The Minnesota Vikings had an eventful night one of the NFL Draft. They chose to stay at 24th overall and select Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson. The pick solidifies the offensive line 

As we enter day two, the Vikings are set to have just pick 97 overall

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Quarterback

N/A: J.J. McCarthy is set to have the reins of the franchise as we enter the 2025 season. They flirted with Aaron Rodgers but ultimately, and correctly, decided against it. The Vikings do need to add a third quarterback to the room to pair with McCarthy and Brett Rypien, but that will come on day three if it does.

Running back

The Vikings are in a great spot at running back. They have two veterans who can be a formidable 1-2 punch in the backfield in Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. What they do need to find is a third running back, a player who can become a starter in a year or two.

• Kansas State RB DJ Giddens: The Vikings need a running back who can be a versatile weapon in a number of way. Giddens is that kind of player. Always in a timeshare at Kansas State, Giddens is a combination of explosive and elusive, which is perfect for head coach Kevin O'Connell's zone-heavy scheme. Giddens also ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he's not that fast on the field. 

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Wide receiver

Looking at the Vikings' wide receiver room, it's an interesting group. You have the best wide receiver in the game Justin Jefferson and an emerging star in Jordan Addison. After that, it's inconsistent.

Jalen Nailor is a solid number three but he is set to be a free agent after the season, plus Rondale Moore could miss the beginning of training camp. Having a more solidified unit after that makes a ton of sense.

• Colorado State WR Tory Horton: The Vikings could go a number of different directions with the wide receiver position. Would O'Connell want to go redundant again with his top two wide receivers being route-running savants? 
  What Horton brings to the table is a high-volume player who can win on multiple levels of the field with size and nuance. Being able to have a player who can play all across the line of scrimmage. That ability would be incredibly useful for O'Connell.

Tight end

N/A: This tight end class is really nice, but day two is a little too early for where the Vikings currently are. T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver are talented players who prevent the third tight end from seeing much of the field. Watch for one on day three, as having a developmental player could be paramount.

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Tackle

N/A: Tackle could be a day three play for the Vikings, but having both Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill entrenched at tackle makes this something the Vikings don't need to address.

Guard/Center

This is a position the Vikings could find a way to improve. They signed center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries to fortify the interior of the offensive line. It's certainly an improvement over Garrett Bradbury and Ed Ingram.

While they did invest in left guard right away, they could end up another player, especially if they have center flexibility.

• Georgia Bulldogs G Tate Ratledge: A First-Team All-American for the Bulldogs, Ratledge is a really good athlete who thrived on a good offensive line. Dane Brugler also said that Ratledge was called "as special as they come" by head coach Kirby Smart.
  He would immediately fit in the Vikings' zone scheme with the ability to anchor in pass protection. The addition of Ratledge would be good for both depth and have real upside as well.

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Defensive line

This is the area that could be improved heavily in this draft class. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has done a great job in maneuvering without having a great unit up front. By using the NASCAR package of four edge rushers, he's mitigated the need of having one. However, the Vikings can't continue to live like that, hence spending so much in free agency at the position.

• Texas DT Alfred Collins: If you don't get an elite pass rusher from the interior in the first round, iot's more likely the Vikings will prefer the run stuffer route. Collins is a ready-made run defender at the next level with the length (near 35" arms) to develop into a solid pass rusher at the next level. Even if he doesn't, his acumen as a run defender is next level, making him a prime candidate to fill the Jonathan Bullard role.

Outside linebacker/pass rusher

Edge rusher is a very interesting spot for the Vikings. Do they want to add an edge rusher this high with how deep the room is? Considering defensive coordinator Brian Flores' love of using the NASCAR package, it's certainly both possible and plausible.

• Ole Miss EDGE Princely Umanmielen: Umanmielen is a very interesting prospect. In his first three years at Florida, Umanmielen was a talented player who led the Gators in sacks in both 2022 and 2023. This past year with Ole Miss allowed him to unlock a different level to his game, and his speed/fluidity as an edge rusher would be intriguing to Flores.

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Linebacker

N/A: Unless there is a linebacker that you absolutely LOVE, this won't be a position that the Vikings target. Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace Jr. are a talented duo at the position. If Jihaad Campbell was available in the first round, I would personally run to the podium. Outside of that, linebacker could be a day-three option, but not this high.

Cornerback

How the Vikings attack the cornerback position will be a fascinating one. They have a good group in the room right now, led by Byron Murphy Jr., but they lack upside across the board right now. Finding upside and youth will continue to be a focus for the Vikings and that could happen at anytime.

• Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison: The Vikings love to target players who they perceive can give them excess value because they got injured. Morrison injured his hip labrum this past season and missed the last half of the year, but his performance was excellent, especially staying in-phase with the receiver. He was viewed as a top cornerback going into the year, and that kind of value in round two would be very appealing.

• Louisville CB Quincy Riley: The Vikings have shown that they love to find feisty cornerbacks with plus ball skills. RIley fits the bill. He ranks 28th on my big board which is going to be higher than just about anyone else in the industry. His ball skills are excellent with 13 interceptions and 34 passes defended. He does a great job with his oily hips and ability to recover if he gets a little too aggressive.

Safety

The Vikings have a need at safety with only Theo Jackson on the roster after the 2025 season. The Vikings are likely going to find a way to address the safety position and the second round has some intriguing options.

• Texas S Andrew Mukuba: The Vikings lost Camryn Bynum this offseason at the position and there is a question if they genuinely trust Jackson to be the guy long-term. Now, they did like him enough to give him a small contract extension like they did with Josh Metellus, but it wasn't heavy enough to say that they have a heavy belief in him.
  Mukuba is a talented player who has excellent ball skills. His speed and instincts are something that Flores will definitely like in his system and complements what Metellus does well.

Minnesota Vikings make bold statement on maximizing J.J. McCarthy with their first pick in the NFL Draft

The Vikings have found an impactful player on the interior