Knowing the Vikings Prospects: Running Back
Draft day is in two days. In just over 48 hours, more than 250 athletes will change their lives, and 32 teams will have selected players they think could be key pieces in a championship pursuit. This is the third part of a series looking at players the Vikings could pick in the Top 100-ish of the Draft.
We already talked about both sides of the trenches, which the team had already covered in free agency. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the front office also solidified the running back room in March, bringing back Aaron Jones and trading for Jordan Mason.
Knowing the Vikings Prospects: Running Back
Still, this is such a deep running back class that not drafting one would be hurtful. The 2025 class could have an impact similar to the 2017 one, when names like Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, and Aaron Jones were selected. I know it’s a lot of pressure to put on a group of players who have not even been selected yet, but the potential is there.
Although Ashton Jeanty is the clear RB1 (and we won’t talk about him here), there are a lot of good runners with all kinds of skillsets. There’s the big, strong guy, the smaller and quicker, the pass catcher, and the ones that should go early, the more complete ones.
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Hampton would be the best running back in quite a few Drafts in the past. We do not see his combination of size, speed, and power every year. He also has the stats to back up the tape, leading the ACC in rushing the last two years and rushing for more than 100 yards in 10 games in 2024.
He showed he can be a workhorse, running at least 25 times in 8 games, and had only one fumble in 281 carries last season. Hampton is a very complete back who can stay on the field on all downs. He is a great runner, not blazing fast, but has enough speed to outrun defenders and is strong enough not to get arm-tackled and fall forward when tackled. He won’t be the best pass catcher, but can be effective out of the backfield and is not only good, but also a willing blocker.
Drafting such a complete running back may seem redundant given that the Vikings already have two starting-caliber players, but having him, paired with the improved offensive line, would give the Vikings one of the scariest running games in the league.
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Johnson is similarly built to Omarion Hampton, around 6’0″ and 220 lbs, with thick lower halves. Johnson is not really fast and won’t make NFL defenders miss in the open field, but he has great acceleration, meaning he can burst through the gaps quickly. His best moments usually came on outside runs, showing great patience and vision to follow blocks and the ability to quickly plant his foot and cut upfield.
He isn’t very experienced in pass blocking and didn’t run a very diverse route tree out of the backfield, but showed the willingness to block and, when thrown to, was a reliable target. His 8.3 yards per carry in the fourth quarter showed he can maintain a level of play even after getting hit all game. In his lone season as the starter, Johnson broke the record for running touchdowns and became the third player in school history to eclipse 1500 yards, with 1000 coming after contact.
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
If Hampton and Johnson are more bruisers, Henderson has the home-run ability to make every play a potential touchdown. He is on the smaller side (5’10”, 202lbs) and battled through injuries as a sophomore and a junior.
Henders0n would bring something the Vikings have missed since the downfall of Dalvin Cook, which is the speed to make a great gain become six points. Even though Aaron Jones had a very good season, there are a lot of examples of him not having that extra gear to outrun the last defender. The Ohio State senior doesn’t look suited to be a traditional bellcow but rather to share the backfield with other players, like he did with the Buckeyes.
He is also the best blocker out of the class (in my opinion) and isn’t afraid to put his body on the line to ensure the defender won’t impact the play, either in pass protection or when helping in run blocking.
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
It’s uncommon to see two running backs from the same team projected as higher picks. Judkins was a very productive back for Ole Miss with over 2700 yards and 31 TDs in two years. He then transferred to Ohio State, sharing the backfield with Henderson. Even splitting carries (194-144 to Judkins), he eclipsed 1000 yards for the third straight year while adding another 14 rushing touchdowns to his total.
He scored similar to Omarion Hamton on the 40-yard dash at the Combine, but he doesn’t feel as fast as Hamton in the open field and also doesn’t look as explosive as Kaleb Johnson. One thing Judkins is, though, is tough to bring down. He will lower his pad and, if the defender tackles him, he won’t do it without getting some bruises.
He is servicable in the passing game, both catching and blocking, but nothing crazy. One of the bigger reasons that he is the fourth running back here is his impatience. If he can learn to let the blocks develop in front of him, he can use his strength more against safeties and cornerbacks than linebackers and defensive linemen.
Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
With Sampson, we went from players that could be bellcows or 1A-1B type players to potential RB2s. If I said that TreVeyon Henderson is small, Sampson is even smaller, standing at 5’8 and 199 lbs. He is not skinny in that it looks like his build is at its maximum, but his maximum looks like 200 lbs.
Sampson compensates for his lack of muscle with speed, easily turning the corner when the opportunity presents itself and outrunning defenders in the open field. He broke Tennessee’s yards and touchdown records in his only season as the starter and was elected SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2024.
Although he won’t run through defenders, his speed and wiggle make him a very difficult player to bring down, and he was a touchdown machine, with 35 rushing touchdowns in 35 career games.
Damien Martinez, Miami (FL)
In the 100 mock Drafts I’ve made, Damien Martinez ended up in purple probably 101 times. He is one of my crushes, and I hated seeing him climbing up big boards (miss the time I selected him in the fifth round). There won’t be a time when the defender will tackle him and won’t feel any pain, and it won’t be an easy tackle.
He is also more of a bruiser than a home-run hitter, but Martinez will give you those tough yards almost every time. 37.5% of his carries either moved the chains or resulted in touchdowns, while more than 70% of his yards came after contact.
His lack of speed is the primary reason he is expected to go somewhere between rounds three and four, but Martinez has the potential to be a player like David Montgomery, a stronger back who could pair very well with a speedier guy.
I said at the beginning that this was a special running back class. Dane Brugler, one of the most respected Draft analysts, has 30 running backs with a draftable grade and 13 with at least a late Day 2/early Day 3 grade.
Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are a good rushing duo already, but with Jones already 30 years old and backup Ty Chandler on the last year of his rookie deal, securing a player that would serve as quality depth now (at the very least) and that could be the future starter, would be a solid idea.
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