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NFL Draft analysts send a clear message to Vikings on what Kwesi Adofo-Mensah needs to do in April

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Tyler Forness | Last updated Mar 31, 2025 9:32 AM ET

The Minnesota Vikings are in a very interesting spot when it comes to the NFL Draft. They could go a number of different directions.

Going into the offseason, the offensive and defensive lines, along with the secondary,y were the biggest areas of need for the Vikings. Those got fortified to a very good point, but they could all be fortified.

In fact, they could go a number of different directions without a dire need remaining on the roster. Our latest mock draft roundup has a clear direction defined for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina

Scouting Report

NBC Sports' Connor Rogers

If not for a torn ACL in September, I thought Revel was on a trajectory to be a top 15 pick. He’s a premium athlete with size, length, and ball skills. He also plays with a different edge against the run than a lot of the other corners in this class.-Rogers

Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

Scouting Report

Getting Barron at this point in the first round would be outstanding value for Minnesota. He could excel in Brian Flores' defense after posting 20 pass breakups and eight interceptions over the past three seasons. Barron's versatility would be key for the Vikings, who signed Jeff Okudah and Isaiah Rodgers and re-signed Byron Murphy Jr. this month. He played as both a slot and outside corner last season, which means Minnesota could move him to fit what it needs.-Tannenbaum

Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky

Scouting Report

The Vikings were aggressive in free agency, so they don't have many glaring needs. But there is concern at cornerback, where signees Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah project more as temporary fixes than long-term solutions. Hairston can definitely be a long-term building block. Not only is he feisty in coverage but he has elite footwork and ran the fastest 40 out of all prospects at the combine (4.28 seconds).

Despite being 5-11, Hairston's long arms can lock down receivers when combined with his quickness. There are size and durability concerns, as he missed five games in 2024 with a shoulder injury, but he has the best movement skills of any corner in this class. The Vikings have to get younger, faster and better at cornerback. Hairston can help them get there and boost their man coverage capabilities.-Miller

Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama

Scouting Report

Kevin O’Connel’s zone-blocking scheme needs a boost and the Crimson Tide’s Booker should provide that boost for the new-look Vikings under quarterback JJ McCarthy. Booker didn’t have the best NFL Combine but he has the size and intangible talent to excel at the next level.-Brandon

Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

Scouting Report

After an active and aggressive run in free agency to resolve uncertainties along both lines and in the secondary, Minnesota has enviable flexibility here. Trading back remains a strong option for a team with just four picks, but standing pat could land them Emmanwori, a phenomenal athlete and versatile coverage piece who no doubt would stand to benefit from apprenticing under Harrison Smith.-Middlehurst-Schwartz

Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame

Scouting Report

NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dan Roche

Another corner who slipped down the first round because of a 2024 injury (hip), the Vikings should run, not walk, with his name on their card if he’s available at 24.-Roche

Malaki Starks, S, Georgia

Scouting Report

Standout safety Camryn Bynum left for the Colts in free agency, taking 51 consecutive starts with him. Starks didn’t test as well as South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori, but Starks, with his versatility to play single-high, nickel and roll into the box, is the draft’s top safety. Starks is athletic, instinctive and ready to play the moment he steps foot in an NFL team’s facility—well-suited for a Vikings organization hoping to stack playoff appearances.-Flick

Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

Bears Wire's Vincent Parise

The Minnesota Vikings are great at drafting and developing wide receivers. Pairing Matthew Golden with Justin Jefferson would be a huge win for quarterback JJ McCarthy.-Parise

Grey Zabel, OL, NDSU

After the slide back, in which they net this pick along with a fourth-round pick (No. 109), and a 2026 fourth-rounder, the Vikings pick the super-talented, small-school tackle who'll play guard in Minnesota. Ideal scheme fit.-Trapasso

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State

Scouting Report

USA Today's Jacob Cameker via Microsoft Copilot

Evidently, Copilot loves running backs! That's three in a row off the board with the Vikings taking the "explosive" Judkins with their first-round pick. Minnesota could certainly use a high-end running back to complement 30-year-old Aaron Jones, but like the Packers, they have more significant needs to address in Round 1 than running back.-Cameker

Jihaad Campbell, ILB, Alabama

Scouting Report

Between a Jelly Roll concert and a Shane Gillis appearance on The Pat McAfee Show's coverage of the draft, Aaron Rodgers has enough time to leave the Steelers' war room and arrive in Minnesota, swinging the doors open to see if the Vikings want him. Kevin O'Connell lets him down easy, and they take a linebacker to put in the middle of Brian Flores' defense.-Bailey

Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss

Scouting Report

The Vikings want to get stronger up the middle, and the All-American from Ole Miss fits the bill. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound dynamo led the Ole Miss defense in 2024, logging 48 tackles (career-high), two pass deflections (career-high), one fumble recovery, and 6.5 sacks (career-high).-Erby

Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

Scouting Report

Not to be outdone by their division rival, the Vikings follow suit and take Harmon. The Vikings seem like trade-down candidate, but in this mock, they settle for another elite DT prospect.-Quinn

Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

Scouting Report

The 33rd Team's Ian Valentino

The 2025 running back class is exceptionally talented, making it significant that Omarion Hampton has distinguished himself as the RB2 behind Ashton Jeanty.

No other running back can compare to Hampton’s unique combination of size (5-foot-11, 221 pounds), speed, explosiveness, and impressive performance on the field. He plays with a powerful, freight-train-like style.-Valentino

Overview

Player	Selections
S Nick Emmanwori	53
CB Jahdae Barron	44
S Malaki Starks	44
DT Derrick Harmon	37
CB Shavon Revel Jr.	33
DT Walter Nolen	25
CB Benjamin Morrison	23
OG Tyler Booker	20
DT Kenneth Grant	18
CB Maxwell Hairston	11
RB Omarion Hampton	10
LB Jihaad Campbell	9
OL Grey Zabel	9
CB Trey Amos	8
OT Kelvin Banks Jr.	6
DT Tyleik Williams	5
OL Donovan Jackson	5
RB Ashton Jeanty	5
CB Azareye'h Thomas	5
EDGE Shemar Stewart	5
CB Darien Porter Jr.	3
OT Josh Conerly Jr.	3
RB TreVeyon Henderson	3
CB Will Johnson	3
RB Quinshon Judkins	3
OT Armand Membou	2
OT Josh Simmons	2
S Xavier Watts	2
CB/WR Travis Hunter	1
DT Darius Alexander	1
DT Deone Walker	1
DT Omarr Norman-Lott	1
DT T.J. Sanders	1
EDGE James Pearce Jr.	1
EDGE Landon Jackson	1
EDGE Mykel Williams	1
OG Tate Ratledge	1
OL Marcus Mbow	1
OT Emery Jones Jr.	1
OT Jonah Savaiinaea	1
RB Kaleb Johnson	1
EDGE Jalon Walker	1
EDGE Mike Green	1
WR Matthew Golden	1
Total	412

The shift for the Vikings over the past few weeks has been stark. Emmanwori has been selected 34 times over the last three weeks, and Starks wasselected 26 times. In fact, safety was taken exactly 50% of the time over 124 selections if you count Barron as a cornerback, and it goes up to 57.25% if you count him as a safety.

Draft media as a whole believes that safety should be the pick for the Vikings and it's quite interesting to see that kind of shift, as defensive tackle and cornerback dominated before that.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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