6 Approaches for Vikings Draft in 2025
The Minnesota Vikings are scheduled to pick 24th on April 24th, the first night of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Vikings Draft: The 6 Realistic Approaches
The club finished 14-3 in 2024 — hence the low-round placement.
And with the event 8.5 weeks away, the Vikings have about six possible options — strategies, anyway.
These are the directions the Vikings’ draft can bend ranked in ascending order of likelihood (No. 1 = most likely)
6. A Trade Up
It probably won’t happen, but Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty could tumble on draft night, and to secure the RB1 spot for the next five seasons, the Vikings might engage in a shocking trade — wheeling and dealing up the board for a running back.
Jeanty is damn electric, and after fans got over the initial stupefaction of trading up for a halfback, they’d love the selection. Jeanty’s eventual production could mirror Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley.
5. Running Back at No. 24
Minnesota needs a youthful RB solution, and this year’s draft is absolutely perfect for the task.
Instead of trading up for Ashton Jeanty, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could stick-and-pick at No. 24 with a player like Kaleb Johnson (Iowa), Omarion Hampton (North Carolina), or TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State).
The Vikings have more pressing needs than RB, but there’s a chance Adofo-Mensah gets his next tailback for the next five years from Round 1.
4. Interior Offensive Lineman at No. 24
This is code for: Tyler Booker, an Alabama guard.
Booker is the only iOL at No. 24 who might justify a Round 1 selection. It’s worth noting that he will probably be the first interior offensive lineman off the board.
3. Round 1 Cornerback
Perhaps the most urgent roster need, Minnesota could use its 1st-Rounder on a cornerback at No. 24.
Travis Hunter (Colorado) and Will Johnson (Michigan) will be long gone by the time the Vikings draft, but these men could be in play:
- Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas)
- Shavon Revel Jr. (CB, East Carolina)
- Benjamin Morrison (CB, Notre Dame)
2. Defensive Tackle at No. 24
Working under the assumption that Adofo-Mensah finds two starting cornerbacks in free agency, he springs for a long overdue defensive tackle in the draft.
These are the current usual suspects:
- Walter Nolen (DT, Ole Miss)
- Tyleik Williams (DT, Ohio State)
- Kenneth Grant (DT, Michigan)
- Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon)
1. Trade Down for More Draft Capital
Minnesota traded a lot for the draft pick that netted EDGE rusher Dallas Turner last year.
So, to recoup, Adofo-Mensah could trade down the board, securing two picks for the price of one. An early 2nd-Rounder + a late 3-Rounder would make sense.
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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