2025 NFL draft
Predicting the Vikings’ 2025 draft class

With the 2025 NFL draft beginning this Thursday, eyes are turning to the Vikings front office and who they’ll be taking over the course of the three-day event in Green Bay. Although Minnesota has the fewest picks going into the draft with four, they do still have a first-round pick at number 24, and they could add to their selection haul with potential trades in the offing.

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his team have spent months poring over hundreds of prospects in an effort to find the best fit for our roster going into 2025. In that same vein, our fan club experts have run through untold draft simulations to work out in advance who we might take. Here are our definitive 2025 mock drafts from John, Reece and Big Deal Rich!

What picks do the Vikings have in the 2025 draft?

Before we get into the mocks, here are the picks the Vikings currently have at the time of writing.

  • Round 1, pick 24
  • Round 3, pick 97 – compensatory selection
  • Round 5, pick 139 – from Cleveland Browns
  • Round 6, pick 187 – from San Francisco 49ers

John Macdonald

John’s mock draft

John decided to run his mock draft without any trades, leaving the Vikings with their stock four picks.

  • Round 1, pick 24 – Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
    • Once again, the Vikings find themselves in the middle of the draft, but after the amazing work done in the offseason, I feel that gives us the opportunity to take BPA (best player available) and Starks was most definitely in my mock draft. The Hitman can’t play forever and getting in a player of Starks’ quality to play alongside and learn from Smith is a smart move in my mind.
  • Round 3, pick 97 – Jared Wilson, IOL, Georgia
    • It was a long time waiting for this pick, but when I saw Wilson was there, I knew it had to be him. Helping to boost the line, he is probably the second best center in this draft, and playing for Georgia, he knows how to win. Ryan Kelly has had injuries in the past few years and is 31 years old now, so I think drafting his replacement now is a smart move.
  • Round 5, pick 139 – R. J. Harvey Jr, RB, UCF
    • In a draft stacked with running backs, I think we can wait this one out. Once again, it’s drafting for the future not for the now, but I think Harvey would be a steal here.
  • Round 6, pick 187 – Zy Alexander, CB, LSU
    • This is a area of need but I don’t think that there was the quality when I was picking to take them. Alexander could be a good player in few years, so why not try and see what he has about him.

Reece Field

Reece’s mock draft

Reece’s draft included the possibility of trades for every team, resulting in him trading back pick 187 for a later pick in the sixth round and an extra seventh-round selection.

  • Round 1, pick 24 – Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
    • In my opinion, the Vikings should go safety in the first round if one of the two top safeties – Nick Emmanwori and Malaki Starks – are still on the board. Starks, in my opinion, is the best of the two.
  • Round 3, pick 97 – Shemar Turner, DL, Texas A&M
    • The Vikings invested wisely on the defensive line in free agency but focused on bringing in older players. A younger talent should be brought in now in the draft to train up to take over in a couple of years time. At this point in my mock draft, Turner was the best defensive lineman available.
  • Round 5, pick 139 – R. J. Harvey Jr, RB, UCF
    • I couldn’t believe Harvey was still there, he’s an absolute steal. I had him going in the third round, if not early fourth. He’s a good outside runner, likes to bounce outside a lot, which is why he may slip. In my opinion, he’s very much like recent Vikings acquisition Jordan Mason.
  • Round 6, pick 203 – Ajani Cornelius, OT, Oregon
    • This was the first of two selections I got in return for pick 187. With the likes of David Quessenberry and Cam Robinson no longer being on the team, it felt like bringing in a second Walter Rouse-type prospect was a smart thing to do. He’s someone that can be built up. We know he probably won’t start with the strength of our starting tackles, but it’s good to have dependable offensive linemen. You can never have too many!
  • Round 7, pick 221 – Dont’e Thornton, WR, Tennessee
    • I feel like you should always pick up skill position players when you can, and Thornton looked like a fun wide receiver. He’d probably be a priority UDFA for me if he wasn’t picked up, but considering I had a pick available, that’s why I went for him.

Big Deal Rich

Big Deal Rich’s mock draft

Rich’s mock draft also didn’t include any trades, giving the Vikings four picks in 2025.

  • Round 1, pick 24 – Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
    • If Hampton is on the board at 24, and we don’t get a decent offer to trade back, I’d take him. Jones is a great RB and person, but his durability is questionable and he’s expensive next season so I expect this to be his last as a Viking. Jeanty is obviously the number 1 RB in the draft, but Hampton isn’t as far off as people think. Let’s build an elite offense.
  • Round 3, pick 97 – Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon
    • Kwesi has said TE is a position we need to address, and while this draft is heavy in edge, RBs and linemen, I think we can snag a good TE with our pick 97. Ferguson ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.63 seconds) among tight ends at the Combine, and he tied for the quickest 10-yard split. We know we need TE depth and Hock wasn’t used as he has been last season, so I think this is a sound pick.
  • Round 5, pick 139 – R. J. Mickens, S, Clemson
    • Smith coming back wasn’t really on the cards, but it does allow us to take a safety in the draft and allow him to learn for a year and share reps. RJ can actually play multiple positions as a defensive back but projects best as a safety. With B-Flo loving dynamic players, this sounds like an ideal match. Being the son of a former NFL player helps and he’s said to have good football IQ.
  • Round 6, pick 187 – Simeon Barrow, DT, Miami (FL)
    • At this end of the draft, you are very much relying on your scouting room. We’ve done well to strengthen the trenches, and we have LDR waiting in the wings, but adding depth here is a sound decision. Barrow started life as a defensive end, but has become one of college football’s most dependable DTs. With some time in the coaching room, he could be a real asset to the Vikings for years to come.

What do you think the Vikings should do with each of their picks? Strengthen positions of need, best player available or trade back? Let us know via our social media platforms or drop us an email at UKVikingsFanClub@gmail.com