Minnesota Vikings mock draft scenarios show team's wide range of options
The 2025 NFL draft begins Thursday night, and dedicated football fans are researching with excitement about all the different possibilities for their team's picks through the form of mock drafts.
Accordingly, WCCO has gone through several mock drafts and simulated different moves the Minnesota Vikings could make.
As of Wednesday, Minnesota only has four picks in the draft (24, 97, 139 and 187). As some of the scenarios below demonstrate, this may change.
Stay put and take the best available safety
In our first mock draft, the Vikings take South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori at No. 24.
This scenario seems unlikely as the team will, at the very least, consider trading out of pick No. 24 to build draft capital. At the same time, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah may be content with that spot, along with the other three picks.
The position of safety needs to be addressed with Harrison Smith likely leaving after this upcoming season, and with the exception of Josh Metellus, no one has true league experience beyond the hitman.
In recent mock drafts from CBS Sports' panel of experts, five of seven picked a safety at No. 24.
CBS Sports' scouting profile describes Emmanwori as a "towering, physically imposing safety with a linebacker-like presence" with good run-stopping ability and ball skills. In his last season at South Carolina, he had four picks and took two of them to the house. — Nick Lentz
Trade down and take a cornerback
In our second mock draft, the Vikings take Florida State cornerback Azareye'h Thomas at No. 32.
The Vikings have multiple needs, but a cornerback could be the priority with their first pick. In this scenario, the top three corners are gone at 24, so Minnesota trades down to 32 with the Eagles while also getting pick 96 in return.
Adofo-Mensah has used four picks on cornerbacks in his first three drafts, all of whom he selected in the top four rounds. Only Mehki Blackmon, recovering from a torn ACL, is still with the Vikings.
Re-signing Byron Murphy Jr. was crucial. The team signed Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah to help replace Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin. However, no signing is foolproof — both have question marks, albeit potential.
Okudah is on his fourth team in his sixth season. Rodgers only played 36% of defensive snaps for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles last season.
Beyond Murphy, it's an unproven group. Adding a rookie corner in the draft doesn't make it proven, but it's clear the Vikings need more.
CBS Sports says Thomas is a physical cornerback with great length. The Vikings could use those attributes, given that Murphy Jr., Rodgers and Blackmon are all under 6 feet tall.
Another option here is safety. However, a group of Theo Jackson, Smith and Josh Metellus should be good to go for 2025. Safety feels like a bigger priority in 2026 — or whenever Smith decides to hang them up. — Johnny Kahner
The beef scenario
We did two mock drafts with specific goals in mind: add some beefy dudes on the offensive and defensive interior.
On the offensive side, we had a few options when the Vikings were on the clock. Three of the top interior offensive lineman were still on the board: Alabama's Tyler Booker, North Dakota State University's Grey Zabel and Ohio State's Donovan Jackson.
Some of Booker's weaknesses make him an inapt fit for Minnesota's offense, so it came down to Zabel or Jackson. They're around the same size — Zabel is a couple of inches taller — and both project as solid NFL starters.
We gave the edge to Zabel because of his positional flexibility. While Jackson projects solely as a guard, Zabel has the potential to play center in the NFL. The Vikings could use an upgrade at left guard, but also need a long-term prospect at center — free-agent addition Ryan Kelly will be 34 when next season starts and has only played three full season in his nine-year career. Zabel could fill in on the left side for a year or two while he gets up to NFL speed, then slide to center as Kelly's successor.
In the second scenario, Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon fell to the Vikings and was a no-brainer pick. The 6-foot-4, 313-pound force would be the heaviest interior defender on the Vikings' roster. He's solid against the run and the pass and gives the Vikings a succession plan on their aging defensive line. — Anthony Bettin
The 2025 NFL draft starts at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Note: The above video first aired on March 11, 2025.
