After seeing a rather successful season come to a disappointing end on Jan. 13, it’s time to look ahead a couple of months for Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft fans.
So here I am, Nate Powalie, your resident Cleveland Browns dual citizenship fan. I will explain what the Vikings should attempt to do by examining a potential Minnesota Vikings mock draft.
I’m in the GM’s seat now. Of course, things can change within the next couple of months leading up to the Draft, but here’s the early edition of how the Vikings will go.
Will Benjamin Morrison fall into my hands at 24? Dustin Baker certainly hopes it will be so.
Please note that I am conducting my choices using the simulator at Pro Football Network.
But let’s not waste any more time. Here’s edition number one of the Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft for 2025.
Minnesota has, as of right now, four picks in the 2025 draft.
Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft 2025: Nate Powalie’s Selections
Round 1, Pick 24: Nick Emmanwori, Safety, University of South Carolina
With an aging secondary becoming a bit of a concern, Nick Emmanwori from South Carolina is the best choice, in my opinion, at pick 24. And 2024 was a breakout campaign for the Gamecocks safety, who will be turning 21 in early February.
The 6-foot-4 defensive back plays similarly to former Vikings safety Lewis Cine. He has a hybrid body style: the instincts and speed of a cornerback with the big, confident frame of a linebacker. He boasts a 4.38 40-yard dash and plays well in stopping the run and handling man coverage.
With Harrison Smith well into his 30s and Camryn Bynum’s contract status also as a question mark, the Vikings need someone who can step up and fill a need at safety. Emmanwori can do that and much more.
The plan is not to trade any picks in this first edition of the Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft. The second pick is not available until the second-to-last pick of the day two slate.
Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft 2025-1.0, Selection 2
Round 3, Pick 100: Ollie Gordon II, Running Back, Oklahoma State University.
Now, sure, Aaron Jones did well in his service with Minnesota in 2024. And Cam Akers also put up some adequate numbers. But both of those guys are impending free agents. The offensive backfield could very well become a major question mark heading into the 2024 season in Minnesota. At pick 100, the question mark will receive some help from Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon.
At 6-2 225, with 4.5 40 speed and top-level hands, his style of play is almost similar to that of a Christian McCaffrey. His production dropped off slightly in 2024, but the Cowboys of Oklahoma State weren’t a top contender in the College Football landscape this past season. Still, that shouldn’t deduct the fact that he can be a versatile option out of the offensive backfield, which can provide some relief in both the passing and running games.
One demerit to his note card is that he’s not the best pass protector, and he doesn’t have a ton of NFL playbook exposure. But there is still plenty of upside when talking about one of the cover athletes of NCAA Football 25.
Right, two down, two to go. Onward with the Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft, version one.
Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft 2o25-1.0, Pick 3
Round 5, Pick 139: Thaddeus Dixon, Cornerback, University of Washington
Back to the secondary resolution with the third team choice. I’m going with Thaddeus Dixon, a cornerback from the University of Washington, to lead off the fifth round. Now, as a sophomore in 2024, Dixon took a bit of a step forward with his production. At 6 feet 1 inches and 186 pounds, he’s one of the taller guys at his position. He had the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus grade among Big Ten corners, with an 81.8 coverage rating.
Breaking down the film, Dixon has plenty of skills to prove that he can become a top-20 NFL corner talent-wise from the jump. He plays well in man and zone situations. However, he will be targeted quite a bit and tends to get out-leveraged at the line of scrimmage. He will be a very intriguing prospect in the development lab.
Now, let’s move on to the last choice for this Minnesota Vikings mock draft.
Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft 2025-1.0, Pick 4
Round 5, Pick 160: Joshua Gray, Offensive Guard, Oregon State University
One position that could help the Vikings is offensive guard. One guy who can help with that issue? Oregon State Beavers offensive guard Joshua Gray. He’s one of the bigger guys in the draft this year on the o-line, at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds.
Gray has quite a few qualities that are to be liked. He is physical, can play guard or tackle, and is athletic. He also provides pass protection.
But he needs to develop his leverage. Gray could be a sneaky development for a day-three pick who could turn into a surprisingly solid player on the O-line to help protect the Vikings signal-callers.
And that will end the first edition of the Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft for 2025. Are there any suggestions that were missed? Maybe, at quarterback. But once the big QB names were off the board, there wasn’t a whole lot of talent behind them.
Things could go a different way come April, but this could be a valuable baseline for the Vikings.
