Vikings Likely to Turn to Draft for New RB
The Minnesota Vikings decided to release Aaron Jones last week, leaving a space on the roster at running back. Jordan Mason tops the depth chart, and after the first day of free agency, it looks like the draft will be where the Vikings will need to find their answers.
The Vikings traded Mason last year, and he had a solid first year in purple, rushing for 758 yards on 159 carries and scoring 6 rushing touchdowns. Mason is a good downhill runner, and Minnesota should be comfortable with him as the main man in that role.
Free Agency Fallout Pushes Minnesota Toward a Rookie Runner
However, he has never carried an RB1 workload for a full season before. The Vikings re-signed exclusive-rights free agent Zavier Scott, who made enough of an impression as an undrafted rookie to earn a second year, but that’s all the Vikings have.
As well as a lack of bodies, Kevin O’Connell’s offense calls for a good pass-catching back. Mason can make the odd play catching the ball out of the backfield, but it’s not his forte, and he’s not a guy you can split out wide and send down the field on routes – like Jones and Dalvin Cook before him could be. Scott has that ability, but is he ready to take on a major role?
The Vikings need to add someone to the mix, and the suggestion is that they tried on Monday but came up short.
Big Free Agents Go Elsewhere
Monday saw the six big free agent names at RB this year snapped up by other teams. Kenneth Walker (Kansas City), Travis Etienne (New Orleans), JK Dobbins (Denver), Kenneth Gainwell (Tampa Bay), Rico Dowdle (Pittsburgh), and Tyler Allgeier (Arizona) all went elsewhere.
There are slim pickings left on the market, with aging or injury-prone players left in the stable that the Vikings should probably avoid.
With a new RB in Kansas City, Isaiah Pacheco was heading into Tuesday, but signed with the Detroit Lions. Only turning 27 this month, he could have been eager to prove he still has plenty left. No luck.
The Vikings could be down to Rachaad White as the last best alternative.
RB Draft Options
If the Vikings are looking at the draft for an RB, the top option is Jeremiyah Love, but even with one of the favorites to draft him (Kansas City) potentially out of the race to draft him, it still feels like a long shot that he slides down to 18th overall, where the Vikings sit.
The good news is there is plenty of potential at the position on Day 2 of the draft, where the Vikings have three draft picks thanks to the compensatory pick earned from Sam Darnold.
Suppose the Vikings are looking for an RB in the second round with a particular eye on pass-catching ability as well as being an explosive rusher. Then Jadarian Price, Emmett Johnson, and Jonah Coleman are the three names to watch out for. A backfield of one of those three alongside Mason, Scott, and potentially Pacheco would give the Vikings a strong and varied unit for 2026.
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