Vikings Snag Game-Changing Weapon in Recent Mock Draft
The Minnesota Vikings are scheduled to play a playoff football game in Los Angeles on Monday. That plan is in jeopardy because of the California wildfires and could be moved to Glendale, Arizona.
Minnesota is favored on the road, which is unusual in the postseason, but it shows how much respect Kevin O’Connell’s club has earned throughout the 14-3 campaign.
Vikings Snag Game-Changing Weapon in Recent Mock Draft
The head coach and his players hope to avoid any thoughts about the offseason anytime soon, but the front office is surely already looking ahead. One more defeat and the next Vikings game is eight months away.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will have some questions to answer. First and foremost, Sam Darnold’s future will be decided. Other players, such as Byron Murphy, Cam Bynum, and Aaron Jones, are scheduled to depart in free agency.
To combat Jones’ pending exit, or in preparation for the imminent age-related decline, the executive could look at the draft to acquire his successor. The top name in the business is Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, and Connor Rogers, NBC Sports, thinks he could be heading to the Twin Cities.
He has Minnesota drafting 28th, indicating a loss in the second round of the postseason after defeating the Rams. His breakdown of the Jeanty pick:
Aaron Jones, on a one-year deal at age 30, has been a home run for the Vikings, but adding Jeanty to this offense next year would be flat-out ridiculous. He has some of the best balance and vision I’ve evaluated at the position and would be a day-one star in Minnesota.
Heisman finalists Travis Hunter (Colorado) and Jeanty likely were the most entertaining players to watch in this year’s college football season. Hunter ultimately won the trophy, but Jeanty would’ve been just as deserving.
Rarely does a player come close to breaking decade-old records, but Boise State’s workhorse threatened Barry Sanders’ marks from 1988. He finished with 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground in addition to 23 receptions, 138 receiving yards, and one receiving score, carrying the Broncos to a 12-2 record and a spot in the new 12-team playoff format.
The Vikings employed either Adrian Peterson or Dalvin Cook for the majority of the 21st century, and finding a new standout running back must be at the top of Kevin O’Connell’s list. Jeanty is a rare workhorse running back who can carry an offense.
In the 2024 season, NFL teams have seen the difference a running back can make while watching the Eagles and the Ravens play. Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley have been outstanding. Together with guys like Christian McCaffrey, Josh Jacobs, young star Bijan Robinson, and Vikings killer Jahmyr Gibbs, they have made the ignored position valuable again.
Selecting a running back in the first round was strange a couple of years ago, but those players have turned back the clock.
The Vikings also invested in the 2024 offseason, replacing longtime backup Alexander Mattison with former Packer Jones. The new guy has had a decent season, surpassing 1,500 yards from scrimmage, but he is 30 years old.
Jeanty is regarded as the top rusher in a fantastic running back class, and most mock drafts envision him to fly off the board within the top 15 picks, which would be out of Minnesota’s reach. Bleacher Report’s scouting department wrote about the expected first-rounder:
Overall, Ashton Jeanty is a high-volume and playmaking running back. Between his bowling ball-esque frame and innate contact balance, Jeanty’s game translates incredibly well to the NFL. He fits today’s run offenses with wide zone and pin-pull gap schemes. Jeanty is a bell-cow running back who can shoulder the load for an NFL rushing attack.
Still, in case he is falling ‒ Adofo-Mensah has also shown a willingness to trade a bunch of picks for a guy he really wants to add to his roster ‒ the Vikings could acquire one of the most dynamic players in the league to address a position of need.
Pairing Jeanty with Justin Jefferson’s presence in O’Connell’s offense would be a nightmare for defenses.
The offensive weapon is likely the most exciting prospect the Vikings could land in April’s draft.
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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