Some positions need more help than others. While the Vikings have already addressed both the offensive and defensive lines, they remain on the hunt for more interior talent. Cornerback still needs plenty of help, too. Wide receiver, tight end and safety would all make some sense too, depending on who you ask. And we haven’t even touched on possible trade back scenarios.

Ohio State guard to the Minnesota Vikings

But in his most recent mock draft rendition, NFL Draft GOAT, Mel Kiper (ESPN) has the Minnesota Vikings sticking and picking at No. 24 overall. Their pick? Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson, a 6’4″ 315 lb beefeater originally from Cypress, TX that would likely signal the end for Blake Brandel at starting LG, completing the interior offensive line overhaul of 2025.

“Minnesota signed guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly away from the Colts. It’s a big improvement on the interior offensive line. Let’s take it a step further. Jackson would replace Blake Brandel at the other guard spot, and he has the versatility to kick outside if needed. He did so this past season when Josh Simmons got hurt for Ohio State. That seems relevant given left tackle Christian Darrisaw is recovering from a left knee injury. Jackson is a plug-and-play interior blocker with great agility and technique; he allowed four sacks over 40 career starts.”

Mel Kiper – ESPN

It’s fair that Minnesota’s decision in the first round could come down to a guard or cornerback. Kiper notes, “the Vikings do not have a second-round pick, but they could find a solid cornerback at the end of Round 3.” That would be the gamble they must be willing to take.

We don’t yet know if the Vikings will trade down, but that could be another avenue in which they accrue draft capital. Jackson spent four seasons with the Buckeyes and played 51 games at the collegiate level. He was ranked the second-best guard at the NFL Combine and earned a grade designating him as “a future plus starter.”

Ohio State OG/OT Donovan Jackson (#74, LT) IMO is the most fundamentally sound and NFL prepared player in this Draft. https://t.co/fhiTnT4n7g pic.twitter.com/nccbMQthPF

— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) April 7, 2025

Minnesota going with a guard in the first round would more than signify a commitment to new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy. They also should fare better in the running game. Both outcomes are a positive for O’Connell’s offense and could vault them forward in 2025.

Is guard the right choice for MN Vikings?

The offensive line has been addressed substantially already. Do they feel that keeping Blake Brandel starting is stopping short of a necessary overhaul, or that he’s capable with new pieces around him? Cornerback, on the other hand, is potentially one starter short of being addressed.

Byron Murphy Jr. is back and will operate as the top cornerback. Isaiah Rodgers is a new free agent acquisition that will join him in the starting lineup. They lost Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin to free agency, and that means there is still one starting role they need to fill.

Related: Sportsbooks Not Buying the Draft Plans Kwesi and the MN Vikings are Selling…

Jeff Okudah recently signed as a depth addition. Nahshon Wright was waived and takes a name out of the room. There’s also Mekhi Blackmon who is returning after missing last season, and undrafted cornerback Dwight McGlothern Jr.

Maybe the board doesn’t put them in a position to grab a corner, but if a top option is there, it’s probably a spot they should seriously consider. A guard isn’t going to hurt either, but Minnesota has multiple avenues they could take.

We can expect the MN Vikings to remain active from now until the draft, as they build out a 90-man training camp roster for July. With the higher-end free agents mostly picked through, it is about that time where we turn our focus from free agency to the draft.

When the 2025 offseason began, the Vikings had all sorts of salary cap space to work with, which helps explain the blaze of action, out of the free agency gates. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Minnesota’s draft capital, even after they finally received their third round compensatory pick for Kirk Cousins (kind of).

Kiper Mock: Minnesota Vikings select top CB in 2025 NFL Draft

As things stand currently the Minnesota Vikings are armed with just four draft picks to spend in late-April. Their first selection is No. 24 overall (1st round). That will be the pick that garners most of the conversation between now and April 26.

One name that has become synonymous with NFL Draft season is the original draft expert, Mel Kiper (ESPN), who released the latest version of his 2025 mock draft Tuesday morning. There, he has the MN Vikings selecting Texas Longhorns cornerback, Jahdae Barron, at No. 24 overall.

“Minnesota made some big splashes in free agency as it tries to take the NFC North from the Lions. Among them were deals to re-sign Byron Murphy Jr. and bring in Isaiah Rodgers, but I’m not sure the Vikings should — or will — be done adding to the cornerback room.

Barron, meanwhile, picked off five passes last season, showing his ball skills. He ran a 4.39 at the combine, showing his speed. And he played more than 600 snaps at both slot corner and outside corner over the past two seasons, showing his versatility. I really like this fit.”

Mel Kiper – ESPN

Who is Jahdae Barron?

Barron spent five seasons with the Longhorns and worked into a starting role as a junior in 2022. Across 16 games last season he recorded a career-high 46 tackles including a sack. His five interceptions led the SEC and he was named an All-American. Barron also took home the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Land More Young Talent on Defense

Barron is 5’11” and weighed in at 194 pounds during the combine. He showed off great speed with a 4.39 second 40-yard dash. He has been playing at a high level throughout his college career, and should be expected to start out of the gate.

CFB Analyst Kirk Herbstreit just raved over Jahdae Barron on the Pat McAfee show

“He’s in run support, he’s blitzing, he’s playing space, he’s playing man. I mean the versatility is off the charts”

Former NFL DB Darius Butler compared Barron to All-Pro DB Malcolm Jenkins… pic.twitter.com/y5I9cr0BsY

— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) March 4, 2025

MN Vikings secondary must get stronger

The reality is that the Minnesota Vikings’ secondary still leaves a lot to be desired. They need another cornerback, and could use more proven talent at safety, after letting Cam Bynum walk in free agency. The organization is excited about Theo Jackson, but even so, Harrison Smith can’t put off his retirement forever.

On Tuesday, the Vikings signed veteran cornerback Jeff Okudah, who they hosted on Monday. Last season, Byron Murphy Jr. held down Minnesota’s CB1 spot, with Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin next to him as starters. In 2025, the two latter names are gone.

Okudah has five years of NFL experience, but lost much of three of those seasons due to injuries. The MN Vikings hope Okudah can be the latest buy-low free agent signing who turns their career around at TCO Performance Center, in hopes of resetting his market for another shot at free agency in 2026.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Fail to Find Trade Partner for Former 1st Round Pick

Brian Flores will look to work his magic again this season, but his ultimate goal remains landing another head coaching gig. The sooner that Minnesota’s defense can take a step forward, especially in the secondary, the better.

Minnesota Vikings facing major questions in their 2025 secondary

The list of pending free agents includes cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore, Shaquill Griffin and Bryon Murphy Jr. Minnesota’s secondary could include new faces at safety, too, with Harrison Smith again pondering retirement and Cam Bynum also due for free agency.

This will force the Vikings to be aggressive in courting defensive backs throughout the offseason. Surely, they will look to the free agent market, and they have money to spend in that area. Another route to fixing their CB problems is through the 2025 NFL Draft.

Kiper Jr. projects cornerback to the Minnesota Vikings

ESPN’s Mel Kiper — one of the most trusted names in the NFL Draft scouting and mock drafting world — released his first 2025 NFL mock draft on Wednesday, where he projects the Minnesota Vikings to select Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison with the 24th overall pick.

Morrison missed all but six games in 2024 with a hip injury, but he’s a top-tier cover man. He has sound technique, and he has the ball skills to keep Minnesota’s INT total high.

-Mel Kiper Jr. (ESPN)

Related: ESPN Analyst Confident the Vikings Will Sign Sam Darnold to Lucrative Contract Extension

The Vikings led the National Football league in interceptions last season. Without a doubt, Morrison would help in that area going forward. In three years at Notre Dame, Benjamin Morrison pulled in nine interceptions, to go with 84 total tackles.

Benjamin Morrison! 🔒🔒🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Or6F1Hyp2E

— WeAreDBnation (@WeAreDBNation1) May 25, 2024

What other positions could the Minnesota Vikings target?

Although the Vikings could end up thin at cornerback, they have other positions of need that could be filled with their first round pick. Both the offensive and defensive line could use upgrades in the offseason. Quarterback Sam Darnold was sacked nine times in the playoff loss to the Rams.

The defensive line was elite against the run this year, but often struggled at creating pressure. These could be two spots the Vikings look to improve with their 24th overall pick. This is especially true if the Vikings are able to resign any of their free agent corners.

What lies ahead

The Minnesota Vikings have many more questions to answer before they decide what to do in the first round of the draft. For example, who will be the quarterback next season and will Brian Flores be back as defensive coordinator? Who will they be able to sign in free agency?

Related: Vikings Finally Get Kevin O’Connell Contract Extension Done; Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Up Next

The answers to all of these questions will influence what the team ultimately decides to do with the 24th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Until we know more of that context, it’ll be difficult to really predict who the Minnesota Vikings will target, or what position.

In other words, he was the original self-taught online draft guru… before the internet existed. Back when finding information/footage of each individual player would have been next to impossible. I mean, this dude has been chatting and sparring with NFL GMs since before phones went wireless, and I’m not talking cell phones (which he still doesn’t own, apparently).

"Who in the hell is Mel Kiper anyway?"

25 years ago today: the biggest beef in #NFLDraft history 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/qaaRHEf9NI

— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) April 24, 2019

The only thing more timeless than Mel Kiper’s draft acumen is his hair. Anyway, when I flipped thru Mel’s draft grades on Sunday morning, it caught my eye when I noticed that he was VERY down on the Minnesota Vikings 2024 draft class. How down, exactly?

Mel Kiper Jr grades the Minnesota Vikings draft near bottom of NFL

Well, out of all 32 NFL teams, Kiper only graded five in the “C” range. The 27 other teams got a B- or better. At this point, you’ve probably already realized as much, but the Vikings were one of those five C’s. But hey, at least we aren’t the Falcons, who received Mel’s only C. Minnesota, and a few others were awarded C+.

• Cleveland Browns: C+
• Denver Broncos: C+
• Minnesota Vikings: C+
• Tennessee Titans: C+
• Atlanta Falcons: C

It isn’t the 1st round picks that Mel hates so much, regarding the Vikings’ draft, though he clearly would have rather Kwesi waited for a cornerback to fall to them at pick No. 23, instead of trading up to No. 17 for Dallas Turner.

Related: Vikings Make it Clear a Justin Jefferson Contract Extension is Happening… and Soon

Still, his issue is more so with all the picks that they gave up both in this year’s draft and for 2025. Minnesota have only three total picks next year (for now), after the move they made for Dallas Turner on Thursday night.

My qualm about GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s class has more to do with mortgaging the future of this Minnesota roster. He made the move in March to get an extra first-rounder at No. 23, which cost him a second-round pick next year. And to trade up from No. 23 to No. 17, he had to give the Jaguars his 2025 third- and fourth-rounders. That means the Vikings have just three selections next year: one in Round 1 and two in Round 5. With a rookie quarterback under center, are they really in position to go all-in right now? This is after they had just two picks in Rounds 1-3 this year.

Dallas Turner (17) is my top-ranked edge rusher, but Minnesota had a greater need at cornerback. This defense ranked 28th in the league in passing yards allowed to receivers (3,019) last season. I was a little surprised Adofo-Mensah didn’t target one of the top corners instead. He finally went corner with his next pick, but that was all the way in Round 4.

Mel Kiper – ESPN+

At the end of the day, only the future knows how well Kwesi Adofo-Mensah performed in this draft. But given his short history of underwhelming prior draft classes — which includes misses like trading back for Lewis Cine, instead of sticking and picking Kyle Hamilton amongst a plethora of other questionable decisions — Kiper’s criticisms is worrisome, if nothing else.

In the past, however, we’ve criticized Kwesi for using too much of an analytical approach and trusting the “value chart” over acquiring the most talented players. Now, we’re getting the polar opposite reactions. Does that mean the Vikings flipped too far in the wrong direction? Again, time will tell us the answer to that question.

Read More: Vikings 2024 NFL Draft Grades, Pick Analysis, Undrafted Free Agent Signings

• 1 (10) : J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
• 1 (17) : Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama
• 4 (108) : Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon
• 6 (177) : Walter Rouse, OT, Oklahoma
• 6 (203) : Will Reichard, K, Alabama
• 7 (230) : Michael Jurgens, C, Wake Forest
• 7 (232) : Levi Drake Rodriguez, DT, Texas A&M-Commerce