Vikings Mock Draft Roundup Pre-Free Agency sees major shakeup in selections at 24th overall that will spark controversy
Free agency is finally here for the Minnesota Vikings and the rest of the National Football League. As we enter the most chaotic time period of the offseason, there are a lot of different avenues the Vikings can take. One of the ones is the interior offensive line. Is it a good idea for the […]
Free agency is finally here for the Minnesota Vikings and the rest of the National Football League.
As we enter the most chaotic time period of the offseason, there are a lot of different avenues the Vikings can take. One of the ones is the interior offensive line.
Is it a good idea for the Vikings to prioritize the interior of the offensive line in the first round? That will bring out a lot of different emotions across the board. However, addressing a need is almost never a bad thing if the prospect is good.
This is our 10th week doing the mock draft roundup in the first round. So far, we have collected 288 mock drafts with 40 different players being selected. Of those 40, 11 of them are offensive linemen. This week, three different offensive linemen were sent to the Vikings, which is usually dominated by the defensive side of the football.
Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
- Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema
- Touchdown Wire's Alyssa Barbieri
- Jets Wire's Nick Wojton
- Pro Football Network's Ian Cummings
The Vikings don’t have many picks in the 2025 NFL Draft — four at the moment, to be exact. So, they would have to really love a prospect here to not trade back.
Zabel could be one of those guys. He tested like a good athlete at the combine, especially for a player transitioning to guard or center, and has the movement skills, core strength and footwork for the Vikings' zone blocking scheme.-Sikkema
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Call it a luxury pick. Call it whatever you want. Jeanty is the kind of running back that makes defenses completely reconsider how they line up and attack. Minnesota's passing attack is plenty lethal, and now Jeanty brings extra defenders into the box to get more one-on-one situations on the outside. This is the kind of pick that gives coach Kevin O'Connell options like few other play callers.-Suss
Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
- The 33rd Team's Kyle Crabbs
- NFL.com's Lance Zierlein
- San Diego Union Tribune's Eddie Brown
- Fantasy Pros' Andrew Erickson
Hairston has savvy ball skills and runs like the wind. He's got quick feet and transitions, which allow him to trigger from off-coverage aggressively. That certainly feels like the makeup of a cornerback for Brian Flores' defensive scheme. Even if Minnesota returns Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore's expiring contract leaves a vacancy to be filled at cornerback.-Crabbs
Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
The Vikings need a lot of different things, but the secondary should be a major area of focus. Emmanwori represents a more athletic version of what they should have gotten in the 2022 NFL Draft in Kyle Hamilton.-Forness
Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
Christian Darrisaw is coming off a season-ending knee injury. Membou started 12 games at right tackle in 2024. He has the athleticism to have some position versatility along the O-line.-Dragon
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
Henderson had two 1,000-yard seasons and 42 touchdowns in four seasons in Columbus. The Vikings’ leading rusher, Aaron Jones, is a free agent, so filling a need at this position might happen if he doesn’t return.-Watkins
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
- CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson
- NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro
- Sports Illustrated's Carter Landis
- CBS Sports' Josh Edwards
- CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jacob Camenker
Put aside for the moment that Starks is an elite athlete who can line up anywhere in the secondary — he's also one of the smartest players on the field who was a team leader from the moment he stepped on campus in Athens.-Wilson
Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
Hampton is steadily climbing draft boards and the gap between Jeanty and Hampton is shrinking.-Popejoy
Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
The Vikings moved down seven spots in round one with the Chiefs and managed to fall into a great scenario with the Bills right ahead of them. Buffalo chose Alexander, but they likely thought long and hard about Amos.
Minnesota was content taking whoever Buffalo passed on and wound up with Amos.
It took Amos a bit of soul searching before finding a home in Oxford where he blew up and became who he dreamed he’d be. Now, he’s knocking on day one of the draft, and the long Rebels’ corner is ready for the next step.
Minnesota’s search for great cornerback play has been endless, but they haven’t had hardly anything to write home about in years. Amos is another swing at the plate for the team at the position, but I don’t think they could’ve netted a better prospect after the move down they made.-Bradshaw
Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
- ESPN's Jordan Reid
- NBC Sports' Kyle Dvorchak
- Fox Sports' Staff
- A to Z Sports' Jahdae Barron
- The 33rd Team's Marcus Mosher
- The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer
The Vikings are expected to be active in free agency, especially at defensive tackle. With a league-low three draft picks, circle Minnesota as a team that could trade back to recoup more draft capital. If the Vikings add an interior defender in free agency, guard and cornerback immediately become their biggest needs.
With all three of their starting corners (Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin) pending free agents, Barron would project as an immediate starter. There isn't a secondary position that Barron hasn't played, too. He had a career-high five interceptions this past season, showing excellent ball skills and coverage instincts. Barron could have an instant impact in the slot or on the outside.-Reid
Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
The Vikings like D-tackles that can disrupt players in the backfield. Nolen is a nice fit.-Maiocco
Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
- The Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Ayrton Ostly
- SB Nation's JP Acosta
- CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso
- NFL.com's Charles Davis
- Fantasy Life's Derrick Harmon
- M Live's Ben Raven
- New York Post's Steve Serby
Like Atlanta, Minnesota is a prime candidate to move down considering the Vikings have just four picks in the entire draft. If they stay put, Harmon could be an ideal fit in the middle on the defense. The Ducks standout is a stout 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds with some of the longest arms at the position in the class. He's a versatile mover along the defensive line and can help unlock the Vikings' rushers at the edge positions.-Ostly
Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
The projection of Banks moving to guard was never about size, it was more about his play style. He has the tools to stay outside, but several teams see his best long-term position inside, which fits what the Vikings could be looking for with this pick.-Brugler
Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina
Revel didn't work out in Indianapolis as he puts the final touches on his ACL recovery, but he measured well and 6-1 cornerbacks with long arms, big hands and his type of athleticism don't come around very often. He's a great chess piece for Brian Flores' defense.-Tice and McDonald
Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
The Vikings could go a few different ways here. There was some thought about running back for them, but ultimately the chance to get this very good linebacker is something that the Vikings can't pass up.-Payton
Azareye'h Thomas, CB, Florida State
Azareye'h Thomas only took part in position drills and the broad jump, but he walked away a winner to emerge as a viable option in this range.
Standing 6-foot-2 and proving to be fluid enough to handle fast-breaking routes in drill work, Thomas will be coveted. Brian Flores is the best in the NFL at getting the most out of players with one especially strong skill and then mitigating their weaknesses.-Valentino
Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
The Vikings’ top two five-techniques are set to hit free agency, so that could become a need if either leaves. I also considered a safety here given Camryn Bynum‘s impending free-agent status and Harrison Smith‘s age.
Morrison going ahead of some of the more recently hyped cornerback prospects might come as a surprise, but I think he has the best skillset for a Brian Flores defense of the guys available, with criminally underrated man-coverage skills.-Jones
| Player | Selections |
|---|---|
CB Jahdae Barron | 35 |
DT Derrick Harmon | 28 |
CB Shavon Revel Jr. | 27 |
CB Benjamin Morrison | 22 |
DT Walter Nolen | 22 |
S Nick Emmanwori | 19 |
S Malaki Starks | 18 |
DT Kenneth Grant | 17 |
OG Tyler Booker | 16 |
RB Omarion Hampton | 9 |
CB Trey Amos | 7 |
LB Jihaad Campbell | 6 |
DT Tyleik Williams | 5 |
OL Donovan Jackson | 5 |
RB Ashton Jeanty | 5 |
CB Maxwell Hairston | 5 |
OL Grey Zabel | 5 |
EDGE Shemar Stewart | 4 |
CB Azareye’h Thomas | 4 |
OT Josh Conerly Jr. | 3 |
CB Darien Porter Jr. | 3 |
RB TreVeyon Henderson | 3 |
RB Quinshon Judkins | 2 |
OT Armand Membou | 2 |
OT Emery Jones Jr. | 1 |
OT Tate Ratledge | 1 |
EDGE Landon Jackson | 1 |
OL Marcus Mbow | 1 |
OT Josh Simmons | 1 |
EDGE Mykel Williams | 1 |
OT Jonah Savaiinaea | 1 |
RB Kaleb Johnson | 1 |
CB/WR Travis Hunter | 1 |
DT Omarr Norman-Lott | 1 |
DT T.J. Sanders | 1 |
DT Deone Walker | 1 |
DT Darius Alexander | 1 |
S Xavier Watts | 1 |
EDGE James Pearce Jr. | 1 |
OT Kelvin Banks Jr. | 1 |
Total | 288 |
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah shows his brilliance as Vikings general manager with Aaron Jones’ contract structure
Nobody does contract structures quite like the Vikings
