Minnesota Vikings 2025 NFL Draft Grades

The Minnesota Vikings are coming from a very strong 2024 regular season, ending abruptly in the playoffs. They have built their team to win now and only had five picks coming into this draft. A lot of the blame for the first-round exit in the playoffs was placed on the shoulders of QB Sam Darnold. Last year in the draft, the Vikings drafted QB JJ McCarthy, who didn’t play last season due to injury. With Darnold shipped off to Seattle and McCarthy healthy and ready to take the helm, will the Vikings be able to fill in the gaps in their roster and make a deep playoff run? We’re going to give a grade to all five of the Vikings’ picks in the 2025 Draft Class and then give the entire class an overall score at the end.

Round 1, No. 24: Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State

Blaming Darnold for an early playoff exit is easy, but fixing the problem is different. Darnold was sacked nine times in the Wild Card loss to Los Angeles. Minnesota attacked this weakness early and aggressively by drafting a player who I believe is a great fit within their system. The defensive secondary was also considered a need for the Vikings that could be addressed in the first round, but I think if you believe that you have the QB of the future in McCarthy, then this is the correct pick. Donovan Jackson is a versatile guard or tackle who should be able to immediately contribute at the very least as a rotational player. The Vikings also rely heavily on the run game within their offense, and Jackson is a great run blocker. I give this pick an A. 

Round 3, No. 102: Tai Felton, WR, Maryland

This pick was a little bit odd to me. Mainly because of the limited draft capital that the Vikings have to work with to fill needs on the defense. If there was any position that wouldn’t be considered a position of need for this team, it would be wide receiver. Minnesota debatably has the best duo in the league already in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. They did get a talented player in Tai Felton who can run a 4.3 in the 40, but with big needs on defense, it’s a big head-scratcher. It is possible this pick was an insurance blanket pick so that the Vikings don’t end up in a similar salary situation at WR to the Bengals or the Dolphins. It is also possible that Minnesota isn’t in love with what they saw from the slot receiver Jalen Nailor last season. Either way, I can only give this pick a C.

Round 5 No. 139 (from Browns): Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DL, Georgia

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is a player whom I liked coming into this draft as a late-round pick. The Vikings traded up into the fifth round to get the 6-foot-5 hybrid D-lineman who can play both the edge and tackle depending on what is needed from him. Georgia has also been a mill for NFL stars on the defensive line lately. I’m not saying that Ingram-Dawkins is the next Jalen Carter. However, as a rookie, both Carter and fellow Georgia alumnus Jordan Davis would come off the bench for the Eagles in situational packages to keep the defensive line fresh and dominant until they were able to take the lead themselves later on in their career. I think this is an impactful pick for the Vikings. I give this pick a B+.

Round 6, No. 201: Kobe King, LB, Penn State

Kobe King is a nice, safe swing on a linebacker from a program with a good reputation at Penn State. The Vikings’ last two picks were most likely to fill in-depth and find athletes who can help out on special teams. I think King can do just that and is more likely of Minnesota’s back-to-back picks in the sixth round to be a contributor. I give this pick a C+.

Round 6, No. 202: Gavin Bartholomew, TE, Pittsburgh

Gavin Bartholomew is another pick that I have to address the redundancy of. I don’t think anyone in the Vikings organization is trying to replace T.J. Hockenson in the sixth round. Bartholomew is also fairly unlikely to take any playing time away from backup Josh Oliver, either. While he does have a long frame at 6-foot-5, I have to judge this pick harshly for the simple fact that they gave this kid a tough path to even making the final 53. I give this pick a C-.

Minnesota Vikings Overall 2025 NFL Draft Grade: B-

Considering that the Vikings were working with limited picks, it’s hard to say that they did a bad job. They did have plenty of redundancy in their picks and also left some needs still unaddressed now that the draft is said and done. There is much to be desired from this draft class, but if the result is being able to protect McCarthy and adding some depth to the defense, I don’t think it’s necessarily that bad.