Daniel Jeremiah’s Intriguing Vikings Mock Draft
The Minnesota Vikings hold the 24th pick in April’s draft. At this time a year ago, everyone knew a quarterback was at the top of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s wishlist, but it’s more complicated now. The Vikings could use the pick to solidify the offensive line, bolster the defensive line, or add to the secondary that is about to lose a bunch of players in free agency.
Daniel Jeremiah’s Intriguing Vikings Mock Draft
In his first mock draft of the year, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah sent the purple franchise Georgia’s safety Malachi Starks. Although it would raise flashbacks to the Lewis Cine debacle, it makes sense to find a long-term replacement for Harrison Smith.
However, he had the Vikings passing on Starks in his second mock draft, letting him fall to 32 instead. Adofo-Mensah pulled the trigger on Ohio State’s running back, TreVeyon Henderson.
Jeremiah explained, “The Vikings have had an up-close look at what a dynamic runner can do for an offense that also features a loaded passing attack (SEE: Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit). Minnesota finds its own RB weapon in Henderson, with Aaron Jones headed for free agency.”
Drafting a running back in the first round was a no-go just a couple of years back, but the likes of Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry have been carrying offenses for years, and recent first-rounders Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs have also made a difference for their clubs.
Henderson is one of two running backs Ohio State is sending to the NFL. He shared the snaps with Quinshon Judkins in the Buckeye’s National Title season. Henderson carried the rock 144 times last year, gaining 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He added another 284 yards and a score as a pass-catcher.
The Vikings need an answer at the running back position. The Adrian Peterson era was immediately followed by Dalvin Cook in 2017, but since Cook’s departure, the position has been handled by career backup Alexander Mattison and Aaron Jones, who is on the wrong side of 30.
In addition to that, Jones will be a free agent a few weeks from now, leaving Ty Chandler and Zavier Scott as the only running backs on the roster. Jones might still re-sign, but he has to be paired with a younger rusher. Despite playing in every game last year, he was banged up in a handful of games, and limiting his workload could improve his efficiency.
Henderson could be that guy.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about the 22-year-old, “Henderson is capable of starring on third downs or biting off a bigger chunk as a three-down option. He has average size but above-average juice with good acceleration. He’s an average decision-maker inside and is not overly creative once confronted by the defense, but he has the pacing and subtle shiftiness to excel as an outside runner.”
“He might be the best pass-protecting running back in this draft and is more than capable as a pass-catcher. Henderson isn’t Jahmyr Gibbs, but he can operate in a similar role for teams looking to add a more dynamic player to their running back room.”
Ironically, Zierlein’s pro comp for Henderson is Minnesota’s 2024 RB1, Aaron Jones.
With Ty Chandler, Kevin O’Connell has made it more than clear that his running backs only see the field if they can protect the quarterback, and Henderson can do that. He is also a decent receiver and fits his running scheme.
The Vikings could undoubtedly spend the 24th overall pick on a worse player. Still, it remains to be seen whether analytically-driven GM Adofo-Mensah really spends a first-rounder for a running back.
Former Vikings Corner Wants Back In, Boasts of Added Weight and Health on Social Media
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt