Latest news with #Vikings'
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Vikings Mock Draft: What are the team's needs heading into training camp?
The Vikings will report back to Eden Prairie next week as they prepare for training camp ahead of the 2025 season. Last season did not end the way anyone did, especially after going 14-3 in the regular season with Sam Darnold leading the way. Fast forward to the present day, the work of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah this offseason has this roster ready to compete for the ultimate prize in Santa Clara next year. But what holes are there within this roster looking ahead to next offseason? The team has some free agents, the biggest of which are safeties Harrison Smith and Joshua Metellus. While the team is likely to extend Metellus, they are just as likely to see Smith retire from the NFL and have to look for his replacement. So with the help of the Pro Football Focus Mock Draft Simulator, let's take a crack at addressing the Vikings' needs heading into training camp. Round 1: Dillon Thieneman, SAF, Oregon If Harrison Smith retires and the Vikings are looking for someone to run it back with in terms of playstyle and effort, Thieneman is a perfect fit. He is rangy, plays the run and pass well, can be a downhill attacker and physical the same way as Smith as well. Thieneman would work well alongside Metellus and while losing Smith is going to sting, drafting Thieneman would make the transition a little smoother. Round 2: Iapani Laloulu, C, Oregon Didn't the Vikings sign Ryan Kelly this offseason? Sure did, but his deal is rather team-friendly. In the last five seasons, Kelly has played in just one complete season during that stretch. If the injuries are an issue in 2025, or his performance dips for any reason, the team has an out in 2026 where they can move on and save $9 million from the salary cap. Laloulu is one of the top centers in this class, and pairing him with Donovan Jackson and Will Fries on the interior would give the Vikings a solid trio in the middle between their bookend tackles. Round 3: C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia C.J. Allen is a fun linebacker prospect in a class that has some surprising depth compared to recent years. The team is deep at this position, but, like Ryan Kelly above, Blake Cashman has a history of injuries, and Ivan Pace Jr. is somewhat inconsistent. Adding Allen to develop behind them wouldn't be the worst idea. Round 3: Nico Iamaleava, QB, UCLA The team traded for Sam Howell and has Brett Rypien on the roster as well, but what about a new, young, lively backup behind J.J. McCarthy? Iamaleava developing behind McCarthy and being coached up by Wes Phillips and Kevin O'Connell would be very interesting. And not for nothing, we have seen a recent trend of backup quarterbacks flashing in late-season games or preseason games turning into draft capital down the road, so in the worst case, he is a long-term investment for the team. Round 4: Desmond Reid, RB, Pittsburgh The team is set with running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, but I wanted to give the Vikings offense another weapon. I'm all in on Desmond Reid. For his size (5-8, 174 lbs.), Reid is as tough as anyone who is his size or bigger in college football. He does not shy away from contact; he will pick up blitzers and fight for every play. He also boasts dual-threat ability, being a reliable runner and receiver, and that is something I think Kevin O'Connell could have some fun scheming with. Round 5: Justin Joly, TE, NC State The Vikings like having depth at the tight end position, and they have that in T.J. Hockenson, their established star, and backups Gavin Bartholomew and Nick Muse. Neither Bartholomew nor Muse has the playmaking ability of Joly, so that is why he gets shoed in here as the pick. Joly can stretch the field vertically from the tight end position and he would present a new dynamic to the Vikings passing attack if they want to have him work alongside Hockenson. Round 5: D.J. McKinney, CB, Colorado The cornerback group is expected to be led by Isaiah Rodgers and Bryon Murphy Jr. for the next year or two, but they need to start developing more youth behind them. D.J. McKinney is a lengthy cornerback with good ball skills, making him someone that Brian Flores can develop into a player to terrify opposing offenses.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
One Minnesota Vikings coordinator predicted to 'make headlines' in 2025
The Minnesota Vikings' defense has improved in each of the past two seasons under Brian Flores. After ranking 28th in points allowed in 2022, Flores' unit ranked 13th in 2023 and 5th last season. Despite this, his ongoing lawsuit against the NFL is keeping him from getting another head coaching job. That means we can expect more exotic looks to accompany an improved defensive line. That makes Flores one of the five coordinators who can make headlines in 2025, says Trevor Sikkema of PFF. Since 2023, Flores has been the Vikings' defensive coordinator, and his impact has been undeniable. In 2024, Minnesota's defense ranked top 10 in total pressures (358), with heat coming from all angles and positions in Flores' trademark aggressive scheme. They finished fourth in points allowed per game (19.9) and third in total EPA allowed per play. Efficient, productive and relentless, Flores' defense was a driving force behind the Vikings' success in the win-loss column last season. What could put the Vikings' defense over the top is if their secondary comes together like the front office and coaches expect. PFF isn't a fan of the secondary, ranking them the sixth-worst unit in their preseason rankings. But if players like Theo Jackson and Isaiah Rodgers can step up, and Mekhi Blackmon can make a full recovery from last year's ACL injury, the Vikings will have a complete defense that Flores can unleash. And if the Vikings' offense, namely J.J. McCarthy, can build on last year, the sky is the limit for the team.
USA Today
6 days ago
- 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
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Minnesota Vikings earn high marks from analyst ranking skill position groups
Part of the belief in J.J. McCarthy's development as a quarterback is that a great skill position core will surround him. The Minnesota Vikings have Justin Jefferson, maybe the best receiver in football, but they have plenty of other options around him. Bill Barnwell of ESPN ranked all 32 groups of skill positions in the league, including wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs. Receivers were weighted more heavily than running backs and tight ends for this exercise. Injuries and suspensions also impacted the ranking. Ultimately, Barnwell ranked the Vikings' group 6th in the league. That's one spot lower than their ranking heading into last season. He cites questions about Jordan Addison's potential suspension and T.J. Hockenson's continued recovery from the ACL injury he suffered in December 2023. The players around [Jefferson] might not be as sturdy as they seemed a year ago. Jordan Addison averaged 1.8 yards per route run in his second season, but there's a distinct possibility the 23-year-old will be suspended for part of the 2025 season after he's tried on DUI charges this month. T.J. Hockenson is healthy after missing part of the 2024 season while recovering from a torn ACL, but the former Lions first-rounder didn't score a touchdown and saw his efficiency retreat to where it had been with Detroit (1.7 YPRR) versus where it stood in Minnesota before the injury in 2023 (2.0). That's the difference between a good tight end and a Pro Bowler, and although that could be variance, I'd like to see that 2023 version of Hockenson again. The addition of Jordan Mason should ease Aaron Jones' workload, Barnwell says. However, he goes on to say that he thinks Jones can be more efficient in 2025 and that Mason needs to prove he wasn't just a product of the Kyle Shanahan system in San Francisco. These are fair criticisms and are the reason the Vikings are sitting outside the top five on this list. It will come down to McCarthy to get everyone involved and have the offense continue to be explosive, regardless of circumstances.
USA Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Who would be on the Minnesota Vikings Mt. Rushmore this quarter century?
The Minnesota Vikings have had some of the best players in the NFL since 2000, despite not having won a Super Bowl. Narrowing that list down to four players to place on their Mount Rushmore is a tough exercise that is bound to alienate fans. Recently, Bleacher Report made their Mount Rushmore lists for each NFL team. The Vikings' four players were: The two players who are non-negotiable on the list are Peterson and Williams. Peterson played for the Vikings from 2007-16, rushing for 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns. He won the NFL MVP in 2012 when he ran for 2,097 yards and carried a Christian Ponder-led team to the playoffs. The end of Peterson's tenure in Minnesota may have been wonky, and the end of his career was forgettable, but he was the face of the franchise for years as the Vikings struggled to find a quarterback. Williams never received the fanfare of Peterson, but he was a force from 2003 to 2013. He had 60 sacks, scored four defensive touchdowns, and was selected to the All-Pro First-Team five times in six years. As one half of the "Williams Wall" with fellow defensive tackle Pat Williams, Kevin and the Vikings' defense led the league in run defense for three straight years from 2006 to 2008. They ranked second against the run in the magical 2009 season. The last two spots are where this list gets tough. Smith's career feels like Kevin Williams', where the national perception never quite matched his on-field production and local love. Allen, meanwhile, was a firecracker both as a player and with his personality. Allen registered 85.5 sacks in six seasons with the Vikings, his best season coming in 2011. Despite going 3-13, Allen racked up 22 sacks, a Vikings record, and half a sack short of Michael Strahan's league record. He was voted First-Team All-Pro three times in six seasons with Minnesota. Smith is entering his 14th NFL season, all of which have been spent with the Vikings. He's the active leader in interceptions (37) and has 20.5 sacks, making him the sixth player in NFL history to record 35 or more interceptions and 20 or more sacks in his career. These two deserve to be on a list like this, but the reason they aren't slam dunks in this particular exercise is because of the omission of Randy Moss. The article even alludes to this, saying that the final spot came down to Smith and Moss. Leaving wideout Randy Moss off this list was incredibly difficult. However, the Hall of Famer spent more seasons outside of Minnesota than he did with the Vikings after the year 2000, and he cemented his spot in Canton as a New England Patriot. Our last spot instead goes to safety Harrison Smith, a six-time Pro Bowler who is about to play his 14th season for the Vikings. Despite only playing five full seasons with the Vikings from 2000-04 (and a brief second stint in 2010), Moss still caught 425 passes for 6,416 yards and 62 touchdowns. He may not have played as long as the other players on this list, but Moss was the best receiver in the league when he played for the Vikings. Of course, that'd open up a discussion to have Justin Jefferson on the list, as he has played the same number of regular-season games as Moss did in his first stint with the team. Perhaps this list is perfect and rightly excludes two dominant receivers who didn't have the same tenure as other players on the list.
