Vikings Prioritize Disruptive Draft Prospect
The Minnesota Vikings hold the 24th overall pick in the draft that will take place on April 24th in Green Bay. Kevin O’Connell and the gang haven’t lost in Green Bay in the last two seasons, and they hope they can celebrate another win in the draft.
Vikings Target Disruptive Draft Prospect
On the wishlist could be numerous positions because the front office filled most roster holes via free agency, earning some credit around the league for their actions that featured a boost in the trenches by adding a couple of interior offensive linemen and defensive tackles.
The latter position could also be addressed in the draft, with Oregon’s Derrick Harmon generating some buzz.
Just last week, The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler reported that the Vikings were planning to meet with a top defensive tackle prospect: “The Minnesota Vikings are expected to host Oregon DL Derrick Harmon for a 30 visit, per a league source. Harmon ranked first in CFB among iDL in pressures this fall (55) with 43 hurries and five sacks. Side note: Vikings DL coach Marcus Dixon was in attendance at Oregon’s pro day on Tuesday.”
Minnesota signed former Pro Bowlers Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave at the position, in addition to run stuffer Harrison Phillips. However, Hargrave is 32, Allen 30, and Phillips 29. Trying to add some young talent makes perfect sense, especially in the trenches, where rookies often need a year or two to grow.
Ben Goessling, The Star Tribune, mentioned on the latest episode of the Access Vikings podcast that Harmon could be an option: “I heard that again this week,” Goessling said when discussing Harmon as a player on Minnesota’s “priority list.”
He also pointed out the two newcomers’ lack of youth and injury concerns.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see them add another defensive tackle. There’s a lot of depth, there’s a lot of variety in this group, but you have Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen both in their 30s,” Goessling expressed. “Jonathan Allen coming off the pec injury, Hargrave, I think, was a tricep, and Allen also had a left knee in the past that I would keep an eye on as well, so you’re not talking about these guys being five-year solutions.”
The Philadelphia Eagles just showed that no team has ever complained about having too many defensive tackles, winning the Super Bowl with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter as well as Milton Williams, who just signed a deal worth $26 million per year. Being able to rotate those three guys was a big reason for Philadelphia’s dominance.
Adding another interior defender in the draft isn’t too far-fetched. Harmon started at Michigan State, but his best season came at Oregon in 2024, with 45 tackles, five sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles (all career highs).
Lance Zierlein wrote on NFL.com, “Position-versatile building block that makes moving the football a much tougher task. Harmon is wide, long and naturally powerful at the point of attack. He can create traffic jams inside as a two-gapper or stunt and power his way into the backfield. He’s unlikely to be a primary sack man, but he can be part of a swarm unit that batters the pocket. He’s high-cut and tight-hipped, which limits his agility and reactive athleticism to finish. Harmon can play up and down the line in both odd and even fronts. He will bring an instant dose of stinginess and toughness to any defense he joins.”
The Vikings might strengthen the line even further and finally add a first-round tackle, the first since Sharrif Floyd over a decade ago. However, just as likely is a pick to bolster the secondary and use the pick to acquire a young safety or cornerback. Some think a guard to push Blake Brandel at the potential weak spot of the offensive line makes sense, while others want to form a strong running back room or add another target for J.J. McCarthy.
Ultimately, because of the excellent work in free agency, the club can go in many different directions. Harmon, certainly, is an intriguing prospect and should be on Vikings fans’ radar.
He would be buried on the depth chart early in his career but could grow behind the scenes and shine as a rotational player. His situation would be somewhat similar to that of Dallas Turner last season.
Most project him to hear his name called at some point in the second half of the first round, and the Vikings could be an option at 24.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, Sports Reference CFB, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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