Draft Day Discussion

[Cliff]

So the Vikings ended up with a 1st, a 3rd, a 5th, Sam Howell, and two 6ths. Not too shabby considering.

[CharVike]

So the Vikings ended up with a 1st, a 3rd, a 5th, Sam Howell, and two 6ths. Not too shabby considering.

They did a great job. We had to give up some future capital to get JJM and Turner but it had to be done. I like the way this draft went.

[CharVike]

EAGAN, Minn. — Following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings announced the team agreed to terms with the following 19 undrafted free agents (players are listed alphabetically by last name):

Tyler Batty, OLB, BYU

Silas Bolden, WR, Texas

Max Brosmer, QB, Minnesota

Logan Brown, OL, Kansas

Chaz Chambliss, OLB, Georgia

*Oscar Chapman, P, Auburn (International Player Pathway Program)

Zeke Correll, OL, N.C. State

Dontae Fleming, WR, Tulane

Keenan Garber, CB, Kansas State

Joe Huber, OL, Wisconsin

Austin Keys, LB, Auburn

Robert Lewis, WR, Auburn

Dorian Mausi, LB, Auburn

Bryson Nesbit, TE, North Carolina

Mishael Powell, S, Miami

Tre Stewart, RB, Jacksonville State

Zemaiah Vaughn, CB, Utah

Alex Williams, DL, Middle Tennessee State

Ben Yurosek, TE, Georgia

[VikingsVictorious]

Howell definitely has the sound of a last resort backup qb. They also could have grabbed Shedeur Sanders, but I think having such a high profile player lurking in the background when the starter (JJ) hasn't quite established himself yet can be a problem, where you start getting people calling for Shedeur after a clunky McCarthy game or two. So better to have a backup who is a clear backup.

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/sam-howel ... cea02da32b

Agreed! Don't think they'd want to deal with everything (fair or not) with a backup QB, who doesn't have any NFL experience.

I'm going to go against the herd mentality about Sanders. To me the question is does he have the ability or not. He will most likely become the Browns starting QB before the end of this season and have a good career. If we had drafted him he would have eventually started a game or two that McCarthy misses and we could keep him or trade him for a 2nd or 1st round pick down the road.

[makila]

Agreed! Don't think they'd want to deal with everything (fair or not) with a backup QB, who doesn't have any NFL experience.

I'm going to go against the herd mentality about Sanders. To me the question is does he have the ability or not. He will most likely become the Browns starting QB before the end of this season and have a good career. If we had drafted him he would have eventually started a game or two that McCarthy misses and we could keep him or trade him for a 2nd or 1st round pick down the road.

No argument about there being potential value drafting him low, purely from an asset standpoint.

However, I do not think that is what the Vikings wanted in their QB2 situation. Just my 0.02 for that roster spot.

[Cliff]

Agreed! Don't think they'd want to deal with everything (fair or not) with a backup QB, who doesn't have any NFL experience.

I'm going to go against the herd mentality about Sanders. To me the question is does he have the ability or not. He will most likely become the Browns starting QB before the end of this season and have a good career. If we had drafted him he would have eventually started a game or two that McCarthy misses and we could keep him or trade him for a 2nd or 1st round pick down the road.

I think there's more to it than if he has the ability in this case. Can you imagine McCarthy having a few bad games in a row in his first year? I can see Deion's tweets in my head already. The media hype machine is already in full force over him. It's not good for the team or the development on a young QB in my opinion.

[VikingLord]

I thought the Vikings had a good draft given what they needed to get out of it.

The Jackson pick at #24 met a need but wasn't great value at that slot. Jackson was pretty universally regarded as as mid 2nd round prospect heading into the draft and once the top 2 guards were off the board I was sure KAM would try to trade down into the early 2nd where Jackson made more sense both from a need and value perspective. They must have really liked him because they didn't make the trade and the Giants ended up trading with the Texans at the next pick. Time will tell if Jackson was worth it and he certainly can't be worse than Brandel was, but I felt that KAM could have squeezed a little more juice out of #24. In short, I agree with the pick but not the slot where the pick was made.

The Tai Felton pick was a little puzzling although it is easy to rationalize. He ran well at the Combine and seems to be a logical replacement at some point for Addison if Addison ends up leaving after his rookie deal expires this year. But I felt like there were some very solid secondary players still on the board at that pick. If Felton turns out to be a playmaker, he's great value where the Vikings got him as I felt he probably should have gone a bit earlier, but I didn't see WR as a positional fit for the Vikings at that point in the draft.

I LOVE the Ingram-Dawkins pick. Absolutely love it. Big, powerful guy who gives great effort. I was honestly shocked he was still available in the 5th. Something must have pushed him down the board a bit because from what I've seen of his highlights he looks like the real deal. Very excited to see what he can bring to the defense.

The Kobe King and Gavin Bartholomew picks I don't have any issues with. Both players should be able to compete for backup spots and special teams out of the gate and have potential to develop. Both were reasonable value where they were selected.

I'll give the Vikings a solid 'B' grade. It would have been a 'B+' had KAM traded back out of #24 with the Giants and picked up an extra choice while still getting Jackson, and selecting a WR next didn't match value with need at that spot irrespective of what Felton brings to the field. Ingram-Dawkins was the best selection of this draft for KAM in terms of value and need where he was selected, while the last two picks added solid prospects with development potential even if neither technically plays a position of immediate need.

Oh, and I have to mention the acquisition of Sam Howell as well since he was basically acquired with one of the 5th rounders. Personally, I'm a big fan of Howell. He hasn't lit the league on fire by a long shot since he was drafted. He's not the biggest guy and he's bounced around a bit since he was drafted in 2022. But he's still a young player with a lot of potential who I think could thrive in the right situation with the right coaching staff. Could he be the next Sam Darnold? That is hard to say, but I like him more than I would have liked Daniel Jones backing up McCarthy had Jones decided to stay. Howell's floor is Nick Mullens' ceiling effectively. He will push McCarthy for that starting job even though I expect McCarthy to win it outright. But if Howell is called upon to start at some point I expect him to thrive in this offense. So this was an astute move on the part of KAM and KOC to swing this trade and is excellent value for a 5th.

[VikingLord]

Agreed! Don't think they'd want to deal with everything (fair or not) with a backup QB, who doesn't have any NFL experience.

I'm going to go against the herd mentality about Sanders. To me the question is does he have the ability or not. He will most likely become the Browns starting QB before the end of this season and have a good career. If we had drafted him he would have eventually started a game or two that McCarthy misses and we could keep him or trade him for a 2nd or 1st round pick down the road.

From what I understand Sanders had a horrible attitude in pre-draft interviews and was completely unprepared and that was the experience of multiple teams that interviewed him. In a QB-needy league, it takes great effort for a QB as physically talented as Sanders to universally alienate so many teams that literally nobody wanted to take him until the 5th round.

QB is an important position not just from what someone physically brings to the position, but the attitude and leadership traits they bring to it as well. I've watched a lot of uber-talented QBs fail because they sucked as teammates and leaders. It's hard to say if Sanders will learn a lesson from his fall in the draft, but my money would be on that not happening at this point in his career. If I'm wrong the Browns got a steal. More than likely, Sanders will be a total flop because nobody will want to play with him much less for him.

[psjordan]

Oh, and I have to mention the acquisition of Sam Howell as well since he was basically acquired with one of the 5th rounders. Personally, I'm a big fan of Howell. He hasn't lit the league on fire by a long shot since he was drafted. He's not the biggest guy and he's bounced around a bit since he was drafted in 2022. But he's still a young player with a lot of potential who I think could thrive in the right situation with the right coaching staff. Could he be the next Sam Darnold? That is hard to say, but I like him more than I would have liked Daniel Jones backing up McCarthy had Jones decided to stay. Howell's floor is Nick Mullens' ceiling effectively. He will push McCarthy for that starting job even though I expect McCarthy to win it outright. But if Howell is called upon to start at some point I expect him to thrive in this offense. So this was an astute move on the part of KAM and KOC to swing this trade and is excellent value for a 5th.

Two years ago I was in Denver and decided last minute to attend the Commanders @ Broncos game. Got great seats behind Commanders bench. The most impressive player I saw that day was Howell. 300 yds, 2 tds, 0 int. I thought he had a cannon for an arm, but then again most QB's who make it that far fit that description at some point. I was impressed with his poise and decision making as well. So I was absolutely on board with getting him for basically peanuts during this draft. And yes, I expect KOC is licking his chops with the potential talent he has in the QB room.

[Cliff]

The Jackson pick at #24 met a need but wasn't great value at that slot. Jackson was pretty universally regarded as as mid 2nd round prospect heading into the draft and once the top 2 guards were off the board I was sure KAM would try to trade down into the early 2nd where Jackson made more sense both from a need and value perspective. They must have really liked him because they didn't make the trade and the Giants ended up trading with the Texans at the next pick. Time will tell if Jackson was worth it and he certainly can't be worse than Brandel was, but I felt that KAM could have squeezed a little more juice out of #24. In short, I agree with the pick but not the slot where the pick was made.

Everything I've read had the Texans mocked to take a Guard. Several of them specifically taking Jackson. He likely would have been taken the very next pick if the Vikings traded down. From what I've read him being off the board was specifically why the Texans traded down, not just because the Giants offered the trade.

[makila]

I work with a die hard Texans fan from Houston. His Dad is connected to the organization.

They were taking Jackson imho. The Vikings couldn't drop down at all if they wanted him. Texans only traded because we picked him.

When the other two guards got over drafted before us, it changed the dynamic.

[makila]

The Jackson pick at #24 met a need but wasn't great value at that slot. Jackson was pretty universally regarded as as mid 2nd round prospect heading into the draft and once the top 2 guards were off the board I was sure KAM would try to trade down into the early 2nd where Jackson made more sense both from a need and value perspective. They must have really liked him because they didn't make the trade and the Giants ended up trading with the Texans at the next pick. Time will tell if Jackson was worth it and he certainly can't be worse than Brandel was, but I felt that KAM could have squeezed a little more juice out of #24. In short, I agree with the pick but not the slot where the pick was made.

Everything I've read had the Texans mocked to take a Guard. Several of them specifically taking Jackson. He likely would have been taken the very next pick if the Vikings traded down. From what I've read him being off the board was specifically why the Texans traded down, not just because the Giants offered the trade.

Yup. This.

[VikingLord]

The Jackson pick at #24 met a need but wasn't great value at that slot. Jackson was pretty universally regarded as as mid 2nd round prospect heading into the draft and once the top 2 guards were off the board I was sure KAM would try to trade down into the early 2nd where Jackson made more sense both from a need and value perspective. They must have really liked him because they didn't make the trade and the Giants ended up trading with the Texans at the next pick. Time will tell if Jackson was worth it and he certainly can't be worse than Brandel was, but I felt that KAM could have squeezed a little more juice out of #24. In short, I agree with the pick but not the slot where the pick was made.

Everything I've read had the Texans mocked to take a Guard. Several of them specifically taking Jackson. He likely would have been taken the very next pick if the Vikings traded down. From what I've read him being off the board was specifically why the Texans traded down, not just because the Giants offered the trade.

Whatever happened to the good 'ol days when interior offensive linemen were routinely drafted in the mid-rounds and you could find a franchise player in that range of the draft?

If the Texans were targeting Jackson and KAM and KOC knew they wouldn't be able to get him if they traded back, then they did the right thing. I did expect one of Booker or Zabel to fall to 24 and thought the Vikings would have some room to maneuver there, but it sounds like they wouldn't and they probably didn't like their OG options after Jackson enough to risk it. That's fine by me. It's just that Jackson wasn't being mentioned in the same vein as Booker and Zabel, but who knows if those pre-draft assessments are all that accurate. If multiple teams liked Jackson and thought he merited a 1st round selection, far be it from me to think I know better.

Bottom line for me is the Vikings now have real talent across their offensive line and actually have a chance of giving McCarthy a chance to develop as the starting QB and utilize all the weapons at his disposal. Had they gone into the season with Brandel as their best option at the other guard spot I would have been worried.

[VikingsVictorious]

I'm going to go against the herd mentality about Sanders. To me the question is does he have the ability or not. He will most likely become the Browns starting QB before the end of this season and have a good career. If we had drafted him he would have eventually started a game or two that McCarthy misses and we could keep him or trade him for a 2nd or 1st round pick down the road.

I think there's more to it than if he has the ability in this case. Can you imagine McCarthy having a few bad games in a row in his first year? I can see Deion's tweets in my head already. The media hype machine is already in full force over him. It's not good for the team or the development on a young QB in my opinion.

If JJ has a few bad games in a row Howell could replace him. If anybody replaces JJ I want it to be the most talented player possible. As I said I don't give a rat's #### about media or a circus.

[VikingsVictorious]

I thought the Vikings had a good draft given what they needed to get out of it.

The Jackson pick at #24 met a need but wasn't great value at that slot. Jackson was pretty universally regarded as as mid 2nd round prospect heading into the draft and once the top 2 guards were off the board I was sure KAM would try to trade down into the early 2nd where Jackson made more sense both from a need and value perspective. They must have really liked him because they didn't make the trade and the Giants ended up trading with the Texans at the next pick. Time will tell if Jackson was worth it and he certainly can't be worse than Brandel was, but I felt that KAM could have squeezed a little more juice out of #24. In short, I agree with the pick but not the slot where the pick was made.

The Tai Felton pick was a little puzzling although it is easy to rationalize. He ran well at the Combine and seems to be a logical replacement at some point for Addison if Addison ends up leaving after his rookie deal expires this year. But I felt like there were some very solid secondary players still on the board at that pick. If Felton turns out to be a playmaker, he's great value where the Vikings got him as I felt he probably should have gone a bit earlier, but I didn't see WR as a positional fit for the Vikings at that point in the draft.

I LOVE the Ingram-Dawkins pick. Absolutely love it. Big, powerful guy who gives great effort. I was honestly shocked he was still available in the 5th. Something must have pushed him down the board a bit because from what I've seen of his highlights he looks like the real deal. Very excited to see what he can bring to the defense.

The Kobe King and Gavin Bartholomew picks I don't have any issues with. Both players should be able to compete for backup spots and special teams out of the gate and have potential to develop. Both were reasonable value where they were selected.

I'll give the Vikings a solid 'B' grade. It would have been a 'B+' had KAM traded back out of #24 with the Giants and picked up an extra choice while still getting Jackson, and selecting a WR next didn't match value with need at that spot irrespective of what Felton brings to the field. Ingram-Dawkins was the best selection of this draft for KAM in terms of value and need where he was selected, while the last two picks added solid prospects with development potential even if neither technically plays a position of immediate need.

Oh, and I have to mention the acquisition of Sam Howell as well since he was basically acquired with one of the 5th rounders. Personally, I'm a big fan of Howell. He hasn't lit the league on fire by a long shot since he was drafted. He's not the biggest guy and he's bounced around a bit since he was drafted in 2022. But he's still a young player with a lot of potential who I think could thrive in the right situation with the right coaching staff. Could he be the next Sam Darnold? That is hard to say, but I like him more than I would have liked Daniel Jones backing up McCarthy had Jones decided to stay. Howell's floor is Nick Mullens' ceiling effectively. He will push McCarthy for that starting job even though I expect McCarthy to win it outright. But if Howell is called upon to start at some point I expect him to thrive in this offense. So this was an astute move on the part of KAM and KOC to swing this trade and is excellent value for a 5th.

The draftniks, Kipers, and consensus big boards didn't have a clue about how the guards in this draft were valued. No way in hell could we have traded back and got Jackson. He was picked right about where he should be. A lot of people have him as the best guard in the draft and he could have easily gone before Booker and Zabel.