New Mock Draft Pounds the Trenches for Vikings
Many Minnesota Vikings fans expect the club to trade back on draft night, mainly because general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah owns just four picks heading into the event.
New Mock Draft Pounds the Trenches for Vikings
Adofo-Mensah spent most of his 2025 draft class already on a trade last year that landed outside linebacker Dallas Turner.
And according to a recent mock draft from CBS Sports, the Vikings will trade back with the Buffalo Bills and eventually select offensive lineman Grey Zabel from North Dakota State.
iOL Grey Zabel to Vikings
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso described a deal between Minnesota and Buffalo that resulted in the Vikings’ selection at pick No. 30. The Bills climbed to No. 24 and chose South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.
Trapasso wrote about Zabel to Minnesota: “After the slide back, in which they net this pick along with a fourth-round pick (No. 109), and a 2026 fourth-rounder, the Vikings pick the super-talented, small-school tackle who’ll play guard in Minnesota. Ideal scheme fit.”
Zabel represented the second interior offensive lineman off the board in Trapasso’s mock, with Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson heading to the Arizona Cardinals at pick No. 16, a bit of a reach per the current Consensus Big Board.
The Grey Zabel Scouting Report
Zabel was born in Pierre, South Dakota, and played football at T. F. Riggs High School. Listed as an offensive guard heading into the draft, Zabel would fulfill Minnesota’s long-term interior offensive line need. The Vikings were abused in the postseason 10 weeks ago, surrendering 9 sacks to the Los Angeles Rams in a loss, a woeful playoff record.
For now, Adofo-Mensah has Will Fries and Blake Brandel on tap for guard duties in 2025. Zabel, in theory, would probably take Brandel’s job, at least before too long.
Zabel is listed as the 31st-best player on the current Consensus Big Board, so the Trapasso trade and selection checks out based on the draft’s current lay of the land.
The Draft Network describes Zabel’s profile: “Zabel projects as an early-to-mid-round center with the tools to contribute early and develop into a full-time starter. His combination of unteachable traits and intangibles, paired with clear areas for growth, make him an exciting prospect with a high ceiling.”
Zabel will turn 23 this week and is 6’6 and 315 pounds.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper also mock-drafted Zabel to Minnesota in February.
The Would-Be OL in 2025
If Zabel is “the guy,” the Vikings’ offensive trenches could look like this in 2025:
- LT: Christian Darrisaw
- LG: Grey Zabel
- C: Ryan Kelly
- RG: Will Fries
- RT: Brian O’Neill
That fivesome would be considered the best Minnesota has showcased in years — decades, even — if it came to fruition.
Other Round 1 Draft Options
If the pick is not Zabel, these men are the most likely rookies to land in Minnesota with its first pick:
- Trey Amos (CB)
- Malaki Starks (S)
- Walter Nolen (DT)
- Tyler Booker (iOL)
- Jahdae Barron (CB)
- Kenneth Grant (DT)
- Nick Emmanwori (S)
- Derrick Harmon (DT)
- Shavon Revel Jr. (CB)
- Maxwell Hairston (CB)
Head coach Kevin O’Connell specifically called for offensive line reform and repair after his team lost in the postseason two months ago.
“There’s no question that we got to be able to find a way to give a quarterback time. Especially with players like Jordan Addison, Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, we got to find a way to solidify the interior of the pocket, starting first and foremost,” O’Connell told reporters in January.
“There can be a thousand excuses made. But, for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at.”
Adding Fries, Kelly, and Zabel in a single offseason would emphatically adhere to O’Connell’s plea.
The NFL draft kicks off in 29 days.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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