Top 20 Vikings Targets for Day 2 of 2025 NFL Draft
The 1st round of the NFL draft happened on Thursday, but two more rounds will happen on Friday and the 4th through 7th rounds will take place on Saturday.
The Vikings selected Ohio State offensive guard Donovan Jackson with their 1st-round pick, but are not scheduled to select a player again until the 33rd selection of the 3rd round.
That means 64 selections will happen before the Vikings are back on the clock, assuming they don’t elect to trade future picks in exchange for the opportunity to move up in the order.
Let’s assume the Vikings stand pat and make their next selection near the end of the 3rd round. In that event, here are 20 possible targets for the Vikings to consider in the lead up to their next pick.
Oh, and the selection of Jackson was excellent for the Vikings on Thursday night. By adding Jackson, the Vikings upgrade their offensive line and complete an offseason makeover up front. They now have three new starters on the interior of their line, a great development for young quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Top of the Board
It would be a shock if any of these players remained on the board for the Vikings near the end of the 3rd round. Many of these players had a chance to be selected in the 1st round, but had some issue that prevented teams from calling their name.
S Nick Emmanwori: Would challenge for a starting spot next to Harrison Smith in 2025 and would be Smith’s heir apparent in the back end of the Vikings’ defense.
DT Omarr Norman-Lott
Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku
CB Will Johnson: No one would’ve thought twice had the Vikings selected Johnson in the 1st round. He was one of the top rated coverage corners in college football in 2023 but an injury hampered his play in 2024.
Edge Mike Green
CB Tre Amos
Luxury Selections for the Offense
WR Luther Burden III: An immediate upgrade at WR3 over Jalen Nailor and an eventual replacement for Jordan Addison.
WR Kyle Williams: Speedy, big-play presence and also figures to challenge Nailor and eventually Addison for status.
RB TreVeyon Henderson
C Jared Wilson
S Xavier Watts: The last safety with a legitimate chance to start for the Vikings in 2025 and eventually take over for Smith.
Defensive Building Blocks
The following seven prospects all qualify similarly - they would be unlikely to earn starting spots from the jump but would contribute on defense and special teams as rookies and project to eventually earn starting spots.
DT TJ Sanders: Would give the nod to Sandes over Turner because Sanders projects to be a three-down defender equally capable of impacting as a rusher or run defender. Also, Sanders may have position flexibility between three tech and five tech in Brian Flores’ scheme.
LB Demetrius Knight, Jr.: A supremely aggressive and gifted downhill defender, Knight, Jr. is excellent in the box and penetrating in the backfield.
DT Shemar Turner
CB Benjamin Morrison
Edge Nick Scourton
Edge Landon Jackson
CB Shevon Revel, Jr.: I have Revel, Jr. lower than most, but I’m not necessarily right. If either Revel or Morrison are on the board near the end of the 3rd round, it should be an easy decision for the Vikings.
Run on Running Backs
On paper the Vikings are set at RB1 and RB2 for 2025, but that’s assuming health. And that’s only for the next season. Adding a running back in the draft this year makes sense from a roster-building standpoint both because of the Vikings need and because this class provides plenty of good options, including the following five backs.
RB Quinshon Judkins
RB Kaleb Johnson
RB DJ Giddens: Not many agree with me, but Giddens is one of my favorite backs in this class. The Kansas State product has great balance and a low center of gravity, plus he has breakaway speed and can help as a receiver on passing downs.
RB Cam Skattebo
WR Savion Williams: This is a creative submission under the ‘running back’ categorization because Williams is technically a wide receiver. In practice, though, Williams is as much a runner as he is a receiver. He can take direct snaps, he can take handoffs, he can run routes, he can return kicks.