Minnesota Vikings can still upgrade running back room with low priced options to pair with Jordan Mason

They don’t need to sign a Kenneth Walker III to upgrade the running back room.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Dec 11, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker (44) breaks a tackle against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Cobee Bryant (37) during the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium.
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

We knew that the Minnesota Vikings weren’t going to be super active on the first day of free agency, and that came to fruition. Outside of retaining some depth pieces, the Vikings added just one player, cornerback James Pierre.

One position that the Vikings need to find a player for is running back. They do have Jordan Mason and Zavier Scott, but one thing they need is a player to complement Mason’s thunder. There aren’t going to be a lot of options for them in free agency, but there are a couple worth bringing in on a discounted deal.

Jerome Ford

The Cleveland Browns selected Ford in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft to be a backup to Nick Chubb. He got some opportunities to be the guy in the backfield, mainly in 2023 where he rushed 213 times for 830 yards and four touchdowns. A 3.9 yards per carry average is not very good, but in a more limited role in 2024, Ford had a 5.4 YPC average on 104 carries. He’s going to give you a faster version (4.46 40-yard dash) of an outside zone running back, and won’t end up costing a lot of money.

Sean Tucker

Tucker was someone that I highlighted with 10 bargain free agents heading into the legal tampering period.

“The Buccaneers decided to not to tender Tucker, which is somewhat of a surprise considering how well he played when called upon this season, including a 106-yard and two touchdown performance against the Buffalo Bills. He is a lightning-style back who would pair well with Jordan Mason. He deserves a chance to get more playing time at his next stop. If he was healthy, Tucker would have dominated the combine, which is the likely reason he went undrafted. It’s a low-risk, high-reward option for the Vikings, and he’s good in pass protection.”

It’s an upside play with Tucker, as he’s only had 151 carries and 10 receptions in his career. If you want a good synopsis on what he could potentially be, the aforementioned game against the Bills is a good place to start.

Rachaad White

During his four seasons with the Buccaneers, White was never truly committed to as the guy. He was the starter in 2023, and he ran for 1,117 yards, but he only had a YPC average of 3.7. Bucky Irving took over the starting role in 2024 and hasn’t let it go outside of injuries.

White is a well-rounded back with good speed (4.48 40-yard dash) and size (6-0, 214), but he has fumbled eight times in his first 580 carries. What White does have is legitimate experience and is a three-down back. He would stabilize the room and give them some explosiveness in space.

Keaton Mitchell

Coming out of the 2023 NFL Draft, I was surprised that Mitchell went undrafted. He was an explosive bell cow for East Carolina and tested really well. However, he measured in at 5-8 and under 200 pounds. Not a great profile for a top running back.

He emerged as a talented complementary back as a rookie but tore his ACL before the end of the 2023 season. He never quite got back that role he was emerging into, as Derrick Henry became the alpha. He’s an explosive runner who would be an excellent pairing with Mason.

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