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Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) makes a catch against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Ranking Vikings' top five players under 25 for the 2025 season

Originally posted on Minnesota Vikings on SI
By Will Ragatz | Last updated May 22, 2025 4:55 PM ET

Pro Football Focus released its annual ranking of the NFL's top 25 players under 25 years old this week. And for the second straight year, no Vikings made the cut. Justin Jefferson was a fixture atop those lists for a few years, but he graduated by turning 25 last summer. Christian Darrisaw, born two weeks before Jefferson in 1999, also lost his eligibility last year (the list only includes players whose 25th birthday comes after the start of the regular season).

That got me thinking about what the Vikings' under-25 talent pool looks like heading into the 2025 season. So let's rank the top five players who fit that criteria. This is a subjective, forward-looking projection that is going to include a couple players who haven't yet played their first regular season snap in the NFL. The idea is to rank the players relative to their positional peers around the league, not based on importance to the Vikings' season. Let's dive into it.

Honorable mentions: K Will Reichard, QB Sam Howell, WR Tai Felton, DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

5. OLB Dallas Turner

Turner, the 17th overall pick in last year's draft, had a quiet rookie season as the Vikings' No. 4 OLB behind Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Pat Jones II. He played just over 300 defensive snaps and finished with three sacks on the year. Still, his upside remains sky-high. He's an incredible athlete who flashed his potential with a stretch in December where had either a sack or an interception in three consecutive games. Jones is gone this year, and the Vikings are expecting a big second-year leap from Turner.

Nasty move from Dallas Turner against Darnell Wright on his sack. Dip, bend, slide, explode to the QB. pic.twitter.com/QJJFN9LDOh
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 17, 2024

4. LG Donovan Jackson

Jackson was the pick for the Vikings at No. 24 overall in this year's draft. They could've tried to trade down or address a number of other positions, but they believe Jackson can be the final piece to make their offensive line a truly elite unit. The Ohio State product has just about everything you could want in a guard prospect, from his physical tools (length, power, athleticism) to his mental makeup and character. He'll start right away and has a good chance to be a high-level player as a rookie.

Donovan Jackson picking up a stunt in pass protection. He’s strong, athletic, and has great awareness up front. A big-time pass blocker who can also get out in space in the run game. pic.twitter.com/LfBYxOU8mG
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) April 25, 2025

3. QB J.J. McCarthy

McCarthy is more important to the Vikings' future than anyone else on this list (and maybe anyone else on the roster, Jefferson included). That's the nature of the quarterback position. But for now, this feels like the right spot for him. The Vikings have very high hopes for their 22-year-old quarterback, who they selected with the tenth overall pick in last year's draft. McCarthy has drawn rave reviews from teammates for his work ethic and personality. The coaching staff loved what they saw from him before his injury last August. He's set up extremely well to succeed alongside Kevin O'Connell and Jefferson and so many other great coaches and players. Now he just has to go do it on the field.

Every dropback from J.J. McCarthy's #Vikings preseason debut today. 11 of 17, 188 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 18 rushing yards. pic.twitter.com/unJUge9xIG
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 11, 2024

2. LB Ivan Pace Jr.

Pace was an incredible pickup by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati in 2023. He's started 21 games over the past two seasons and has racked up 174 tackles, 9 TFL, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble — numbers that would be even better if he hadn't missed a chunk of time due to injury late last year. Pace is an outstanding run defender and blitzer who is also capable in pass coverage, making him a perfect fit in Brian Flores' defense. He's undersized, but he's very skilled and plays like he has a rocket strapped to his back. He'll continue to play a major role alongside Blake Cashman in the middle of Minnesota's front.

Vikings rookie LB Ivan Pace Jr. today:

13 tackles
1 sack
1 game-sealing interception
1 backflip

Absolute gem of a UDFA. pic.twitter.com/h8OEnIzuuf
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 11, 2023

1. WR Jordan Addison

Addison tops this list after a very impressive two-year start to his career. Now 23 years old, he already has 133 catches and 1,786 receiving yards to his name. Most notably, he has 20 total touchdowns in 32 games, showing a knack for finding the end zone. Only four other wide receivers have 20 TDs since the start of the 2023 season (Ja'Marr Chase, Mike Evans, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and CeeDee Lamb). Addison is a dynamic route-runner and deep threat who figures to continue getting better over the years. Now he just needs to stay out of off-the-field trouble, given that he's had two driving-related incidents in two offseasons and may end up with a three-game suspension for the latter.