Vikings Schedule ‘Top 30’ Visit with Derrick Harmon

Potential first-round pick getting a closer look from the Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings continue their due diligence in preparation for the 2025 NFL Draft now just a month away. The latest effort is setting up ‘Top 30’ prospect visits, which typically happen in the first part of April. These visits are conducted at the Vikings’ facility in Eagan and give the team a more extensive look at a prospect than is available at other events earlier in the year.

A ‘Top 30’ visit may not result in that prospect being drafted by the Vikings, but it often indicates greater interest or unresolved questions about the prospect from the Vikings’ scouting department.

Last year, the Vikings met with J.J. McCarthy, Dallas Turner, Taki Taimani, and Gabriel Murphy in ‘Top 30’ visits, among others, and ended up drafting or acquiring all four of them.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at a potential first-round prospect the Vikings will be hosting at TCO Performance Center soon.

DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon

Harmon is the only potential first-round draft pick the Vikings have scheduled a ‘Top 30’ visit with so far. The Vikings made a couple big splashes at defensive tackle in free agency by acquiring Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, but both are over 30 and sustained significant injuries last season so drafting a young defensive tackle to take over in a year or so makes sense. The Vikings acquired Taki Taimani, also a defensive tackle out of Oregon who wore #55, last year as an undrafted free agent.

Harmon played his first three seasons at Michigan State before transferring to Oregon for his senior year. He finished with 45 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss including 5 sacks, 4 batted passes, and 2 forced fumbles last season. He has the size, length, athleticism, and strength to be a force inside at 6’4 1/2”, 313 pounds with 34 3/8” arms and 10 3/8” hands. He says he models his game after Chiefs’ All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones.

PFF Draft Profile

PFF has Harmon as their 30th-ranked prospect.

Harmon committed to Michigan State as a three-star recruit, and after redshirting his first season, he was a rotational starter in 2022 and a full-time starter in 2023 before transferring to Oregon.

Harmon wins with quickness — a quick first step, quick hands into the body and an ability to dictate contact. He can get low and maintain a low pad level in a four-point stance, but his high-waisted build is more obvious in a three-point stance, making it tough for him to get low and not pop up immediately after the snap. He pairs his long arms with upper-tier hand speed to make initial contact or execute a pass-rush move.

He always finishes his gap-shooting and cross-face moves with a rip to get clean. His hand work is where he disrupts; he is difficult to stay in front of and latched onto. He displays a high football IQ and the “why” of defensive line play. Harmon constantly communicates pre-snap and has a good motor and a competitive attitude through the whistle.

Harmon was the 10th highest graded (83.9) defensive tackle among the 2025 draft class in FBS last season, including 3rd highest (86.3) as a pass rusher. He led the FBS among DTs in quarterback pressures with 55 last season and 3rd highest pass rush win rate (17.6%) in his draft class with at least 100 snaps. He tied for the highest true pass set grade (91.2) and had the second-highest pass rush productivity ranking (9.1).

He ranked 34th in run defense grade at 80.5.

Lance Zierlein (NFL.com) Draft Profile

NFL.com has Harmon as their 28th ranked prospect.

Overview

Position-versatile building block that makes moving the football a much tougher task. Harmon is wide, long and naturally powerful at the point of attack. He can create traffic jams inside as a two-gapper or stunt and power his way into the backfield. He’s unlikely to be a primary sack man, but he can be part of a swarm unit that batters the pocket. He’s high-cut and tight-hipped, which limits his agility and reactive athleticism to finish. Harmon can play up and down the line in both odd and even fronts. He will bring an instant dose of stinginess and toughness to any defense he joins.

Strengths

Exceptional blend of size, length and strength make him tough to move.

Versatility to play up and down the line in odd or even fronts.

Punch is quick, powerful and efficient to stall the block.

Capable as a block collector to keep his linebacker clean.

Twitchy upper body to peek-a-boo the block and shed to runner’s lane choice.

Uses arm-over or rip move to penetrate the gap.

Creates rush momentum to roll downhill once he hits an edge.

Weaknesses

Carries bad weight on top-heavy frame with tightness in his hips.

Gets caught behind lateral blocks when he shouldn’t.

Inconsistent to finish his plays after gaining advantage.

Rush is linear with a lack of upper-body turn to flip edges.

Footwork becomes too static, preventing secondary rush.

Pad level and agility issues create missed tackles in tight quarters.

Sources Tell Us

“He plays like a Raven or a Steeler. Off the tape, he reminds me of a young Cam Heyward but bigger.” — NFC executive

Dane Brugler, The Athletic

Brugler has Harmon as his 19th-ranked prospect.

Harmon is a player who can win in different ways. He forces blockers to attack air because of his lateral explosiveness, but he also uses strong, crafty hands to swat away their reaches as he bursts through gaps to close on the ball carrier.

He must become a more consistent finisher, but there wasn’t a more disruptive interior defensive lineman in college football this season.

Another good write-up on Harmon can be found here from Steelers Depot.

Derrick Harmon Highlights