Early Mock Draft Absolutely Nails the Vikings Biggest Need
With the Minnesota Vikings’ postseason hopes hanging by a thread, some fans have turned their attention to the long term. That involves the draft, and one outlet recently nailed one of Minnesota’s foremost needs for the future: a top-notch running back.
An early mock draft absolutely nails the Vikings’ most significant need, highlighting a prospect who fits both the roster outlook and long-term direction for 2026.
According to Pro Football Network, that man could be Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame.
One November Mock Draft Says RB Jeremiyah Love for Vikings
Few would be upset about the pick.
PFN: Love to Vikings in Early Mock
Interested in a fancy young halfback? PFN’s Jacob Infante has you covered.
He mock-drafted Love to Minnesota with the 15th overall pick and explained, “Kevin O’Connell is one of the brightest offensive coaching minds in the NFL, but the Minnesota Vikings could use some additional firepower to help bring J.J. McCarthy up to speed. In particular, they currently lack a long-term solution at running back.”
“Jeremiyah Love isn’t far from the Ashton Jeanty comparisons you’ll hear in this class. He’s a dynamic, three-down runner with impressive burst, vision, balance, and fluid cuts. He drops out of the top ten of our 2026 NFL Mock Draft due to positional value, but he’s a top-10 overall prospect in this class.”
That would put Love, Aaron Jones, and Jordan Mason as the Vikings’ tailbacks under contract in 2025. Not bad.
The Missing Link?
Often, while watching Vikings football, fans arrive at a similar conclusion: This team could really use a young, productive running back.
In the last four seasons, Minnesota has cycled through the starting-to-slow-down version of Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison in 2023, and sometimes-healthy Aaron Jones. They don’t have an Omarion Hampton, Ashton Jeanty, or DeVon Achane. The Vikings have fancied seasoned veterans.
O’Connell’s offense might finally cook with a running back who takes the pressure off the passing offense. It also may be the only way to force O’Connell into running the ball at an NFL-average clip. He likes to pass, not run.
Kevin O’Connell’s Struggle with Rushing Offense
This season, Minnesota has actually run the ball effectively — when it wants to. The problem? The Vikings run the ball the fourth least per playcall percentage, meaning they just don’t believe it’s crucial for the offense.
Here are the numbers:
Vikings Rushing Playcall %,
NFL Ranking,
in the Kevin O’Connell Era:
2022: 30th
2023: 30th
2024: 18th
2025: 29th
Minnesota will not — absolutely will not — be a serious Super Bowl-contending football team until it runs the ball at a Top 16 clip.
The NFL doesn’t allow teams to pass their way to Super Bowl trophies at all times. Must run the football, especially in the postseason.
A Return to 2007-2022
If general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted Love, per the PFN mock, he would be entertaining turning back the clock to the Golden Age of the Vikings’ rushing offense.
From 2007 to 2022, Minnesota employed either Adrian Peterson or Dalvin Cook, with no gaps aside from Peterson’s 2014 suspension. Purple fans were spoiled by Peterson and Cook for 15 years, and now might be the time to swing for the fences to find the next iteration.
The current system, powered by O’Connell, does not work. Why not try a rookie runner — in this case, the best in the nation among all universities?
It might work.
More from Infante’s Mock Draft
At the top of the ticket, Infante picked Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoze for the New Orleans Saints and noted, “Tyler Shough replaced Spencer Rattler in the New Orleans Saints’ starting lineup, but early returns on him aren’t much better than his predecessor. Granted, Shough is only a rookie, but that doesn’t mean they have to be married to him. If they get the No. 1 pick like they do in this 2026 NFL Mock Draft, a quarterback would make sense.”
“In a class of quarterbacks that’s struggling to live up to the hype, Fernando Mendoza has been as good as advertised. He’s a precise pocket passer with great timing behind his throws, an NFL-ready frame, and a strong arm. So far this season, he leads the FBS with a 96.4 QB Impact grade. He reminds me a lot of Jared Goff coming out and has the makings of a potential franchise QB.”
For Chicago at pick No. 18, OT Caleb Lomu of Utah got the nod: “Caleb Lomu is a smooth, polished left tackle who hasn’t allowed a single sack in 300 pass-blocking reps so far this season. His hand timing, balance, and range in pass protection make him a top offensive tackle prospect and a worthy first-round selection.”
Minnesota has most of its 2025 draft capital bank intact. If it can’t get Love in Round 1, a running back in Round 2 or Round 3 could make sense as well.
You must be logged in to post a comment.