One Vikings Mock Draft Is Pretty Spicy
The Minnesota Vikings will select 24th on draft night in 10 weeks and have a handful of roster needs after a productive 14-3 season, ranging from cornerback, interior offensive line, interior defensive line, to running back.
One Vikings Mock Draft Is Pretty Spicy
And thanks to Fox Sports, the purple team might just get the running back section out of the way early in the draft. Rob Rang published a mock draft this week, and for Minnesota, Quinshon Judkins, a tailback from Ohio State, found his way to the purple team at pick No. 24.
Rang wrote, “The Vikings’ decision to either retain veteran Sam Darnold or go all-in on last year’s top pick JJ McCarthy will obviously help determine which direction they go with this pick. While a running back isn’t necessarily the biggest position of concern, adding juice to the backfield would make a lot of sense if Minnesota opts to keep Darnold and load up for a title ‘run.'”
For now, the Vikings have just two running backs under contract for 2025 — Ty Chandler and Zavier Scott. The team can re-sign Aaron Jones, Cam Akers, or draft a runner this offseason. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could also have it both ways by re-upping with Jones, for example, and drafting Judkins, the Rang theory.
“And, if building around McCarthy is the plan, providing him with a young, versatile back like Judkins could also ease the young quarterback’s transition to NFL starter,” Rang added.
As of mid-February, Judkins is considered the 58th best player on the Consensus Big Board, so selecting him with pick No. 24 would be classified as a “reach” by onlookers. However, the same crowd said similar things about the Detroit Lions’ selection of Jahmyr Gibbs in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. That pick worked out and then some.
Last weekend, VikingsTerritory’s Kyle Joudry predicted Minnesota’s 2025 backfield, and Jones + Judkins got the nod. Joudry wrote, “RB1 — Aaron Jones, who functions as the starter but who carries a smaller workload than in 2024. RB2 — Quinshon Judkins, who gets sprinkled into the mix as MIN works toward developing their RB of the future.”
If the Vikings don’t draft Judkins but still want a running back, other candidates like Kaleb Johnson (Iowa), TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State), Cam Skattebo (Arizona State), and Devin Neal (Kansas) could be available.
The Vikings’ ground game ranked 20th per DVOA in 2024, up seven spots from 2023.
Judkins is 6’0″ 210 pounds and will be marked as an RB1-caliber commodity right away. His burst is phenomenal, his size ideal for a powerhouse runner, which the Vikings need. He has the quickness and balance to thrive in the NFL and can catch the rock as a receiver. His main weaknesses, at least early in the draft cycle, include fumbling issues and the fact he isn’t the fastest halfback in this year’s deep crop.
The Athletic also mock-drafted Judkins to the Vikings last week — but that was in Round 3.
The NFL Draft is 70 days away.
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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 Vikings 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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