The 7 Early Favorites for Vikings Draft
The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off in 75 days, and the Minnesota Vikings will pick 24th unless they trade up or down the draftboard.
The 7 Early Favorites for Vikings Draft
The 24th pick is a plausible spot to find a cornerback, defensive lineman, or offensive lineman, which are the team’s needs entering the offseason.
And while fans will vehemently debate the team’s plans for the draft pick, a handful of rookies have emerged as early frontrunners for the Vikings early in the cycle. These are those men listed in alphabetical order.
1. Jahdae Barron
CB | Texas
Barron, 23, is 5’11 and will be in an ideal draft region if the Vikings select a cornerback with the 24th pick. Like all players on this list, he’s become a mock-draft target for Minnesota, mainly because the Vikings only have Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern under contract in 2025 as playable CBs.
Fantasy Life‘s Thor Nystrom mock-drafted Barron to the purple team last week and explained, “Barron has extensive experience at boundary corner, in the slot, and as a box safety. That’s the kind of versatility that DC Brian Flores fetishizes. Barron picked off five balls this year, allowing only 272 yards on 65 targets with no touchdowns.”
Minnesota needs cornerbacks, and Barron should be available near the bottom section of Round 1.
2. Tyler Booker
iOL | Alabama
After the Vikings’ loss in the postseason to the Los Angeles Rams, head coach Kevin O’Connell all but endorsed offseason change for the interior offensive line.
Booker could be the change.
He’s a huge left guard and doesn’t turn 21 until April. If Minnesota spends a 1st-Rounder on a guard, it will probably be this guy.
3. Kenneth Grant
DT | Michigan
Grant might be a longshot, generally speaking, because many draft heads don’t expect to tumble all the way to No. 24.
Still, Minnesota has a defensive line need, especially in the interior, and Grant is a fantastic option from the draft. He has a nose tackle’s size but a three-technique DT’s nimble feet and motor.
If he falls, Minnesota should pounce.
4. Benjamin Morrison
CB | Notre Dame
Morrison is recovering from a hip injury, which curious general managers will scrutinize for the next three months.
He’s got the skill set of a 1st-Rounder, along with a 6’0″ 190-pound frame. He’ll turn 21 in March, so he has age on his side if Minnesota wants extreme youth.
It’s all about whether the Vikings trust a defender who missed a lot of the 2024 campaign at Notre Dame due to a hip ailment. Such injuries might freak general managers out.
5. Walter Nolen
DT | Ole Miss
Minnesota has a chance to add a three-technique defensive tackle once and for all, ending the decade-long era of placeholders like Shamar Stephen, Armon Watts, and Jonathan Bullard.
NFL Draft Buzz‘s Wyatt Brooks describes Nolen: “The team that drafts Walter Nolen is getting a day-one impact defender against the run with untapped potential as a pass rusher. His combination of first-step explosion and raw power will translate immediately to disrupting blocking schemes and collapsing pockets from the interior.”
Yes, please.
6. Shavon Revel Jr.
CB | East Carolina
At 6’3,” Revel Jr. has textbook size for a shutdown corner and doesn’t have too many weaknesses as a rookie entering the big leagues.
The only knock on him is an ACL tear and whether he’ll be ready for the 2025 regular season.
If the Vikings trade down on draft night, Revel Jr. could be the guy they nab, in addition to adding an extra 2nd- or 3rd-Round pick.
7. Tyleik Williams
DT | Ohio State
Williams has a nose tackle’s build but can rush the passer a bit, too.
He’s one of the physical freak-type prospects and would represent a serious upgrade to the interior of Minnesota’s defensive line.
The Buckeye just needs to work on consistency, showing flashes of sheer dominance but also blunders.
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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