With three weeks until the NFL draft, here’s what to know about the Vikings’ picks, positions of need

The 2025 NFL draft is nearly here.

It doesn’t assume to be as exciting for the Vikings as last year’s, when Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy was selected No. 10 overall and Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner at No. 17.

Still, how the Vikings choose to spend their first-round pick and whether they move any of their current picks to acquire more brings some intrigue.

The draft begins 7 p.m. Central time on Thursday, April 24, and will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Green Bay, home of the Vikings’ NFC North rival Packers, is this year’s host of the event.

The Vikings currently have four picks in this year’s draft: No. 24 (Round 1, No. 24), No. 97 (Round 3, No. 33), No. 139 (Round 5, No. 1) and No. 187 (Round 6, No. 11).

Minnesota was awarded its third-round selection via the compensatory pick formula as a result of quarterback Kirk Cousins leaving for Atlanta in 2024.

The Vikings received their fifth rounder from the Browns in a 2023 trade that sent their 2025 sixth- and seventh-round picks, plus pass rusher Za’Darius Smith, to Cleveland. They also received a 2024 fifth-round pick in that trade.

The Vikings traded their No. 160 overall pick and a 2026 pick to the 49ers last month in exchange for running back Jordan Mason and the No. 187 pick.

Minnesota could consider trading out of the first round to acquire more picks deeper in the draft.

The Vikings added at nearly all of their positions of need during free agency, but many of their new players are on the back end of their NFL careers. Adding youth for depth at these positions in the draft will be important:

The one position where the Vikings might not look to add further, at least with their limited draft picks, is running back. After trading for Mason, the Vikings spoke highly of creating a one-two punch with him and Aaron Jones at NFL owners meetings this week.

“When [Jones] has historically had that 1a, 1b backfield structure, he can be a total gamechanger every time he touches the ball,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday. “It was always about bringing Aaron back. ... But what are we going to pair him with?

“There were some potential great options in the draft, there were some other options in free agency, but Jordan Mason was a guy we played against last year. Really felt him in a zone run scheme with kind of gap complements like the Niners do. We really felt like what we were looking for was right before our eyes.”

Defensive back is an increasingly popular prediction for the Vikings’ No. 24 pick in expert mock drafts.

The two DBs who pop up most often are Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron (ESPN’s Field Yates and Mel Kiper Jr.) and South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori (NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah and The Athletic).

At the NFL scouting combine in February, Barron said he’d talked with teams about playing safety, either as a nickel or just on occasion in specific run fits. He played snaps at a variety of positions throughout his five-year college career, but spent most of the 2025 season at corner.

“A lot of teams asked me which I preferred,” Barron said. “I told them I want to play all of them. It always was beneficial to me. ... It allowed me to play much faster, knowing his point was A to B and mine was C to D.”

Players at other positions that pop up for the Vikings in first-round mock drafts include Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (The Ringer) and Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins (CBS Sports).

Pro Football Focus has the Vikings trading out of the first round, dealing with the Seahawks for two Day 2 picks and a 2026 third-round pick. USA Today also projects a trade (with the Patriots), and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has the Vikings making a deal with the Browns.

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