Demond Claiborne and the Vikings’ Future in the RB Room
Enter, Wake Forest RB Demond Claiborne. On Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings decided to call in a trade with the New England Patriots. In that trade, the Vikings received Pick #198 (funnily enough, the same 6th-rounder that the team received from the Houston Texans in the 2025 Ed Ingram trade, which landed in the hands of a couple different teams before coming back to Minnesota).
Demond Claiborne possesses desirable speed, decision-making, and big-play ability for a Vikings RB room that could absolutely use it. Many have predicted that he could eventually take over main backfield duties in the coming years.
That obviously isn’t completely out of the question. However, it may only be half of the answer for the Vikings’ future in the RB room.
Vikings RB Demond Claiborne is Gonna Need a Buddy
It is likely that 2026 is Aaron Jones’ final ride in the purple. His contract will expire after the season concludes, but so will Jordan Mason’s.
Jordan Mason has been a decently-reliable running back since his arrival to Minnesota last offseason, and it’s likely the Vikings may look to keep him around. Regardless of who it may be, if Demond Claiborne is to be one of the main contributors in the Twin Cities in the years to come, he’ll obviously need a running mate.
It’s a running-back-by-committee league these days with not as many “bellcow” backs like Saquon Barkley as there was even ten years ago. Demond Claiborne’s small frame also raises durability concerns; can he handle the load of being a three-down-back in the league? His pass blocking ability, while boasting a good foundation, will also be an area of concern. This leads defenses to know that the Vikings will likely be running the ball when he’s in the game, or maybe at least going play-action pass.
Still, the Vikings must subscribe to an ages-old football philosophy: “our guys are better than your guys.” If the Vikings are to maximize their running back room if Claiborne is a major piece of its future, then we should expect either a Jordan Mason extension or an external signing next offseason.
Is Jordan Mason the Long-Term Tag-Team Partner for Demond Claiborne?
Now, this very well still could be Jordan Mason. If Demond Claiborne is a finesse runner with home-run ability, then Jordan Mason is more of a “grind-it-out” back that’s good for a couple yards each time.
Mason averaged a respectable 758 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground last year, as well as a solid 4.8 yards per carry. It’s difficult to project the kind of money Mason would demand next season, and the Vikings aren’t exactly projected to be rolling in the cash when the Free Agency Frenzy commences again in 2027.
Per OverTheCap, the Vikings currently sit at $46.1 million on their 2027 books. Don’t get married to this number, as it is going to change many times over the next nine months. Extensions, releases, and trades will be made in this time. Still, it provides a good baseline to understand Minnesota’s financial situation in the near-future.
That $46.1 million ranks right around average in the NFL for total cap space in 2027 at the moment. If Kyler Murray balls out this year to a point where the Vikings have to re-sign him, then a lot of that number gets tied up right off of the bat.
If they decide that Mason isn’t the guy to pair with Demond Claiborne for the next handful of season, then they could look to the draft again and go super-young in the room. There’s exciting names like Derrick Davis Jr., Jordan Marshall, and Quinten Joyner that could be there for the taking, but that’s if Minnesota wanted to go big and spend a first round or early Day 2 selection on the position.
Maybe the Vikings really, really trust Zavier Scott?
