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Vikings Receive Disappointing Grade of NFL Draft Selections

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Anthony Miller | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 11:34 AM ET

The Minnesota Vikings were able to walk away with five essential selections in the 2025 NFL Draft that will shape the depth of the roster.

Minnesota was not able to trade back their first-round pick but was able to acquire an extra sixth-round pick after moving back. The Vikings finished with three offensive players and two defensive players picked in the draft.

While the quality of the players is there, did the Vikings have a big miss on their picks?

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco shared his grades of all 32 NFL teams and added the picks he liked, the ones he didn’t like, and his overall view of their drafts. Prisco gave the Vikings a low C+ as he started by looking at his favorite pick of the Vikings, Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton.

“I like third-round receiver Tai Felton. He can really run. Vikings receiver coach Keenan McCardell will improve his route running and he will develop into a quality third receiver.”

The Vikings selected Felton in the third round. He was a third-team All-American after breaking the Terrapins' school record with 96 receptions and added 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Prisco was happy with Minnesota’s overall draft but wondered why they didn’t select a safety.

“I liked their picks, but I question why they didn't take safety early in the draft. They have age issues there and they lost Cam Bynum in free agency.”

With Bynum's departure, the Vikings signed Theo Jackson and Bubba Bolden at safety in free agency. Minnesota also re-signed Harrison Smith to provide more stability in the backfield. The projected starters at safety are Smith and Jackson.

Overall, Prisco was lukewarm about the picks but understood that the limitations of having just five picks wouldn’t help the team.

“They only had two picks in the top 102, which limited what they could do. First-round guard Donovan Jackson is a good player who will upgrade the interior. Felton is a sleeper receiver, but the rest of the draft didn't add much. Sixth-round linebacker Kobe King has a chance to be a contributor down the road.”

The five selections were tied for the fewest picks in franchise history and the fewest since 2009. Minnesota has only made 11 selections in the last two NFL Drafts.

It’s reasonable to ask why a safety wasn’t picked, especially since most of the questions come from secondary sources. Jackson made sense in the first round to boost the offensive line, but missing out on selecting a safety in the third-round leaves many scratching their heads despite how good Felton might be as a potential third receiver.

The Vikings will most likely have to reconstruct their safeties next season, but for now, they can hold firm with who they have.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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