NFL Mock Draft: Vikings 5-round 2025 projection before free agency begins

Despite going 14-3 during the 2024 NFL regular season, the Minnesota Vikings met a disappointing end as they took an embarrassing 27-9 defeat in the Wild Card Round to the Los Angeles Rams.

Now, the Vikes are facing an offseason in which players who took 45% of the team's offensive and defensive snaps this past year will hit the open market in free agency. For those wondering, that's easily the highest percentage in the NFL.

We won't get into all of Minnesota's pending free agents, but just this portion of the list should get the point across:

• Sam Darnold, QB
• Aaron Jones, RB
• Cam Akers, RB
• Cam Robinson, OT
• Byron Murphy, CB
• Stephon Gilmore, CB
• Shaquill Griffin, CB
• Camryn Bynum, S

The good news for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and newly crowned NFL Coach of the Year Kevin O'Connell is that Minnesota has nearly $60 million in salary cap space to work with. So, they're undoubtedly in a great position to re-sign some of these key contributors while also going after some outside help.

And free agency will certainly have to be where the Vikings bolster their roster, as they'll have a difficult time doing so in the 2025 NFL Draft.

While still in possession of their first-round selection (No. 24), the Vikes dealt their second-, third-, and fourth-round picks a year ago and lost their sixth- and seventh-rounders to the Cleveland Browns in 2023 as part of the Za'Darius Smith trade.

Minnesota received a fifth-rounder from Cleveland in that deal, which gives them two picks in Round 5 (projected Nos. 140 & 161) this April. The Vikes are also expected to get a compensatory pick at the end of Round 3 (projected No. 97) for losing Kirk Cousins in free agency last March.

But as it stands currently, those four picks are it. So, here's our attempt to predict what the Vikings will do with their limited selections.

Round 1, Pick 24: CB Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame)

With the Vikings likely to lose at least one of their current cornerbacks in free agency, it stands to reason that they could target the position with their first-round selection. They could go defensive line here as well, but we'll call for them to restock the CB room.

If he's still on the board, Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison would be a strong fit for the Minnesota defense.

A hip injury limited Morrison to just six games in 2024, but he's expected to be fully healthy heading into the draft. In 31 games with the Fighting Irish over three seasons, the Virginia native recorded nine interceptions and 18 passes defended.

The Vikings led the NFL in interceptions this past season, which was one of the big reasons why the team won 14 games, so adding a ballhawk like Morrison seems like a no-brainer.

Round 3, Pick 97: DT Aeneas Peebles (Virginia Tech)

Defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles began his collegiate career at Duke and steadily improved during his four-year run in Durham, earning Third-Team All-ACC honors in 2023.

With a year of eligibility remaining, he hit the transfer portal and played this past year at Virginia Tech, raising his stock by earning First-Team All-ACC honors after recording 31 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and three passes defended.

At 6-foot-1 and 290 pounds, he's a little undersized for an NFL defensive tackle, but he's got a dynamic first step off the line. His versatility is also an asset, as he can rotate throughout the interior. Peebles may be viewed by some as a project, but he's got the potential to be a bit of a steal with the right team.

Round 5, Pick 140: RB Trevor Etienne (Georgia)

While the Vikings could very well re-sign Aaron Jones, they'll still need to look to the future at running back and Trevor Etienne could be that guy.

Like Jones, Etienne, who is the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars back Travis Etienne, is a solid dual-threat option, as he's a strong downhill runner who also has great hands in the passing game.

In three seasons in the SEC, the first two with the Florida Gators and one with the Georgia Bulldogs, Etienne rushed for 2,081 yards with 23 touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and added another 432 yards on 62 receptions.

The Vikings might be able to get away with taking him with their second pick in the fifth round, but they might not want to take that risk.

Round 5, Pick 161: C Jake Majors (Teas)

With Garrett Bradbury being PFF's 27th-ranked center in the league this past season and having just one year remaining on his contract, the Vikings have undoubtedly already started thinking about how to replace him.

And that replacement could very well be Jake Majors, who's been a stalwart on the Texas Longhorns' offensive line over the last four years.

While solid in the running game, Majors excels in pass protection and allowed just one sack and eight quarterback hits during his entire career in Austin.

Remember how Sam Darnold was sacked nine times in the Vikings' playoff loss to the Rams? A guy like Majors could help in that department.