NFL.com Suggests Vikings Should Draft the “Hometown Kid”
The Vikings have the 24th overall pick in the upcoming draft, and multiple standout players on the current roster arrived in the 20s. Of course, those include cornerstones Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, Jordan Addison, and Harrison Smith.
NFL.com Suggests Vikings Should Draft the “Hometown Kid”
History suggests the Vikings can find a contributor in that area of the draft. NFL.com’s Adam Rank released a mock draft, not to predict what will happen but to advise teams on what to do. His explanation:
“There are so many people out there every spring trying to guess what NFL teams are going to do in the NFL Draft. That’s a fool’s errand … Instead of trying to forecast the future, I present my Mock Draft … with a Twist, in which I advise the teams on what they should do when the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off (April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin). It’s sort of like the way I suggest what my kids should do on the pitch, and allow them to surprise me when they actually listen. Like the Raiders last season!”
For the Vikings, his recommendation was to keep bolstering the offensive line by adding North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel.
“This could not work out any better for you, having a hometown kid fall to you at No. 24. He’s a stud, no doubt, and he will be a Day 1 starter. Corner is also a big need, but you must protect J.J. McCarthy.”
Hometown kid might be debatable. Zabel was born and raised in Pierre, SD, and played his college ball in North Dakota.
Regardless, there undoubtedly is some proximity, and that’s part of why Vikings fans have been intrigued by the versatile blocker.
Zabel would be the final puzzle piece for an overhauled offensive line. The franchise has already swapped out two-thirds of the interior offensive line, getting rid of center Garrett Bradbury by cutting him and guard Ed Ingram, who was traded to Houston for a sixth-rounder that has since been rerouted to the 49ers for Jordan Mason.
Ryan Kelly will be the new center, and Will Fries signed a huge deal to be the new right guard.
Zabel, the 23-year-old, played all five positions in college, primarily playing tackle in the last two seasons. He was a standout at the Senior Bowl; those usually translate well to the next level, which eliminated some of the small-school concerns for Zabel.
In his draft profile, PFF wrote about him: “Zabel is a five-position lineman who brings everything but elite arm length to the position. He is an easy projected starter at center or guard for primarily a zone blocking scheme, but he is well-rounded enough to be run-game versatile.”
If the Vikings pulled the trigger, Zabel would compete with Blake Brandel for the Week 1 starting gig at left guard. Brandel was inserted into the starting lineup last season. The converted tackle played better early in the year compared to his performances as the season went on.
Kevin O’Connell recently communicated the theory that Christian Darrisaw’s injury played a role in the diminishing results from the left guard.
Minnesota’s offensive line was the team’s Achilles’ heel for too long. After the line got beaten up in the postseason by the young and hungry Los Angeles Rams, the decision-makers finally took action. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be better protected than other passers in the past, with or without Zabel.
However, Zabel’s presence could elevate the line even further, and suddenly, the Vikings might just have one of the elite fronts in all of football.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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