Vikings limited NFL Draft capital demands they hit on day three prospects with some high-upside options

The Minnesota Vikings are somewhat hamstrung when it comes to the NFL Draft. After they made the two trades that resulted in edge rusher Dallas Turner, the Vikings have just four NFL Draft picks going: 24, 97, 139, and 187. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is likely going to end up trading down at least once […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Nov 23, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Chimere Dike (17) reacts after a catch against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
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The Minnesota Vikings are somewhat hamstrung when it comes to the NFL Draft. After they made the two trades that resulted in edge rusher Dallas Turner, the Vikings have just four NFL Draft picks going: 24, 97, 139, and 187.

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is likely going to end up trading down at least once to secure more draft capital. Even if they do get one or two more picks, they will need to hit on those more than in prior years. 

There are some intriguing players the Vikings could draft on day three who could end up helping out the Vikings in 2025 and beyond, and these five fit the bill.

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Chimere Dike, WR, Florida

Wide receiver is a position that the Vikings need to take a chance on in the NFL Draft because the receiver position isn't very certain. Jalen Nailor is a free agent after the 2025 season, and Rondale Moore is a dart throw at best. This is where Dike comes into play.

He might not have gotten a lot of production across his college career at both Wisconsin and Florida, but there is a lot to work with.

The athleticism is evident on both the field and track. He excels in creating separation and is especially good on in-breaking routes. There are some potential parallels to Puka Nacua (albeit not the same player) where he can take a huge leap in this offense, plus he can return punts and be a special teams ace.

Upton Stout, S, Western Kentucky

The Vikings love to have versatility on Brian Flores' defense and Stout will give you just that. He might be 5'-8.5 and 181 lbs, but Stout is both fast and quick with really good explosives, jumping 37.5" in the vertical and 10'-8 in the broad jump.

What he does bring is the ability to do some of the Josh Metellus role. He can float around on the back end and thrive in the slot. Plus, he's a pesky, physical player for his size with plus ball skills at the catch point.

Justin Walley, CB, Minnesota

There has been a lot of discussion about taking a cornerback early in the NFL Draft, but the likelihood of taking one on day three is highly likely. They have taken three defensive backs in round four, with Mekhi Blackmon coming in the final pick of round three. It's a sweet spot for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to take chances at the position.

A player that should be considered on day three is Walley. He ran a 4.4 second 40-yard dash, but the rest of his testing wasn't nearly as good. What was good is how great Walley was at the catch point. In his four-year career, Walley intercepted 17 passes and defended 27 others. That jives with how the Vikings have targeted cornerbacks in the NFL Draft and it would be easy to get information on him with the University of Minnesota being down the street.

Jake Majors, C, Texas

This isn't a great center class overall with the best two centers being Grey Zabel and Marcus Mbow, neither of which played that in college. There are some intriguing players on day three who the Vikings could draft for depth and hope to develop, one of which played for the Texas Longhorns.

Majors is very experienced center with 3,749 snaps across five seasons. His specialty is pass blocking, posting Pro Football Focus grades of over 80.0 in each of the last three seasons

Brashard Smith, RB, SMU

The Vikings are bringing in a lot of talented players for top 30 visits. The Vikings use top 30 visits for different reasons, but they have ended up with a lot of the players that have visited in April. The running back position is one to watch for, as the position is very deep.

Smith is one of the players coming to Minnesota and he would complement the Vikings' current running back room. Smith was a wide receiver at SMU and thrived once he made the transition to running back. We saw Tyrone Tracy make the change late in his career and thrive. Smith would get to be the third running back with the ability to grow and develop behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.

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