Vikings Rumors: Just Sign the Runner, High-Praise Pick, and The New Add with “Vice Grips for Hands”
As we enter the portion of the year when Vikings rumors start heating up, we’ll be highlighting some of the purple rumblings.
The “Vikings Rumor Wrangle” is a series that keeps readers informed on what’s being whispered about in Vikings Land. In this iteration, we discuss the Vikings needing to bring back a runner, a certain pick earning a pile of praise, and then a UDFA signing apparently having some impressively-strong hands.
Vikings Rumors: 04.30.2025
Rumor #1 — The Vikings Should End the Madness and Just Sign the Runner
Why make it three years in a row? Just sign Cam Akers
For consecutive seasons, Minnesota has had to move out low-level draft capital to get the runner to town. Doing so has given the RB room a minor boost in each instance. Should the team simply opt to sign him to a deal now, foregoing the ritual once the trade deadline starts to appear on the horizon?
Currently, the top twosome consists of Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. Both seem likely to get a hearty workload. Jones is capable of doing more as a pass catcher while Mason seems to run with a good degree of wallop, something that will fit in well with the Vikings’ high-skill offense.
Cam Akers, 25, was a 2nd-Round selection back in the 2020 NFL Draft (the Justin Jefferson year). He rushed for 444 yards last season in his 104 carries, working out to a 4.3 yards-per-carry average. Of note is that his average carry in Minnesota — remember: he began the year with the Texans before being traded to the Vikings — went for 4.6 yards. Could be a nice upgrade at RB3.
Rumor #2 — A Vikings Pick is Earning High Praise
Yes, Donovan Jackson has his believers, but so does defensive end Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.
Ryan Fowler, a draft analyst for The Draft Network, included the defender among his “favorite selections.” SI’s Will Ragatz offers the following: “The flashes from new Vikings DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins are pretty high-level. Upside is an overused draft buzzword, but he seems to have plenty of it with his athletic tools. A fun new piece for Brian Flores and his staff.”
Dane Brugler is one of the draft authorities outside of the NFL. Consider his assessment of Ingram-Dawkins: “Ingram-Dawkins was more of a flash player than consistent force in Kirby Smart’s front seven. But he is a good-sized athlete and brings enough inside-outside versatility on the defensive line to eventually develop from a rotational player into someone who pushes for starting reps.”
Look around and there will be others praising that selection. Minnesota is betting on a super talented defender being able to push his game higher. Sound like a strategy the Vikings have used before when drafting young players for the d-line?
Rumor #3 — The Vikings New Lineman has “Vice Grips for Hands”
Brandon Thorn is an authority on o-line evaluation. When he offers praise, readers should take note.
Thorn offers some thoughts on Logan Brown for Bleacher Report: “In the run game, Brown is a commanding presence on angle-drive blocks where he uses light feet, big body and vice grips for hands to cover up, jar and displace defenders off of their spot to vacate space. He has good athletic ability to re-leverage his hips, drive and stay attached late in the rep to torque and finish.”
Coaches, very understandably, are intrigued by that kind of skill set. Getting one’s mitts on a defensive tackle/end and not letting go (within the rules, of course) is to be applauded.
Lance Zierlein sees great potential, assigning a 3rd/4th-Round grade on Logan Brown. The offensive tackle sounds like he’s raw but talented, making him a perfect add within undrafted free agency.
Some of the analysis from Zierlein: “Traits-based developmental tackle with only one full season as a college starter. Brown is high-cut but is unusually quick laterally and athletic in space for a player who plays so upright. He gets to zone-blocking landmarks and is forceful with move contact, but his pad level limits his consistency as a man-to-man blocker. His protection improved rapidly in-season, but he still needs to develop an inside-out approach with pass sets and learn to recognize rush games more quickly.”
At present, the Vikings are strong at tackle. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill are an awesome pair, as long as health is cooperating. The OT3 spot appears to have taken a step forward with the Justin Skule addition. Blake Brandel and Walter Rouse, a pair of versatile players, can also hop into tackle, if needed.
Logan Brown will therefore have a lot of competition, but the analysts have good things to say.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.