Latest news with #JordanMason
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Minnesota Vikings poised for a breakout during training camp in 2025
The Vikings took a significant step in the right direction in 2024, going 14-3 with Sam Darnold and the rest of the roster raising their level of play. While the result wasn't what they had hoped for, the team found out a lot about themselves in the process. Several players stepped up and earned new roles with the team in the process, while others were left picking up the pieces of a lost season. Some players, however, are taking the tough ending to the 2024 season as an opportunity to break out in 2025. The path to a breakout all starts next week at training camp when the team descends upon Eden Prairie and gets ready for one of the biggest seasons in recent memory for the team. We have three players in mind who could be getting ready for a special season, starting with their training camp. Here are our choices. Jordan Mason, Running Back While Aaron Jones gets a lot of the attention in the Vikings' backfield, Jordan Mason is ready to steal the show. After being acquired from the 49ers this offseason, Mason is ready to see what he can do in the Vikings offense that is likely to rely on the running game a tad more than usual in 2025. With J.J. McCarthy taking over, they may want to ease him into things, which may result in the run game getting more work than usual. Mason stepped up in a big way and had a career year in the absence of Christian McCaffrey in 2024, he could do it again alongside Jones. Dallas Turner, Edge Rusher Plain and simple, Dallas Turner needs to find his way onto the field more in 2025 and having a strong training camp can secure that. While the edge rushers for the team are the Pro Bowl duo of Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard, he can at least carve out a rotational role, just as others have in deeper pools at the position; he will be set. What cannot be done is another season where Brian Flores cannot use him after the team traded up to get him in last year's draft. J.J. McCarthy, Quarterback A simple, yet honest, answer here when it comes to finding players who are poised for a breakout. If the clips we saw during minicamp are any indication, McCarthy is going to be making fans' jaws drop time and again. He looked like his arm had gotten better, his processing was better, and all while spending the last year getting better between the ears.
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rankings the Minnesota Vikings position groups ahead of training camp
The Vikings roster is among the best in the NFL, and that speaks to the work of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his staff. Both his assistants have received extensions, interviewed for general manager spots of their own, and yet they remain with the team, continuing their pursuit of a Super Bowl. The team has used the draft, free agency, and trades to improve itself under the tenure of Adofo-Mensah. Going into the 2025 season, the team has high expectations and a roster ready to compete. However, we wanted to look at things top to bottom and rank the teams position groups. In the same process, we want to highlight some of the best players within those groups for fans to look out for this year. Here are our rankings. 1) Linebacker Best Player: Jonathan Greenard Most Underrated Player: Brian Asamoah II X-Factor Player: Ivan Pace Jr. 2) Wide Receiver Best Player: Justin Jefferson Most Underrated Player: Jalen Nailor X-Factor Player: Tai Felton 3) Offensive Line Best Player: Christian Darrisaw Most Underrated Player: Christian Darrisaw X-Factor Player: Will Fries 4) Quarterback Best Player: J.J. McCarthy Most Underrated Player: Sam Howell X-Factor Player: J.J. McCarthy 5) Running Back Best Player: Aaron Jones Most Underrated Player: Jordan Mason X-Factor Player: Jordan Mason 6) Defensive Line Best Player: Harrison Phillips Most Underrated Player: Javon Hargrave X-Factor Player: Jonathan Allen 7) Safety Best Player: Harrison Smith Most Underrated Player: Josh Metellus X-Factor Player: Josh Metellus 8) Cornerback Best Player: Byron Murphy Jr. Most Underrated Player: Isaiah Rodgers X-Factor Player: Jeff Okudah
USA Today
17-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bleacher Report lays out a scenario Minnesota Vikings fans do not want to hear
Bleacher Report lays out a scenario Minnesota Vikings fans do not want to hear The Minnesota Vikings invested in the interior of their offensive line this year after seeing it crumble in their final two games of the 2024 season. Both the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams dominated the Vikings on the interior, which is why Garrett Bradbury is now a Patriot and Ed Ingram was traded to the Texans. The Vikings replaced their three interior starters on the offensive line with two free agents in center, Ryan Kelly, and guard Will Fries from the Colts, as well as first-round pick Donovan Jackson. That trio is now poised to be able to move the Titanic if it were to line up across from them, but there remains some risk with the group. When Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine laid out the worst-case scenario for the Vikings' 2025 season, it involved that group of players. It trickled down to the team's running back duo in veteran Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, who they acquired from the 49ers. He writes, "But there are some questions inside the tackles. Jackson will need to prove himself as a rookie and Fries is "on track to be ready for camp," but still recovering from the fractured tibia he suffered last season. Kelly is 32 and hasn't played all 17 games in a season the last two years. That trio will be blocking for a 30-year-old Aaron Jones. Jordan Mason is behind him on the depth chart, but there's a world in which the Vikings' run game is not good enough to help McCarthy as he navigates his first season as starter." Some outlets predict Mason will outwork Aaron Jones despite the veteran earning a second deal with the Vikings. Mason showed that his game has some promise in replacing Christian McCaffrey for the 49ers last year and that he can be something in the right situation. As Ballentine points out, though, if the interior offensive line fails, it doesn't matter who the running back is. From there, the entire offense will crumble.
New York Times
02-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Vikings' sneakiest big move of the offseason? The late-night trade for RB Jordan Mason
The game had just ended, and here Jordan Mason came, weaving through the tunnels toward the San Francisco 49ers' locker room. A massive 'SC Top 10' pendant dangled from his neck. One of the television cameramen filming this walk lobbed a question: 'How does it feel? Week 1, and you got the dub.' 'I feel great, man,' Mason responded. 'I feel blessed. I've been working for this moment.' Advertisement Next to him, a teammate hollered, 'That boy a dog!' The camera panned to future Hall of Fame tackle Trent Williams, who was minutes removed from an on-field interview filled with praise of Mason. Last fall, the third-year running back started the regular-season opener in the place of the injured Christian McCaffrey. Mason posted 147 rushing yards on 'Monday Night Football' against the New York Jets. Williams swore it wasn't a fluke, and the next week validated his opinion. Jordan Mason in his first career start ⬇️ 147 Rushing Yards 5.3 Yards per Rush 3.2 Yards Before Contact per Rush 3.1 Yards After Contact per Rush 1 Rushing TD % of Rushes for 5+ Yards: 50% — The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) September 10, 2024 The 49ers flew to Minnesota and squared off against one of the NFL's best defenses. San Francisco lost that afternoon to the Vikings, but Mason made an impression. He ran for 100 yards on 20 carries, pressing the edge constantly, then hop-stepping his way into cuts in ways that had the Vikings players and staff raving about the performance afterward in the locker room. Who is that dude? Where did he come from? Why hasn't anyone heard of him until now? It's no wonder the Vikings sprang at the opportunity to trade for him in March. Minnesota finalized the move late Saturday night after a whale of a week to open free agency. The team had spent more than $100 million on new players for the trenches, and rightfully, the signings of guard Will Fries, center Ryan Kelly and defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave occupied the headlines (along with the quarterback conversation). The Vikings didn't need to spend meaningful resources on another running back. They had re-signed veteran Aaron Jones, and the NFL Draft class provided plenty of intriguing prospects. If Mason, then a restricted free agent, had not surfaced as a possible option, the Vikings would've likely prioritized a late-round running back. His availability intrigued Minnesota's brass for reasons beyond his performance in Week 2. Advertisement First, there are the advanced statistics. Next Gen Stats developed a metric using player-tracking data to assess the degree to which running backs generate more yards than expected. In 2024, Derrick Henry ranked first, followed by Saquon Barkley. Who trailed them at No. 3? Mason. He forced missed tackles at a rate comparable to Henry. His rushing yards after contact reside among the league's best. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has said that running back production is about as difficult to parse as at any position. The ground game hinges on offensive line success. Scheme and run-game design are integral, too. However, Mason checks all the data boxes to determine the future impact. Then there's everything else — the answers to these questions: Who is that dude? Where'd he come from? Why hasn't anyone heard of him until now? It seems impossible these days, but some talent still slips through the cracks. Maybe evaluators are too focused on speed over feel. Maybe coaches rely too heavily on prospect camps. Mason grew up in the heart of the South, about 30 minutes north of Nashville. Yet for a time, the only Division I college offer he received came from the University of Texas-San Antonio. Andy McCollum, who in the late 2010s recruited small-town Tennessee high schools for Georgia Tech, couldn't understand. He pulled Mason out of a cooking class at Gallatin High. Mason 'yes, sir'-ed his way through questions in the hallway. Teachers later confirmed that the well-mannered youngster was a solid student in addition to his exceptional football abilities. McCollum relayed the report to then-Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson, who peppered him. 'Who else is recruiting him?' Johnson asked McCollum. 'Well, nobody.' 'Why not? What's wrong with him?' 'Nothing.' Johnson almost grunted, not satisfied with the responses. It wasn't enough that Mason ran for 2,050 yards and 23 touchdowns as a high school senior despite defenses putting nine defenders in the box against him. It wasn't enough that the only player to beat him out for Mr. Football was a rangy receiver named Tee Higgins. It wasn't enough to hear stories about Mason running for more than 200 yards while sniffling between plays with the flu during one game for Gallatin, then visiting an urgent care afterward to receive an IV. Advertisement It wasn't even enough after McCollum convinced Johnson to sign Mason. First, Georgia Tech recruited Dontae Smith, then it coveted Jamious Griffin. As if those two weren't acceptable, even as Mason ran for 899 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry as a sophomore, the Yellow Jackets went after another running back, Jahmyr Gibbs. Indeed, even current Georgia Tech coach Brent Key considers it close to embarrassing that a team with Mason and Gibbs in the backfield finished 3-9. 'Them two jokers together were unbelievable,' said Tashard Choice, then Georgia Tech's running backs coach. As the 2022 draft approached, Key, Choice and others begged NFL coaches and scouts to take a chance on Mason. Go back and watch a Thursday night game from early in Mason's career, they'd say. It was fourth-and-2. Georgia Tech had called a timeout. Amid a huddle near the sideline, Mason urged the coaches: 'Give me the ball.' He took an up-the-middle carry that initially looked stonewalled, but Mason churned his feet and somehow wiggled his way across the first-down marker. Go back and watch a Duke game from later in Mason's career, they'd say. Mason noticed a linebacker creeping toward the line of scrimmage. He shouldered pass-protection responsibilities for the play, and in practice, coaches challenged the running backs to wave at the blitzers pre-snap as a display of confidence. So Mason did it. The linebacker nodded. They collided in the 'A' gap, Mason flattened him, and they dapped up after the play. Coaches like Key and Choice raved about Mason's vision and processing. The only way to describe it was to think of a putt-putt course with a windmill. The putter has to hit the ball at the perfect time for it not to get sideswiped, just as the running back has to hit the hole while defenders float toward him like a tidal wave. The best backs don't just see the hole, but they cut and climb at the precisely correct times. Mason had a knack for this, they said. Yet nobody in the NFL seemed to care. They asked about his 40-yard dash time. It maddened Choice, who at least took solace in the fact that Mason landed at arguably the best place an undrafted running back could land. Mason played sparingly in his first couple of seasons, but eventually McCaffrey dubbed him 'Mariano Rivera,' the 49er whose sheer presence meant the victory had been secured. Advertisement Last year's opportunity, combined with growth that both Mason and legendary 49ers running backs coach Bobby Turner talked about at length, caught the attention of teams like the Vikings. They viewed the exchange of a fifth-round pick for a 26-year-old with minimal tread on the tires as a no-brainer. Still, the deal was overshadowed by everything else the Vikings had done. Even now, the focus is elsewhere, but Mason couldn't care less. He knows it won't be long before he's ripping through another defense. It won't be long until his team's most accomplished players are left to do the talking for him afterward, hollering some iteration of what those who get to watch him daily always come to believe: That boy a dog!
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Jordan Mason's early ADP is too low
Yahoo Fantasy analysts Matt Harmon and Andy Behrens explain why the Minnesota Vikings' new running back's draft position should rise closer to the season. Hear the full conversation on the 'Yahoo Fantasy Forecast' podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript Consensus ranking right now is 37, which is actually higher uh than when I wrote the article when he was running back 40. Advertisement Um, that's a, it's a big gap between him and Aaron Jones at running back 22. And look, I think like Jones should be ranked higher, but I wonder if that gap needs to be tighter, Andy, because like Jordan Mason last year, weeks 1 to 7, was second in the NFL and rushing yards behind only Derrick Henry. And I think when you look at why they went out to get Jordan Mason. Uh, the Minnesota Vikings did because this has been a very zone heavy run game. It's been kind of a one note rushing game, uh, under Kevin O'Connell's tenure there. And it started off pretty well with Aaron Jones last year, but then of course it faded with injuries. Advertisement And you look what they did in the offseason, they added a bunch of beef. Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Donovan Jackson, fixed the interior that. Offensive line and Jordan Mason last year at 5.95 yards per carry on gap scheme runs. I kind of think Jordan Mason might be key to the what seems like the desired evolution of the run game here in Minnesota. So, again, he's somebody that depending on like training camp usage and stuff like that, I could certainly see coming up from his current consensus rank. Yeah, this is one where I think you've just kind of exposed a problem in the ranks, uh, and, and he's, he's, he's a near lock to come up, um, because people are going to remember that Jordan Mason for like a month and a half was, was the absolute right answer in fantasy, and you were, you know, until he, until the point that his injury hit, um, like he, he was a weak winner for you and and he was somebody who was going to be able to ride a great situation. Advertisement And pretty significant talent to to an absolutely huge season, like he was gonna cruise to, I don't know, 1300 rushing yards, something like that. He looked awesome. Um, and there were, there were more touchdowns ahead for him as well. So like he looked great in in there should absolutely not be whatever the whatever the gap is in the ranks between Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason is right now. It it shouldn't be like that. Like Aaron Jones is a very valuable player and he's one of the best like. It's like a, like a legit route running, kind of, kind of running back too. I think he's a really gifted receiver and we're gonna, we're gonna see that role for him throughout the year. Advertisement But man, Jordan Mason is a really good compliment and there's no way that Jordan Mason is, is simply viewed as a straight backup, right, or somebody that they're only going to give 68 touches to. Jordan Mason's really good. He proved it. Um, and he should probably be, I don't know, for 40% of the snaps and a whole bunch of touches, um, so yeah, I, I think this one gets corrected as the, as the draft season moves along.
