A Look at Every Draft Prospect the Vikings Have Hosted for a Top 30 Visit
Josh Frey
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The 2024 NFL Draft is just five days away.
At this point, teams have wrapped up all of their top 30 visits with potential draft prospects. The Minnesota Vikings have been confirmed to have held visits with 23 prospects this spring. Here is a look at each of them.
Tracking the Vikings’ Top 30 Visits with Draft Prospects
EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama
Dallas Turner is widely considered to be the top prospect among the edge rushers because of his outstanding measurements, production at Alabama, and the fact that he is only 21 years old. If the Vikings are going to land Turner, it would likely require them to use the 11th overall pick.
DT Byron Murphy, Texas
Byron Murphy is an elite defensive tackle prospect who can not only be a run stuffer but also offers plenty of skill as a pass rusher. The Vikings need more of a pass rushing presence at their defensive tackle spot this season, and Murphy would be a strong candidate if Minnesota is unable to land a top QB.
EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
Laiatu Latu is one of the more technically sound pass rushers in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he should be a first-round pick next weekend. As a result, the Vikings likely won’t end up with him on their team unless they “stick and pick.”
CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
Physicality on the boundary is probably the best part of Terrion Arnold’s game, but he does so much more than beat up on receivers at the line of scrimmage. He is a twitchy athlete who moves effortlessly and can be an immediate starter in an NFL defense.
RB Dillon Johnson, Washington
The Washington Huskies largely were powered by their passing attack behind QB Michael Penix, but Dillon Johnson gave them a very adequate counter in the running game. After transferring from Mississippi State, Johnson recorded 233 carries for 1195 yards and 16 TDs this season. That rushing TD total led the PAC-12 and bolstered his draft stock heading into the offseason.
TE Erick All, Iowa
Iowa has become the university for NFL tight ends over the past few years. Erick All transferred to Iowa from Michigan in 2023, and while Brock Bowers is the cream of the crop in this year’s draft class, the Hawkeye looks like another strong prospect at the position. He recorded 21 receptions for 299 yards and three touchdowns this past season while offering terrific athleticism and strong blocking abilities.
DT Khristian Boyd, Northern Iowa
If the Vikings want to use one of their seven Day 3 picks to select a DT, Khristian Boyd could be a solid depth option. The defensive lineman was a third-team FCS All-American in 2023 for the Panthers this past season, recording 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. In total, he spent six seasons at UNI and recorded 149 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, five passes defended, and a pair of forced fumbles.
TE McCallan Castles, Tennessee
McCallan Castles has been through a long journey throughout his collegiate career. He began at the University of California back in 2018 before transferring to UC Davis for two seasons in 2021 and 2022. Finally, he got a chance to be true starter at the FBS level with Tennessee in 2023 and lived up to the expectations.
EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
Marshawn Kneeland won’t blow anyone away with elite athletic ability, but he is a grinder in the trenches. He utilizes a strong bullrush with his 265-pound frame to overpower opposing offensive linemen. This past season at Western Michigan, he racked up 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
OT Donovan Jennings, USF
The Vikings obviously have two of the better offensive tackles in the NFL with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, but more depth at the position is always a positive. Donovan Jennings doesn’t quite have ideal length for an NFL tackle, but he makes up for it with his mass and strength.
DT Michael Hall, Ohio State
A boom-or-bust candidate at the NFL level, Michael Hall can feast because of his athletic ability on the interior. Still, he played much of his Ohio State career listed around 280 pounds, so it really remains to be seen if he can maintain that athletic ability while packing on some extra weight.
DT Taki Taimani, Oregon
Taki Taimani spent the past two seasons at Oregon after transferring from Washington, and while he doesn’t have eye-popping statistics, he brings great energy and ferocity to the defensive tackle position.
C Charles Turner, LSU
Charles Turner has been LSU’s starting center for each of the past two seasons, and he has been in the program for five years. That means he had overlap with multiple current Vikings, including Justin Jefferson as well as fellow interior o-lineman Ed Ingram.
CB Qwan’Tez Stiggers, Toronto Argonauts
Qwan’Tez Stiggers has had one of the more unique paths to the NFL Draft of any prospect in this class. The cornerback has not played a single snap of college football, but he caught on at the CFL level last season. After an outstanding season with the Toronto Argonauts, Stiggers now has a chance to head to the NFL.
WR Joshua Cephus, UTSA
Joshua Cephus could help fill some of Minnesota’s WR depth needs if he were to be selected by the Vikings. The team obviously features both Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson at the top of their depth chart, but they have very limited options behind those two.
RB Blake Watson, Memphis
Blake Watson utilizes some elite speed to burst through openings in the trenches, and he is plenty capable of contributing as a receiver as well. The Vikings did add Aaron Jones this offseason, but he is only on a one-year deal.
OT Spencer Rolland, North Carolina
After spending his first two collegiate seasons at Harvard, Spencer Rolland has been a solid starter for North Carolina. It’s easy to see why the Vikings would be interested in adding another offensive tackle in the draft. As of now, David Quessenberry is the only depth tackle on Minnesota’s roster.
EDGE Gabriel Murphy, UCLA
Gabriel Murphy lined up all over the defensive line throughout his time in college, first at North Texas (2019-2021) and then UCLA (2022-2023). His versatility would be welcomed to Minnesota’s defense.
WR Javon Baker, UCF
Javon Baker began his collegiate career at Alabama, but he transferred to UCF in 2022. Baker finished his 2022 season with 56 catches for 796 yards and five touchdowns with the Knights, and he followed it up with another very productive season of 52 receptions for 1139 yards (21.9 yards per reception ranked second in the FBS), and seven touchdowns. He could be on Minnesota’s radar as a depth receiver.
EDGE Trajan Jeffcoat, Arkansas
Trajan Jeffcoat began his collegiate career at Missouri where he earned All-SEC honors during the 2020 season before transferring to Arkansas in 2023. He is a massive presence off the edge and has the potential to be a rotational player.
S Josh Proctor, Ohio State
Josh Proctor spent all five of his collegiate seasons at Ohio State, and he brings great size and speed to the safety position at 6’2″ and 205 pounds. The Vikings are pretty loaded at safety right now, but they could select Proctor as a security net and building piece for the future.
DT Maason Smith, LSU
Maason Smith was listed as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 player in the state of Louisiana. Since then, the hype for the defensive tackle has steadily decreased for a number of reasons, but the LSU prospect has become one of the more popular NFL Draft prospects in terms of top 30 visits.
C Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin
Tanor Bortolini has played at least 179 snaps at every position on the offensive line other than left tackle. He took over the full-time center role in 2023 for the Badgers, but his versatility to move all over the line would be welcomed in Minnesota.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Sports Reference CFB helped with this article.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.