PFF Predicts Vikings to Make a Certain Move for First Time since 1988
With the NFL combine over, the media outlets are flooding out their post-combine mock drafts. One of the nig names, Pro Football Focus, has an interesting theory about what the Vikings will do.
PFF Predicts Vikings to Make a Certain Move for First Time since 1988
Minnesota holds the 24th overall pick, and PFF predicts the Vikings will make a move for the first time since 1988. That move is to select a guard, in the form of North Dakota State’s, Grey Zabel. Many draft outlets have Zabel labeled as a tackle — including PFF — where he mostly played in college, but the consensus is that Zabel will kick inside to find the most success in the pro ranks.
It will be the first time the Vikings have selected a guard in the first round since Randall McDaniel in 1988 —indeed, that is the only time they have done so. Not viewed as a premium position, not many guards are drafted on Day 1, and if you make that call, they need to become an elite-level difference-maker to make it a good value. McDaniel was undoubtedly that, with seven first-team and two second-team All-Pro selections across his 14-year Hall of Fame career.
They are some mighty big shoes that Zabel would be looking to fill. So the question is whether he is up to it. Here is what PFF had to say about their selection:
24. MINNESOTA VIKINGS: IOL GREY ZABEL, NORTH DAKOTA STATE
The Vikings don’t have many picks in the 2025 NFL Draft — four at the moment, to be exact. So, they would have to really love a prospect here to not trade back.
Zabel could be one of those guys. He tested like a good athlete at the combine, especially for a player transitioning to guard or center, and has the movement skills, core strength, and footwork for the Vikings’ zone-blocking scheme
Would Zabel Be A Good Pick?
The interior of the offensive is unquestionably one of the main areas the Vikings need to improve. I think all three starting positions need to be addressed, and the draft should be utilized to try and find at least one. I selected Georgia guard Tate Ratledge in round three of my recent mock draft.
Adofo-Mensah will likely try to recoup some of his lost draft picks. So, if the Vikings can start by trading back a few spots and still landing Zabel, that would be even better. Forgetting about draft value, let’s look at Zabel, the player. Does he have the capability to step onto a Vikings offensive line that has struggled on the interior for years and make a difference?
The versatility to potentially play anywhere across the line is a good trait that Minnesota values highly. The possibility of starting Zabel at guard and eventually replacing Garrett Bradbury is intriguing. At this point in the offseason Zabel wouldn’t be my dream choice for the Vikings but with free agency looming a lot can change. We will better understand what positions Minnesota will likely prioritize in the draft when the first wave of free-agency signings is done.
A talented interior lineman should certainly be on the Vikings’ radar, and Zabel will be a name to keep an eye on as we go through the draft process.
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