Now that the draft is over and it has been analyzed ad nauseum, we can see the picture of this \u201ctime horizon\u201d that Kwesi speaks of often. Many of the Draft Doofi believed the Vikings were going to trade down. Yet they did not. It is fairly obvious the reason why. Two of the top three interior offensive linemen had been selected already. They did not want to miss out on the other one. It is debatable which guard should have been ranked as the best but system fit is more important than rankings. Maybe you could argue a trade down with the Giants (if it was offered) would have resulted in the Vikings taking Jonah Savaiinaea at 34. They did have him in for a top 30 visit (IIRC). But Jonah only played on the right side and it would have been a transition for him to move over to the left side.<\/p>\n
I think that being content with few picks is not a bad thing for the Vikings. The undrafted free agents may make a contribution but most will likely have to make the practice squad and continue their development. My favorite to make the team is Silas Bolden. The punt returner job is wide open and he is very good at it.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n
Kevin O\u2019Connell sends firm message about the Vikings\u2019 not trading down in NFL Draft<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think Kwesi (Adofo-Mensah) was doing a great job. And Rob (Brzezinski) and our folks in there, kind of, we kind of knew we\u2019d be right in the mix there of potentially (a) team either want(ing) to come up and maybe select a quarterback, maybe another position. But we also have identified some players in a cluster there at certain spots, that if one of those guys were there, it was going to take a certain amount of capital via the trade to even be thinking about moving, and we fielded some calls. We had some conversations and some good dialogue. And ultimately decided to pull the card and draft Donovan Jackson. He was one of those players that we kind of went into (the NFL Draft) and hoping he would be there, and really see a role fit for him and our team that we\u2019re really excited about.<\/p>\n O\u2019Connell was honest about the situation, and he also said what we\u2019ve known teams to do often with a group of players they are comfortable taking at a certain spot. The really important aspect for O\u2019Connell was that he emphasized it would take a certain amount of draft capital to move off of 24. It also says that a trade like the ones that the Giants and Falcons made (if they offered it) wasn\u2019t enough for the Vikings to do just that.<\/p>\n Minnesota Vikings News and Links<\/p>\n KOC all but confirms \u2018bigger, stronger\u2019 J.J. McCarthy as Vikings\u2019 QB1<\/a><\/p>\n Even though it\u2019s rather obvious that J.J. McCarthy is heading into this season as the Vikings\u2019 starting quarterback, Kevin O\u2019Connell has avoided directly saying as much in recent media appearances. That didn\u2019t change on Wednesday, but Minnesota\u2019s head coach may have come closer than he ever has to confirming what anyone with common sense can see.<\/p>\n In an interview with Rich Eisen, O\u2019Connell was asked about Sam Howell and Minnesota\u2019s QB1 situation and went back to an answer he\u2019s used previously, which is that the current phase of the offseason isn\u2019t about competition.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, the rules prohibit even Minnesota Vikings defensive players from lining up across from Minnesota Vikings offensive players,\u201d O\u2019Connell said. \u201cThat\u2019s not what this time of year is about. This is the learning, the teaching phase. So much growth and development can happen during this time, when there\u2019s really no negative outcomes, there\u2019s no plays that don\u2019t go your way. They\u2019re all just learning moments right now, but there\u2019s gonna come a time where that changes.<\/p>\n \u201cJ.J.\u2019s gonna be in a great position to assume and ascend in our organization, but right now, we really don\u2019t have any feelings on competition as much as we\u2019ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know everybody is wildly concerned about these reps on air,\u201d he told Eisen. \u201cLet me put you at peace, Rich. When (McCarthy) is taking snaps, he\u2019s taken plenty of snaps from Ryan Kelly, who happens to be a ten-year starting center in this league. So take that for what it\u2019s worth. I don\u2019t think Vikings fans should be worried about the amount of reps J.J.\u2019s gonna get with the ones. We\u2019re gonna have him ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s healthy, he\u2019s ready for this opportunity, and he\u2019s looking good, O\u2019Connell said. The Vikings have been out on the practice field this week to begin phase two of their offseason program.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s having a great start to his offseason program,\u201d O\u2019Connell said. \u201cHe\u2019s bigger, he\u2019s stronger. I can see it in his arm, I can see it in his movements. I can see just the ownership of playing quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. He gained a lot from last year, albeit not how we all drew it up. But he\u2019s already showing, early on here \u2014 today was our third day of phase two, on the grass \u2014 I think all his teammates feel it, I know the coaches do, myself included. Now, can we just build and build and progress towards when we get our first competitive opportunity come training camp.<\/p>\n \u201cBy owning playing quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings,\u201d O\u2019Connell continued, \u201cthat\u2019s footwork, that\u2019s rhythm, that\u2019s timing, that\u2019s running the huddle, that\u2019s running the show, that\u2019s cadence, that\u2019s identifying defensive structures that he\u2019s gotta be responsible for getting us into the right plays. He\u2019s owning it.\u201d<\/p>\n Report: Vikings pulled their offer to quarterback Daniel Jones<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt sounded like the Vikings thought that Jones was coming back, but then they just got the sense right at the end that he was really not convicted about coming back to Minnesota, ended up taking a little bit less in terms of guaranteed money from the Colts to end up in Indianapolis,\u201d NFL Network\u2019s Tom Pelissero said in an episode of the Ross Tucker Football Podcast released on Wednesday. \u201cWhen you\u2019re Kevin O\u2019Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, you\u2019ve basically formed this system and environment in which any quarterback coming in has played well, and so we think we can do different things.<\/p>\n \u2018If you don\u2019t want to be here, we\u2019re not going to hold you,\u2019 so they pulled the offer to … Jones, and he goes to the Colts.\u201d<\/p>\n Ranking NFL\u2019s top 10 WR duos after Cowboys\u2019 big trade for George Pickens<\/a><\/p>\n 2. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, Vikings<\/p>\n I cover the Vikings, so I watch this duo closer than any other, but I also don\u2019t think this is a biased ranking. Jefferson has been the consensus best receiver in the NFL for most of his record-breaking career. There have been debates for the top spot over the years, pitting him against players like Adams and Hill and Chase, but the one constant has been No. 18 in purple. No one in NFL history has more yards in the first five years of a career, and it\u2019s not close. Jefferson has proven to be unstoppable and quarterback-proof, and even though he\u2019s approaching his 26th birthday, he\u2019s on pace to go down as one of the best to ever do it. Addison, a 2023 first-round pick, has scored 20 touchdowns in two seasons while establishing himself as an excellent WR2. He\u2019s only 23 years old.<\/p>\n 1. Ja\u2019Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Bengals<\/p>\n There isn\u2019t much of a debate for the top spot. Chase is the one player who currently has a real argument against Jefferson in the NFL\u2019s WR1 discussion; he\u2019s coming off a Triple Crown season where he put up a 127-1,708-17 receiving line. Jefferson\u2019s LSU teammate is a threat to rip off a 70-yard touchdown every time he touches the ball, whether that\u2019s on a screen pass or a deep route. And Higgins is a guy who would be the No. 1 receiver on at least half of the teams in the league, if not more. He has four 900-yard seasons in his career and caught ten touchdown passes last season, and yet he\u2019s so talented that it\u2019s reasonable to feel like we haven\u2019t seen his best year yet.<\/p>\n Cowherd says Vikings \u2018may regret\u2019 letting Darnold go, doubles down on last-place prediction<\/a><\/p>\n Fox Sports host Colin Cowherd previously said the Minnesota Vikings have the \u201cworst roster\u201d in the NFC North and predicted they would finish last in the division, and his feelings haven\u2019t changed coming out of the 2025 NFL draft.<\/p>\n On his FS1 show, The Herd, Tuesday, Cowherd updated his predictions for every NFL division following the draft, and he once again had the Vikings finishing last in the North, while the rest of his rankings \u2014 the Detroit Lions winning it, the Chicago Bears securing second and the Green Bay Packers taking third \u2014 also remained unchanged post-NFL draft.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the Bears eke into the playoffs. I think Jordan Love, I like. I think they\u2019re worried about him … they\u2019ve got a couple other needs defensively, and they went with a wide receiver again,\u201d Cowherd said on FS1. \u201cVikings will be a very good fourth-place team. I think letting Sam Darnold go, I think they may regret it.\u201d<\/p>\n Vikings have plenty of reasons for optimism, including a major one nobody is talking about<\/a><\/p>\n Having a strong roster hasn\u2019t been discussed much from a national perspective, but they are primed to be in a great spot to succeed now and in the future. CBS Sports\u2019 Tyler Sullivan mentioned the Vikings\u2019 deep roster being the main reason for optimism this season.<\/p>\n A key storyline throughout next season will be the development of Vikings second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. He was sidelined due to a meniscus injury last season, which helped pave the way for Sam Darnold to produce in the role. As McCarthy now takes the keys to the offense, there may be some level of concern\/wonder about how he will fare. Well, the former Michigan quarterback does have the benefit of having the best collection of talent around him in the league. Minnesota spent the offseason bolstering the interior of the offensive line, further providing McCarthy with protection. Meanwhile, his skill position group is headlined by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones. That\u2019s not mentioning an offensive guru, head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell, in his ear. McCarthy is set up to thrive as he ascends to QB1. <\/p>\n 7 veteran cornerbacks the Vikings could still sign in free agency<\/a><\/p>\n The Vikings didn\u2019t draft a corner this year, choosing only to add a couple undrafted free agents at that spot. Byron Murphy Jr. is locked in as their No. 1 CB, and they\u2019re excited about newcomer Isaiah Rodgers being the No. 2 guy, but after that, there are question marks. The next two on the depth chart are likely Mekhi Blackmon \u2014 who is coming off missing last season with an ACL injury \u2014 and Jeff Okudah, a former top-five pick now on his fourth team in the last four years.<\/p>\n Asante Samuel Jr.<\/p>\n Samuel is the other marquee guy still out there. Still just 25 years old, the former second-round pick is coming off of his rookie contract with the Chargers. He had strong ball production (6 INTs, 35 PD) in his first three seasons, and his grade improved each year. Samuel only played in four games last year due to a neck\/shoulder injury, which might be a cause for concern, but he fits the profile of players the Vikings have liked to target under GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. For now, the rumblings are that Minnesota isn\u2019t interested.<\/p>\n Kendall Fuller<\/p>\n Fuller is one of a bunch of free agent corners, including Douglas and Griffin, who are in that 29-32 age range and are looking for another opportunity. A former third-round pick in 2016, Fuller has spent much of his nine-year career with Washington. Last year, he started 11 games for the Dolphins, missing time with concussions and a knee injury. Fuller can play man, he can play zone, and he\u2019s earned consistently impressive grades throughout his career.<\/p>\n Jones is an interesting one because the Vikings put in a waiver claim for his services in November 2023 but were beaten out by the Raiders, who had a higher priority. Over a three-year career with New England and Las Vegas, the 27-year-old has returned four of his seven interceptions for touchdowns. He graded poorly as a full-time starter last year, but had previously earned solid grades in a rotational role, which is likely what he would have in Minnesota. Jones is an intriguing playmaker who picked off J.J. McCarthy in a preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium last August. He does come with a bit of an off-the-field history, though.<\/p>\n Rasul Douglas<\/p>\n Stephon Gilmore<\/p>\n Shaq Griffin<\/p>\n Jack Jones<\/p>\n C.J. Henderson<\/p>\n Which Vikings player is next in line for an extension? The 5 most likely candidates<\/a><\/p>\n Who\u2019s next? Here are five potential names with recent signings serving as a guide:<\/p>\n Josh Metellus, S\/LB<\/p>\n Josh Oliver, TE<\/p>\n Brian O\u2019Neill, OT<\/p>\n C.J. Ham, FB (what?)<\/p>\n Blake Cashman, LB<\/p>\n