The Minnesota Vikings need to improve in many areas in the offseason. One area where they are far behind other top teams, including the Detroit Lions, the NFC North’s dominant team over the last two seasons, is in the trenches.
I, for one, am delighted with their selections in a recent Pro Football Focus mock draft. PFF agrees that the interior of both the offensive and defensive lines must be strengthened. In their latest Vikings mock draft, PFF adds beef to the Vikings’ trenches.
PFF Adds Beef to the Vikings Trenches in Latest Mock Draft
A common theme among most of the good teams in the league at the moment is that they win at the line of scrimmage. The Vikings are strong on the edge on both sides of the ball. They have Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill on offense and Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel on defense — with Dallas Turner waiting in the wings. The outlook is not so good on the interior of either line, where the Vikings have been making do with players who are, at best, solid performers and, at worst, simply not good enough.
The Vikings must address this weak point of the roster, and PFF has them doing this in their mock draft with three of the Vikings’ first four selections. An interior defensive lineman in round one, a guard in round three, and a center in round five.
They also select another interior defensive lineman in round seven. The issue is the Vikings don’t actually own that pick, which they acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2022 for Jesse Davis. The conditions were not met. The one pick that didn’t go towards the trenches was cornerback Denzel Burke in the fifth round.
Here are the selections PFF made, what they had to say, and my thoughts;
Round 1 – Pick 24 -Tyliek Williams, Ohio State (DI)
Drafting Williams would go a long way toward improving a run defense that looked outmatched against Detroit in 2024, as Williams graded positively on 27.1% of run plays last season, a top-five rate in the nation.
PFF neglected to mention Williams’ pass-rushing ability, which adds weight to this being an excellent choice for the Vikings. The Vikings lack an interior pass rush, so they need more than just a run stuffer — someone who can do both is what you want from a first-round pick.
Walter Nolen and Kenneth Grant are other options at this IDL pick.
Round 3 – Pick 97 – Tate Ratledge, Georgia (G)
Ratledge specializes in pass protection. He gave up just two sacks and six quarterback hits over three seasons as a starter for the Bulldogs.
Considered by many to be a starting-caliber guard prospect as early as his rookie season, picking up Ratledge late in the third round would be an excellent scenario for the Vikings. Minnesota has tried and failed to fully address the IOL in the draft. And while they might want to find a proven commodity in free agency, a pick here would also be a smart move.
Willie Lampkin and Luke Kandra are other options at this guard pick.
Round 5 – Pick 161 – Jake Majors, Texas (C)
Like Ratledge, Majors excelled in pass protection. The four-year Texas starter allowed just one sack and eight quarterback hits over his collegiate career.
Garrett Bradbury is a free agent after the 2025 season, and while I’m a proponent of making a big move in free agency for Drew Dalman, the other option is to draft the heir apparent, waiting as Bradbury plays out the last year of his contract. The Vikings get a year to work with Majors to see if he’s capable.
