Meet the Early Vikings Mock Draft Frontrunner
The Minnesota Vikings flamed out of the postseason on Monday night, losing a stinker against the Los Angeles Rams and ending an otherwise successful 14-win season.
Meet the Early Vikings Mock Draft Frontrunner
The season is over. When the 2025 NFL Draft arrives in April, Minnesota will pick 24th.
And while most Vikings fans were extremely fixated on the 14 wins and postseason — rightfully so — the offseason arrived in a hurry on Monday night. It’s time to repair the roster and set sights on September.
Undercover, mock draft season began about three weeks ago when the top of the board started shaping up. Now situated with the 24th pick, the early mock draft frontrunner for the Vikings is Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison.
For example, Sporting News‘ Vinnie Iyer posted a mock draft on Tuesday morning, connecting Morrison to Minnesota. He explained, “The Vikings need some real help on the back end for their defense as they gave up a ton of big plays and yardage to outside wide receivers in 2024. Morrison’s size, savvy and on-ball playmaking smarts can fit them well as he should make a full recovery from the hip injury that cut short his college season.”
As it stands, these are Minnesota’s corners under contract for 2025:
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Dwight McGlothern
- NaJee Thompson
That’s it. It’s grim.
Of course, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can re-sign Pro Bowler Byron Murphy and substantially ease the pain. The Vikings are scheduled to own $70 million in cap space, so Murphy’s extension is fair game. The purple team could also re-up with a veteran like Stephon Gilmore or Shaquill Griffin, but those two are aging veterans who cannot be classified as long-term solutions.
Morrison, on the other hand, is 20 years old — yes, you read that right — and won’t turn 21 until March. He can be a future solution for Minnesota’s secondary if he falls to pick No. 24.
The Draft Network‘s Ryan Fowler described Morrison: “Benjamin Morrison is a technically elite corner who projects as a long-term core contributor for an NFL defense. He aligns both as a field and boundary corner, wherever the top wideout for the opposition aligns before the snap.”
Morrison’s list of weaknesses is teensy, perhaps needing to add a bit of strength, which would, in theory, bolster his run defense.
If the Vikings don’t draft a cornerback in Round 1 this April, interior offensive line and defensive tackle could also be candidates.
Morrison’s college team, the Irish, will play in the National Championship next week.
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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