Vikings Doing Their Draft Homework on 1 Position Group
After a year with little draft capital due to past trades, the Minnesota Vikings are set to take more stabs at the draft pool this year. That’s good news as the franchise desperately needs some young talent, given the roster is one of the oldest in the NFL.
Some fresh legs are required in several areas, among those the backfield. The Vikings have been doing their homework at running back this draft cycle.
NFL reporter Arye Pulli noted this week that Washington’s Jonah Coleman has a top-30 visit set up with Minnesota.
Coleman is just 5’8″ but brings 220 lbs to the NFL. While he lacks high-end speed, he is a smart runner with vision and understanding of the blocking schemes, which raises his floor. Likely his best attribute is his pass-catching ability. Last season, he caught 31 passes for 354 yards and 2 scores.
In addition to Coleman, the Vikings have shown interest in Wake Forest’s speedy runner Demond Claiborne, who has displayed 4.37 speed. At 5’10” and 188 lbs, Claiborne lacks the size to be a bellcow back in the big league, but he has the juice to provide the dynamic element in the running back committee. He can also provide a spark in the return game.
This week, Claiborne revealed that he will meet with the Vikings next month. It will be another top-30 visit.
There’s also the hometown kid, Emmett Johnson (5’10”, 202 lbs). Though he’s playing for Nebraska, Johnson is a Minnesota kid, but he didn’t get an offer from the Golden Gophers. He had a formal meeting with Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings during the scouting combine and another Zoom call afterward.
At the combine, he told NBC Sports, “Hey, man, it would mean a lot. I grew up in the inner city. I lived about 10-15 minutes from U.S. Bank Stadium. I had a great formal meeting with them and (Kevin) O’Connell. I would love to go back home.”
Last season, he produced over 1,800 yards and 15 touchdowns from scrimmage. Johnson has quick feet and excellent hands in the passing game, but might lack another gear to become a truly dominant rusher. After posting a slow 4.56 40-yard dash at the combine, he ran in the 4.4s at his pro day.
At that combine, the Vikings also met with Penn State’s back Kaytron Allen. Spending recent years in a timeshare with fellow draft prospect Nicholas Singleton, Allen has still generated 4,180 career rushing yards and 39 touchdowns, as well as another 490 yards and 4 touchdowns as a receiver. He’s 5’11” and 216 lbs and profiles as a powerful back. A lack of speed and pass-catching ability could limit his next-level impact, though.
Rahsul Faison of South Carolina is also on Minnesota’s list; they met at his pro day. At 5’11” and 208 lbs, Faison possesses average size, and he lacks high-end explosiveness, but brings the vision and patience to the table that teams are looking for. Faison is also a decent receiver. The downside is that he’ll turn 26 in the upcoming season.
Coleman and Johnson are viewed as Day 2 picks, Allen and Claiborne as early Day 3 selections and Faison might have to wait until rounds 5 through 7 to hear his name called.
Either way, the Vikings are doing their homework. Last year’s top duo of Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones returns for a second year, while Zavier Scott is back as a depth back. Adding a rookie in the mid-rounds could complete the running back room. This year’s draft doesn’t feature multiple first-round talents, but it does have a wide range of skill sets.
Regardless of whether the Vikings desire a smaller or a bigger back, someone with speed or with power, an early-down runner or a third-down prospect, all of those are available.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.