can’t snag Zabel or his guard draft mates, Tyler Booker (Alabama) or Donovan Jackson (Ohio State).
With Zabel, though, the Vikings’ offensive line could look like this in September:
LT: Christian Darrisaw
LG: Grey Zabel
C: Ryan Kelly
RG: Will Fries
RT: Brian O’Neill
Folks would utterly celebrate this fivesome.
Last-Minute Praise
One day before the draft, SI.com‘s Albert Breer heaped praise on Zabel. He wrote: “Last year, I wrote that Duke C Graham Barton was the ‘Trent McDuffie’ of the 2024 class—in that he was a safe, middle-of-the-fairway type of pick, as a guy with exemplary football character and the versatility to do a lot of things for a team.”
“I think North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel is that guy this year.”
If Minnesota doesn’t target an offensive lineman, a defensive tackle, a safety, or a cornerback are the expected spots in Round 1.
Breer added, “He can start at four of five line positions, is tough and smart, and could become a team captain while still on his rookie contract (there’s some disagreement over whether his best position is center or guard). I think he could go as high as 12 to Dallas and is likely off the board by the end of the teens, with Seattle lurking at 18.”
Some will be on Zabel Watch Thursday night.
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