The Vikings Still Have a Clear Draft Need at RB
There are a lot of positions on the Minnesota Vikings roster that still need some attention, and despite Aaron Jones being confirmed to return for the 2026 season. Running back should still be high on the list of Vikings draft priorities as we head towards April.
Aaron Jones looked to be heading the same way as the likes of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. News even broke of Jones’ impending release at the same time as Hargrave’s future was reported. Unlike Hargrave, the Vikings and Jones thrashed out an agreement that allowed Minnesota to get the salary cap relief it desired while Jones remained a Viking.
Minnesota’s Backfield Still Lacks a Long-Term Answer
Jones is a big personality and leader on this team, and with Minnesota already losing some players that fit that mold this offseason, like Harrison Smith and CJ Ham, keeping Jones around is a sensible move.
That leaves the Vikings with Jordan Mason and Zavier Scott on the depth chart alongside Jones – basically the same as last year, minus the departed Ty Chandler. It leaves the Vikings without the desperate need to find an RB immediately, but Jones will be 33 and a free agent next year, while Mason will also hit free agency.
It puts the team in a good position to use this Vikings draft to find an RB who can come in without the immediate pressure to lead the backfield. Jones and Mason should share the major workload this season, and a rookie trying to force his way into a share of that workload is exactly the kind of healthy competition you want.
The Top RB Options in This Year’s Draft
Jeremiyah Love is the top RB prospect and the only one expected to be drafted in the first round. Love is expected to go high, probably too high for the Vikings at 18, but if he does get in reach, he would give Minnesota a decision to make. I’m not expecting that to happen, so that leaves this Vikings draft looking at the Day 2 RB prospects.
My favorite prospect is Love’s Notre Dame teammate Jadarian Price. He has lots of talent, but has been in the shadow of Love, meaning he hasn’t had as much opportunity as you’d like. Price has a great blend of vision, spatial instincts, foot speed, smooth fluidity, and is an explosive vertical threat. Arkansas Mike Washington Jr is a very different type of back, a big-bodied (6’1 “, 225 lbs) one-cut, north and south runner.
Other options on Day 2 are Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson, who would be a popular choice given his Minnesota roots. Johnson, a well-leveraged creator at 5’11”, 200 pounds, sets himself apart with his blistering foot speed, cutting flexibility, vision, and explosiveness out of cuts.
Jonah Coleman had an excellent college career across stints with Arizona and Washington, but a dip in performance came at the wrong time for his draft stock. He had a lot of success as a pass catcher, which should interest the Vikings.
Day 3 Options to Fall Back On
If, for whatever reason, the Vikings don’t get an RB on Day 2, it’s not a complete disaster. There are still some good players who could potentially be on the board. The problem is that Minnesota doesn’t have a pick on Day 3 until deep into the fifth round, which means a move for someone like Kaytron Allen, Demond Claiborne, or Kaelon Black could require trading up.
The Vikings could wait until the fifth round or later and take a swing on someone like Adam Randall, a former WR-turned-RB who would be an interesting developmental project. Other names to look out for in the later rounds include Nicholas Singleton, Roman Hemby, and Robert Henry Jr.
The Vikings will almost certainly take an RB at some point in the draft; it’s just a question of where and with which of their nine draft picks. Day 2 looks like the sweet spot to me.
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