What the Vikings Might Target in Draft — and Where.
The Minnesota Vikings have about five weeks of the offseason in the books, extending head coach Kevin O’Connell’s contract so far while welcoming back defensive coordinator Brian Flores for Year No. 3.
Vikings Draft: Here’s the What and Where for Team Need.
Free agency is three weeks away, and the draft is six weeks after that.
The team has plenty of roster needs, most of which will be filled in free agency, as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has about $60 million to spend before restructuring any existing players’ contracts.
As it stands right now, these are Minnesota’s draft picks and what it might target by round.
1. 1st Rounder
Pick No. 24
Team Need at This Spot:
Cornerback
Defensive Tackle
Interior Offensive Line
Minnesota won’t have a high-flying draft pick in the Top 10 or Top 15. It played too well for that last season. It’s the 24th spot for the purple team.
Importantly, though, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did not sell his 2025 1st-Rounder last year when pursuing his quarterback of the future. This one stayed put and will be a mid-20s draft pick.
The Vikings reasonably need help in the trenches, along with urgent CB assistance if free agency goes poorly.
Names to Remember:
Walter Nolen (DT, Ole Miss)
Tyleik Williams (DT, Ohio State)
Kenneth Grant (DT, Michigan)
Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon)
Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas)
Shavon Revel Jr. (CB, East Carolina)
Benjamin Morrison (CB, Notre Dame)
2. 3rd Round Compensatory
Pick No. 97
from Kirk Cousins’ 2024 Free Agency
Team Need at This Spot:
Running Back
Interior Offensive Line
WR3
This hasn’t been formally announced, but Minnesota should pick at the top of the compensatory allotment in Round 3 because of Cousins’ departure last year.
It would be prime territory for the Vikings to draft a running back in a rather deep draft for such prospects.
Names to Remember:
Omarion Hampton (North Carolina)
Kaleb Johnson (Iowa)
Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State)
TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State)
Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State)
Devin Neal (Kansas)
Dylan Sampson (Tennessee)
Cam Skattebo (Arizona State)
3. 5th Rounder
Pick No. 140
from Cleveland Browns (Za’Darius Smith Trade)
Team Need at This Spot:
Depth OL
Depth DL
Safety
Off-Ball Linebacker
WR3
Minnesota traded Smith in 2023 after he squawked on Twitter about wanting out. Now, the Vikings will spend a late-round pick because of his exit.
This would be a fabulous place to fortify the trenches for depth.
4. 5th Rounder
Pick No. 161
Organic
Team Need at This Spot:
Depth OL
Depth DL
Safety
Off-Ball Linebacker
WR3
Adofo-Mensah will likely trade like a fiend before and during the draft; that’s what he does. Minnesota may not use this pick.
However, the Vikings could use some depth in the trenches by taking a flyer in the 5th Round. This could also be where they pursue a WR3 or WR4.
Safety and linebacker could be undercover roster needs, depending on the outcome of free agency.
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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