The Vikings’ Most Surprising Moves of the Offseason
Most impactful transactions of the Minnesota Vikings’ 2025 offseason are finished, and the team will embark on training camp in late July.
The Vikings’ Most Surprising Moves of the Offseason
A Super Bowl window has opened for the purple team if one trusts the 22-year-old quarterback, J.J. McCarthy.
And for a look back, consider these moves the most surprising of the offseason. They’re counted down from No. 7 to No. 1 — with the No. 1 spot as the most surprising overall.
7. No Trade Back in Round 1 of Draft
Because general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had just four picks entering the draft, most fans and NFL pundits saw the amount and said, “Well, they have to trade back and get more picks, right?”
Nope. Adofo-Mensah had no appetite for trading down, the strategy that spoiled his first draft in 2022 when he swung and missed on Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth. He preferred a premium player and found one. More on that soon.
6. Harrison Smith Postpones Retirement
Smith sounded like a goner after his team collapsed in January at the Los Angeles Rams, a playoff disappointment. In post-game interviews, he reflected on his season and career with tears in his eyes, leading fans to believe he had played his last game.
False. The Hitman is back.
PurplePTSD‘s Brevan Bane recently wrote about Smith: “I gave the advice that we should treat 2024 as one final ride for the all-time great with the disclaimer that we could be talking about this again this offseason, and that’s exactly what happened. I, myself, treated 2024 as Smith’s last stand, but it was hard to focus on with the Darnold-mania that was running wild on the NFL last season.”
“It didn’t truly hit me that the Hitman could be gone until the final minutes of the Vikings’ Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, that we could be watching the final reps by #22. The very visibly emotional Harrison Smith in his post-game presser didn’t really help the situation, as it heavily implied that his time in the NFL was coming to an end.”
A fan favorite, indeed.
Bane added, “Turns out, the man himself said that the decision to return in 2025 was much easier than the decision in 2024, and when the season ended the way it did against those Rams, that it’s ‘probably not the last time I’ll put on pads.'”
5. Vikings Draft a Guard in 1st Round
Nerdy NFL fans — we have those who write at this website — don’t consider an offensive guard a “premium position.” Accordingly, some didn’t take mock draft suggestions that Minnesota could take a guard in Round 1 very seriously.
But the Vikings did exactly that, starting the Donovan Jackson era at left guard in the Twin Cities. Minnesota said no to a Round 1 safety, cornerback, and defensive tackle — other popular theories for the pick.
4. Daniel Jones Says “No Thanks” to MIN
Speaking of nos, Daniel Jones signed with the Indianapolis Colts in March, not the Vikings.
Many thought he was a shoo-in for QB2 duty behind J.J. McCarthy, but Jones knew he wouldn’t have a reasonable chance to start in Minnesota. He can, however, possibly topple Anthony Richardson for the QB1 job in Indianapolis.
Instead of Jones, Minnesota traded for QB2 Sam Howell during the draft.
3. Vikings Pull a WR out of Round 3
Cornerback? Safety? Defensive tackle? Who would it be in Round 3 for the Vikings?
None of that, they said. The Vikings chose a speedy plamaymer in the 3rd Round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the club’s second pick of the event. Generally speaking, it’s not weird that Minnesota left the draft with a wide receiver. It’s that fans thought a CB, S, or DT was a greater priority.
Minnesota disagreed and shocked the masses by onboarding Tai Felton.
2. Walking the Walk in Free Agency at G, C, DT
Minnesota usually features patchwork solutions for the interior offensive and defensive lines. As in — it doesn’t completely ignore the roster spots. But at OG and DT, for example, the Vikings were typically content with players like Blake Brandel and Jerry Tillery. Bargain bin stuff.
Not anymore.
Adofo-Mensah inked Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave at defensive tackle and Will Fries + Ryan Kelly for the offensive line’s interior.
The Vikings got beefy and talented where it matters the most.
1. The Jordan Mason Trade
Twenty-five running backs found employment during the draft, and because most onlookers knew the class would be rather deep, Vikings fans assumed Adofo-Mensah would draft one, probably from later rounds.
Adofo-Mensah drafted zero running backs.
Instead, he traded a 6th-Round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for Jordan Mason, Christian McCaffrey’s primary backup.
Fans collectively approved the trade, and now Minnesota has two RB1 types: Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.
Nobody saw a Mason trade coming from any angle. The nifty part? The draft pick that brought him to Minnesota was received from the Houston Texans in the Ed Ingram trade.
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