Vikings Complete the Running Back Room
The Minnesota Vikings entered the draft with several needs. One of those was the running back position. Skol Nation wanted another ball-carrier to arrive with one of the draft picks.
The front office kept the fan base waiting for a while, but ultimately acquired one in Demond Claiborne. He ended up joining with the 198th pick, following a trade up the board for pick 234 and a 2027 sixth-rounder.
A speedster out of Wake Forest, Claiborne is set to become the backup for the top duo of Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.
Rob Kleifield of Vikings.com wrote, “The Vikings offense added speed you can’t teach. Minnesota selected former Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne with the 198th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday, jolting its backfield with a Second-Team All-ACC runner who has super wheels.”
At the scouting combine, Claiborne demonstrated his speed when he performed a 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds. That’s why he is a perfect fit for the Vikings, who lacked that kind of speed in their backfield. Jones is on the wrong side of 30 and has lost a step, while Mason wins with physicality rather than speed.
Last season, Claiborne rushed 907 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025, a year after eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark in 2024, finding the end zone 11 times. He’s also an explosive kick returner, having scored return touchdowns in 2023 and 2024.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler analyzed in his pre-draft primer, The Beast, “A two-year starter at Wake Forest, Claiborne was the featured back in offensive coordinator Rob Ezell’s fast-tempo spread scheme and flexed to the slot or out wide in empty looks. His yards-per-carry average increased each of the past four seasons, and he finished No. 4 in school history in career rushing yards (2,599) and No. 5 in rushing touchdowns (26).”
The Vikings did their homework at the running back position in the months leading up to the draft, scouting and meeting countless backs. It was an overwhelming class after Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. One after another was picked, but the club eventually landed one of the most explosive runners in the class.
“A twitched-up ball carrier, Claiborne has darting quickness and speed to burn, which allows him to gear down, plant and hit the accelerator in unison,” Brugler added. “He is a competitive runner but lacks the power of an inside runner and is at his best on the move, when he can get defenses flowing east-west and set up cutback opportunities. Minimizing fumbles and drops and expanding his catch radius would vastly increase his chances of finding regular playing time in the NFL.”
Brugler also called him a diet version of Dolphins star running back De’Von Achane, which could be relevant given that the Vikings hired former Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith as assistant head coach this offseason.
Sixth-round picks aren’t guaranteed roster spots like earlier picks and usually have to come out victorious in training camp competitions and show enough potential. Claiborne will face last year’s depth back Zavier Scott, who generated 212 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in 2025. Last year, the Vikings kept four backs, including departed former pick Ty Chandler. Keeping both Scott and Claiborne is an option, especially if they can carve out roles on special teams.
It required some patience, but the Vikings added a running back with some juice.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.