This is the third in a series of previews for the Vikings’ biggest needs in the NFL draft, which begins April 24. Today: Offensive linemen.
Vikings’ outlook
Giving up nine sacks in the wild-card playoff loss to the Rams made it obvious, but the Vikings’ need for offensive line upgrades was well known within the organization before January. They had tired of searching for answers to interior pressure that overwhelmed the middle of their line and had planned to spend big this spring in an effort to fix the line of scrimmage. They were still in the middle of a bidding war for Will Fries when they signed his Colts teammate Ryan Kelly; the center immediately joined the recruiting effort for the Indianapolis guard, who agreed to a five-year, $87.7 million deal with the team the next day. The two interior linemen should bring the physical presence the Vikings need, but there could still be a push to round out the group with another guard.
With J.J. McCarthy preparing to take over the offense, it makes sense for the Vikings to spend their resources on a strong protection plan for the quarterback. That could mean a left guard, where Blake Brandel returns after a rocky end to the 2024 season. Last month, coach Kevin O’Connell tied some of Brandel’s struggles to the loss of left tackle Christian Darrisaw to a knee injury but also mentioned bringing in competition for Brandel at the position. Michael Jurgens and Walter Rouse head into their second seasons, but if the Vikings see Jurgens as their center of the future and plan to develop him behind Kelly, they could use a draft pick on another guard to push Brandel.
Three names to know
G Tyler Booker, Alabama: The 6-5, 321-pound guard would line up next to Darrisaw, giving the Vikings a pair of ironclads on the left side. He’s not as nimble as some of the other options in the draft, but the Vikings incorporated more downhill runs last year and could continue to add to their power-run scheme with Jordan Mason. Booker might aid in that pursuit.
G Donovan Jackson, Ohio State: Jackson isn’t as big as Booker, but at 6-4 and 315 pounds, he would provide size at left guard to go with long arms and big hands. He played some tackle at Ohio State but would seem to fit better as a guard in the NFL and could excel as a run blocker especially.
C/G Grey Zabel, North Dakota State: Depending on the team, he could line up anywhere from center to tackle, though his dimensions (6-6, 312 pounds, with 32-inch arms) probably mean he will line up inside. He has got more mobility to play in a zone scheme, and he showed his athletic ability at the combine, where he led all linemen with a 36½-inch vertical jump and put up 26 reps on the bench press.
One sleeper
G/T Jalen Rivers, Miami (Fla.): He played tackle in college but could be a left guard in the NFL who can grow into a bigger role. At 6-6 and 319 pounds, he’s got the size for the position to go with arm length and movement skill, and he’d likely develop in the NFL if he gets time to focus on one position. He was limited by a knee injury in 2021 and missed time at the end of the 2024 season because of an undisclosed injury.
The Minnesota Star Tribune’s Emily Leiker, Ben Goessling and Andrew Krammer break down NFL draft prospects in the trenches on the Access Vikings podcast. Watch:
