Vikings Links: 14 Days Until The Draft

I’m not counting, yore counting!

As we get closer to the draft, the sentiment is strong for a cornerback or safety or offensive guard this year with the first pick either at #24 or after a trade down. The arguments for these positions are solid with Harrison Smith more than likely being in his last year and the cornerback group still not being as strong as many fans want. The left guard position is being stumped for and with good reason. KOC has proclaimed that he wanted to improve the interior offensive line and they have done two thirds of it so far.

KOC had some high praise to Mr. Brandel.

In particular, O’Connell highlighted the beginning of his season: “But I will say, we wanted to make a commitment last year to Blake, and see what it looked like over the course of a whole season. I thought over the first five, six games, when you really took a step back with him playing next to Christian Darrisaw, he played at a pretty darn high level. There were some moments in there where I really thought Blake was taking that next step.”

Not long afterwards, O’Connell explains that there may need to be “some grace” offered to the lineman as he transitioned to playing alongside newcomer Cam Robinson. The final thought, though, is of O’Connell explaining that others are going to “compete with [Brandel] to win that job.”

There are a lot of fans who want the team to continue rebuilding the offensive line and grab a guard prospect like Grey Zabel or Donovan Jackson. A guard would be a great pick as well. If the rookie could beat out Blake Brandel then Brandel would be the backup lineman. The question is would these two players be a lot better than a player they could get later in the draft.

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Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Alabama lineman Tyler Booker describes his game as ‘legal assault’

“Everybody loves to play football when it is easy, but who loves to play it when it is hard,” Booker said. “I feel like that is what separates the good guys to the great guys in the game of football. Ultimately, I love the aggressiveness and the tenacity of the game of football.

“It’s legal assault out there. I love football because the brand of football I play, I make other guys not love football anymore. I do that every down by giving it my all.”

Booker was a 2-year starter at Alabama while also being a team captain. He was an All-American in 2024, starting in all 13 games. He has a nasty streak as evidenced in the interview, and he is looked at as a guy that will develop into an NFL starter quickly. Several NFL Draft analysts believe he will be drafted in the first round.

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A little old but I do not think I have seen some of this before

Takeaways from Kevin O’Connell’s chat at the owner’s meetings

Bringing back Byron Murphy Jr. was a priority

“There are scheme fits and guys that make sense playing in your system and then there’s guys like Byron Murphy which go beyond that,” O’Connell said. “What I mean by that is that he’s an inside-outside guy that’s a hub of communication.”

“As a corner, the days of…Matt, I’m covering you and I only have to worry about covering you [are over]…now there’s 10 other guys that you have to be linked with. A layer of above-the-neck that Byron brings to our team. He loves football, he’s tough, he’s available for us and making a lot of plays and he turned the ball over a lot last year getting his hands on the football. He earned us wanting him to be here and the contract that came with that.”

O’Connell went into detail about the entire cornerback unit, saying that he feels the room has become quite deep.

“A guy like Jeff Okudah, who we’ve had some experience playing against, we see him as a boundary corner in nickel defense and let him get physical and get his hands on people. Mekhi and [Dwight McGlothern] coming off the years they had, Mekhi was injured and [McGlothern] coming off a development year, we feel really good about those five. Our roster is pretty full at that position right now so it’s going to be competitive throughout the spring especially if we’re able to do anything in the draft.”

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Shaq Griffin visits the Seahawks and could help the Vikings in the process

Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated pointed out that if Griffin leaves the Vikings for the Seahawks, it would be good and bad news for Minnesota. Of course, the Vikings would be losing another cornerback to a group that is struggling to retain its veteran players.

Despite that negative he does point out a positive saying, “Griffin could potentially provide a clearer path to a third extra selection for Minnesota in 2026. If he signs with the Seahawks before this year’s draft for at least $4 million or so, that should be enough to qualify him as a compensatory free agent (CFA).”

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2025 NFL Draft Prospects for Vikings: Offensive Line

Expert rankings

NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah currently has nine offensive linemen in his Top 50: 10. Will Campbell, 12. Armand Membou, 20. Tyler Booker, 24. Grey Zabel, 31. Kelvin Banks, Jr., 37. Josh Simmons, 39. Josh Conerly, Jr., 41. Donovan Jackson and 48. Marcus Mbow.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr., has three offensive linemen in his overall Top 25: 8. Membou, 9. Campbell and 17. Zabel.

Rankings for offensive linemen by Jeremiah, his NFL Media counterpart Bucky Brooks, Kiper, analytics site Pro Football Focus (tackles and interior offensive linemen) and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler are listed below.

**Tyler Booker**

School: Alabama | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-5 | Wt: 321 pounds

Experts’ Position Rankings

Daniel Jeremiah: IOL1

Bucky Brooks: IOL1

Mel Kiper, Jr.: G3

Pro Football Focus: G1

Dane Brugler: G1

Career starts/games played: 26/37 (25 starts at left guard and 1 at left tackle)

Captain’s log: Booker’s leadership at Alabama has been credited and compared with Will Anderson, Jr., the No. 3 pick of 2023 by the Texans. He also led the Crimson Tide with 92 knockdown blocks on 778 offensive snaps in 2024, averaging 7.1 per game.

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Josh Allen could be taking Jordan Addison away from the Minnesota Vikings to challenge Patrick Mahomes and the entire AFC

The Bills are favorites to trade for Jordan Addison

Jordan Addison entered the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings as a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and has simply been spectacular. Up through the 2024 season, the USC product has racked up 133 receptions for 1,786 yards and 19 touchdowns in his short career.

Addison is a sensational receiver, known for his reliable hands and especially his speed-traits he showcased at USC, which earned him that first-round selection.

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Yore Mock

Trades

Trade Partner: Baltimore Ravens

Sent: Round 1 Pick 24

Received: Round 1 Pick 27, Round 4 Pick 27, Round 6 Pick 36

…

Trade Partner: Buffalo Bills

Sent: Round 1 Pick 27

Received:Round 1 Pick 30, Round 4 Pick 30

…

Trade Partner: Pittsburgh Steelers

Sent: Round 4 Pick 27, Round 6 Pick 36

Received: Round 4 Pick 21, Round 7 Pick 13

…

Trade Partner: Las Vegas Raiders

Sent: Round 4 Pick 30

Received: Round 5 Pick 5, Round 6 Pick 4

…

30: R1 P30 G Tyler Booker – Alabama 6’4.5” 321

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97: R3 P33 DL Ty Robinson – Nebraska 6’5.1” 288

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123: R4 P21 S Lathan Ransom – Ohio State 6’0.02” 206

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139: R5 P1 RB Jaydon Blue – Texas 5’9.0” 196

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143: R5 P5 WR Kyle Williams – Washington State 5’10.5” 190

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180: R6 P4 DL Cam’Ron Jackson – Florida 6’6.2” 328

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187: R6 P11 CB Bilhal Kone – Western Michigan 6’1.2” 190

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229: R7 P13 OT Jalen Travis – Iowa State 6’7.6” 339

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UDFA

QB Taylor Elgersma – Laurier

RB Jordan James – Oregon

WR Isaiah Neyor – Nebraska

TE Thomas Fidone – Nebraska

C Jacob Bayer – Arkansas State

LB Brandon George – Pittsburgh

LB Ruben Hyppolite II – Maryland

CB Korie Black – Oklahoma State

S Zion Childress – Kentucky

P Kai Kroeger – South Carolina

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Check Sirles at the 3:56 mark talking about Booker. He goes on to say at the 6:46 mark, that too people get infatuated with what a player can’t do rather than all the great stuff that the player can do and the team can make work.

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