Aaron Jones Starts July with a Bang
Hopefully you read the title in a Mike Breen voice.
Vikings RB Aaron Jones snatched a spot on a prestigious NFL list, and his July is off and running in a positive manner.
The NFL began revealing its annual Top 100 players this week, with training camps due to heat up around the business in less than a month.
And for the Minnesota Vikings, running back Aaron Jones got the party started right.
Aaron Jones Ranked No. 98 on NFL Top 100 List
Heading into 2025, Jones’ peers believe he’s the 98th-best player in football. Full stop.
Vikings.com’s Craig Peters wrote, “Jones on Tuesday was included in the ‘NFL Top 100 Players of 2025.’ He landed at No. 98 overall, the NFL announced on X a day after beginning a protracted countdown scheduled to extend into September.”
The achievement is noteworthy for Jones because he did not make the cut on the same list last year. He ranked 64th in the summer of 2023, so the man is back in terms of player respect.
Aaron Jones Was Handsomely Represented on NFL Top 100 List
It’s No. 98 for the Vikings’ RB1.
Why the List Matters
The list, which started in 2011, is valued because NFL players vote on the participants and order. It isn’t some conglomeration of NFL talking heads doing the heavy lifting. It’s the players Jones faces every Sunday from September to January.
NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack wrote about Jones at No. 98, “Put out to pasture by the Packers, Jones proved he’s still capable of a workhorse role in Minnesota. He logged the most carries of his career, leading to a personal best in single-season rushing yards. Far removed from losing a step, Jones was the Vikings’ rushing attack; no other ball-carrier reached 300 yards.”
“Although Minnesota acquired Jordan Mason this offseason to muster a better 1-2 punch, Jones is still the mighty dangerous 1 in that combo. NFL Pro Insight for Jones: Aaron Jones averaged a speed of 12.81 mph on his rushes in 2024, the sixth-fastest among running backs with at least 100 carries.”
Aaron Jones in 2024
Jones, almost single-handedly, helped repair the Vikings’ rushing offense in 2024. Before his arrival, the club ranked sixth-worst in the NFL per rushing efficiency in 2022 and 2023, and Jones aided the Vikings’ climb to 20th per DVOA.
He banked 1,546 yards from scrimmage and 7 total touchdowns, playing a 17-game workload, and avoiding injuries — the only real knock on his career since turning pro in 2017.
Minnesota extended Jones’ contract this offseason, handing him $20 million over the next two seasons.
Projection for 2025
Meanwhile, the Vikings traded for running back Jordan Mason in March, and he’ll be on tap for a more notable workload than 2024 reserve running backs like Cam Akers and Ty Chandler. In that vein, Jones’ overall production could dip, as soon-to-be 31-year-old halfbacks probably shouldn’t handle a bellcow touch count.
However, if Jones remains upright for all 17 games, the 1,546 yards from scrimmage in 2024 shouldn’t dip into irrelevance; it’s just that Mason is in the house to provide relief.
Forecasting 1,100-1,200 all-purpose yards from Jones feels realistic.
More from Vikings.com on Jones
Peters added about Jones’ inclusion on the illustrious list: “The positive impacts made by Aaron Jones, Sr., in his first season as a Viking were noticed in the locker room — and across the NFL. The running back ripped off a career-best 1,138 rushing yards while also setting a personal high of 255 rush attempts in 2024.”
“His Vikings debut — complete with a purple sombrero — included scoring Minnesota’s first rushing TD of the season, which was one of five on the campaign for Jones. Jones’ influence on contests extended to the passing game, as well. He caught 51 passes for 408 yards and two scores through the air and showed his reliability when tasked to stay in the backfield and pick up blitzers.”
Jones also fell in love with the Vikings, hinting to reporters throughout the 2024 season that he hopes to end his career in Minnesota. His new contract paves the way.
Peters concluded, “Jones was one of 10 rushers to eclipse the 1,100-yard threshold in 2024 and joined Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs as the only players who also caught more than 50 passes last season. This is Jones’ fourth career appearance in an ‘NFL Top 100’ listing. He was ranked at No. 33 in 2020, No. 30 in 2021 and No. 64 in 2023 while with the Packers.”
Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Jonathan Greenard (among others) could command placement on the same list as well. The order will unfold in the next couple of weeks.
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