Vikings Should Consider the “Eff It” Scenario in the Draft
In 16 days, the Minnesota Vikings will reveal the identity of their 1st-Round draft pick — or trade it for more picks while sliding back in Round 1 or early in Round 2.
Vikings Should Consider the “Eff It” Scenario in the Draft
Folks have debated which position Minnesota should target for the long term, a hot topic because, for the most part, the depth chart is in wonderful shape. Cornerback, defensive line, offensive line, and safety are popular recommendations.
But this is the case for the “eff it” scenario: drafting running back Omarion Hampton from North Carolina and becoming unbelievably dynamic on offense.
Draft RB Omarion Hampton and Prosper
With the 24th pick, Minnesota might have the option to choose Hampton, the RB2 of this class behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
And general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should do precisely that, fresh off the steam of watching an NFC team named the Philadelphia Eagles batter the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. How did the Eagles do that? Well, Saquon Barkley was the depth chart’s final boss, pushing Philadelphia over the top and enabling the Eagles to cruise through the regular season for a Super Bowl matchup with the dynastic Chiefs.
Then, they clobbered them. The Viking should copy the blueprint — catalyze a damn fine dynamic ground attack to punish opponents.
What Hampton Would Provide
Hampton is 6’0″ and 221 pounds, recently turning 22 and showcasing 4.46 speed. He has few documented weaknesses and is known for his violent finishes, burst, pass-catching acumen, and pass protection.
The dude is perfect for the Vikings, a pass-happy, finesse team on offense. Get down and dirty with Hampton on Sundays. Bruise opponents. Score rushing touchdowns inside the 5-yard line. Minnesota doesn’t do that anymore.
Hampton does.
NFL Draft Buzz‘s Felix Green wrote about Hampton’s scouting report: “Hampton profiles as an immediate impact player who could step into a featured role in a downhill rushing attack. His combination of size, power, and burst makes him particularly well-suited for gap/power schemes where he can build momentum attacking defined holes. While he may start his career primarily as an early-down hammer, his steady improvement in the passing game suggests untapped potential as a complete three-down back.”
“His ideal landing spot would be with a team committed to a physical ground game that can maximize his strengths between the tackles while developing his receiving skills.”
Minnesota hasn’t employed a Hampton-like running back since the pristine form of Dalvin Cook — arguably four years ago. It’s time.
“Look for Hampton to make an immediate impact as a short-yardage and red zone specialist while developing into a complete feature back by year two. His combination of power, vision, and improving receiving skills gives him Pro Bowl potential in the right system. Teams running gap-heavy schemes should have him high on their draft boards as a potential day-one starter with three-down upside,” Green added.
No Round 1 RBs for Vikings since 2007
Meanwhile, Minnesota is overdue to try a Round 1 tailback on for size.
The last guy was a soon-to-be Hall of Famer named Adrian Peterson, and if you’re surfing a website like this, you know all about him.
End the 1st-Round RB draft, get funky, be bold, and swing for the fences in Round 1 with Hampton.
Fully Lean into Kevin O’Connell’s Recent Promise
Head coach Kevin O’Connell recently stated that his team will undergo a transformation per rushing priority. He wants Minnesota to “reinvent itself” and run the football more frequently.
During his first three campaigns, the O’Connell-led Vikings ranked near the top of the NFL per pass-play percentage. The young skipper wants to swing the pendulum, “running the football and marrying the pass with the run,” he said at league meetings last week.
Drafting Hampton is the way to do that if O’Connell wants an A+ on his own test.
Aaron Jones Is Old, and Jordan Mason Can Eventually Be Complementary
Indeed, Minnesota already employs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. Who cares? The Vikings already have “too many” EDGE rushers in Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner. The Vikings already have “too many” defensive tackles in Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Harrison Phillips, and Jalen Redmond.
Get rich as hell. Take no prisoners.
Hampton Could … Be Gone by Pick No. 24?
A warning — Hampton’s draft stock seems to be climbing, with the event about two weeks away. There’s a chance that a team like the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, or Denver Broncos wipe Hampton off the board before pick No. 24.
If they do not, however, Minnesota should get greedy and force — make it mandatory — the former quarterback head coach to use his RB weapons at all times.
New Viking Feels Cheated
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