Minnesota Vikings have real expectations for their mid-round NFL Draft picks, with two potential starters coming from them
After three years of not having a day two pick inside the top 100, the Minnesota Vikings have three of them this year.
The Minnesota Vikings are heading into training camp with a rookie class that carries more questions than answers. After covering the expectations for the first three picks (Caleb Banks, Jake Golday, and Dominique Orange) earlier this month, it’s time to turn attention to the next three selections. Minnesota drafted Northwestern offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan and Miami safety Jakobe Thomas in the third round, then added Michigan fullback/tight end Max Bredeson in the fifth. Each player faces a different path to contributing in 2025, and none of them are guaranteed anything.
Caleb Tiernan faces a position flexibility question
Tiernan is a massive human being at 6-foot-8, 323 pounds, but the tools don’t all match the frame. His arms measured 32.25 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine, putting him in roughly the 4th percentile among offensive tackles. He’s also a little high-hipped and tight, which will make it easy for NFL pass rushers who can bend the arc to give him problems.
In the Big Ten, Tiernan didn’t face that caliber of speed rusher every week. His technique, once engaged, is legitimately good. He keeps defenders upright and prevents them from attacking his chest. The concern is what happens before he gets his hands on someone. Speed-to-power rushers with length can be catastrophic for him, and that raises real questions about his long-term viability at tackle.
The Vikings may train him at guard, and there is precedent. Blake Brandel is 6-foot-7 and starts at center, but didn’t start playing guard until head coach Kevin O’Connell arrived in 2022. Donovan Jackson and Will Fries round out an interior group that doesn’t shy away from taller linemen. Playing inside eliminates the need to mirror edge speed around the arc, which could make Tiernan more successful.
If Tiernan has to play meaningful snaps in Year 1, something has gone wrong. Last season, undrafted free agent Joe Huber became a starter against the Cleveland Browns in London, and the results were okay, but far from ideal. Tiernan projects as the 6th offensive lineman long-term, and if the Vikings get that out of a 97th overall pick, it’s a win.
Jakobe Thomas could compete for a starting safety job
Thomas might be the most fascinating player in this group. The Vikings selected him 98th overall despite a consensus board ranking of 184th. That’s a significant reach, but safety evaluation is scheme-dependent. Brian Flores and the defensive staff want a physical, downhill player who can attack run angles from the box, along with someone who has a high football IQ. Thomas fits that description.
The 23-year-old is a smart football player who played in multiple schemes at Miami, including a run to the National Championship game under defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman. His tackling is a legitimate strength in a safety room where that skill has been inconsistent.
Harrison Smith is currently a free agent, and it remains unclear whether he will return to the Vikings or whether new general manager Nolan Teasley would want him back. If Smith returns, he starts. If he doesn’t, the competition opens up alongside Josh Metellus, with Theo Jackson and Jay Ward. Jackson got benched last season, and Ward, despite flashes of high-level play late in 2025, has been inconsistent with his tackling.
Projecting a late third-round pick to beat out multiple NFL veterans is difficult. But if Thomas earns playing time early with his intelligence and physicality, the ceiling is real. He may never be elite, but good is something the Vikings need on defense right now.
Max Bredeson has to earn a roster spot first
Bredeson profiles as a Rhett Ellison type: a fullback/tight end hybrid whose primary value comes as a blocker. He already has an excellent rapport with quarterback J.J. McCarthy from their time at Michigan, but that connection won’t matter if he can’t beat out Ben Yurosek, Bryson Nesbitt, and Gavin Bartholomew for a roster spot.
The C.J. Ham role is theoretically open. Ham was a valuable special teams player and third-down pass protector but limited as a receiver. Bredeson could offer more receiving upside, even though Michigan didn’t use him that way. Offensive coordinator Frank Smith loved using Alec Ingold in 21 personnel with the Miami Dolphins, and Bredeson could slot into that role. Expecting a rookie fifth-round pick to replicate one of the best fullbacks in the NFL is unrealistic, but any capability there would be a significant addition to the offense.
