Minnesota Vikings Information and Hyperlinks: Let’s Play Tag!

The East West Shrine Bowl practices are underway.

2025 NFL Draft: 10 gamers who stood out in East-West Shrine Bowl practices

Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech (5-foot-9 1/4, 229 kilos)

You wouldn’t assume the 5-9 Brooks weighs virtually 230 kilos based mostly on the quickness he confirmed on the observe discipline (and through his profession at Texas Tech). His plus elusiveness and stability for his measurement have been on full show, whether or not receiving a handoff or grabbing a cross out of the backfield. Brooks someway manages to be affected person and decisive on the identical time, choosing out a gap after seeing his blocking unfold but additionally attacking a crease with utter abandon and decreasing his pads to shrink his strike zone. Along with his mixture of agility and energy by contact, Brooks stands out, even in a really deep group of working backs poised to go within the third by fifth rounds of the upcoming draft.

Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas (5-11, 171)

CB Renardo Inexperienced confirmed his ultra-competitive and bodily nature finally 12 months’s Shrine Bowl practices, finally serving to to make him a second-round decide of the San Francisco 49ers. Bryant’s making the same case for a top-64 choice this time round. He’s been a nagging presence in man protection, knocking away passes and forcing turnovers. Like Inexperienced a 12 months in the past, Bryant has drawn a lot of flags from the referees available at observe, however NFL groups know aggressive play is a should in immediately’s league. Bryant doesn’t current essentially the most fluid hips in transition, weighs simply 171 kilos and has small arms (8 7/8”). That mentioned, he affords stable size (31 7/8-inch arms) and off-the-charts confidence — two key substances for a beginning nook.

Jordan Phillips, DT, Maryland (6-1 1/4, 318)

Phillips isn’t as tall or lengthy (32 1/4-inch arms) as many nostril tackles, however the 318-pounder carries a big share of his weight between his belt and ankles. That low middle of gravity made him robust to maneuver by one or two blockers on run performs this previous weekend and allowed him to bull-rush robust linemen like N.C. State’s Tim McKay into the backfield in pass-protection drills. Phillips shocked Boston Faculty C Drew Kendall with a spin transfer to hurry the passer throughout group work on Monday, however his bread and butter on Sundays might be to take care of the road of scrimmage and disengage to cease run performs.

Gareth Warren, OL, Lindenwood (6-5 1/8, 330)

Over the previous two seasons, Warren began at left deal with for the Division II Lindenwood Lions. He was a two-time all-conference decide at guard in 2021 and ‘22, however, and looked at home inside during Shrine practices. The native of Hawai’i possesses the size to play exterior (33 5/8-inch arms), which was useful to carry off all comers in pass-protection drills and reside play. His anchor is as robust as you’d anticipate at 6-5, 330 kilos, and the mobility can be there to drag and entice. Warren confirmed no concern dealing with opponents from Energy 4 packages, exhibiting groups he’s a worthy choice within the high half of Day 3.

Ten Winners from Day Two of East-West Shrine Bowl Observe led by small-school offensive lineman

Georgia Tech DL Zeke Biggers

That is two straight days of nice practices for the ACC defensive deal with, and quite a few scouts I spoke to saved complimenting him on the sideline. His body at a jaw-dropping 6’5, 320 kilos with 35-inch arms stands out, however the athleticism he performs with routinely stood out on this defensive deal with group.

Oregon State IOL Joshua Grey

A multi-year starter at left deal with and guard, Grey has primarily performed at middle all through practices and has dealt with the transition nicely. The athleticism has stood out transferring by drills, and he had a implausible one-on-one in opposition to Clemson’s Payton Web page.

In a weaker middle class, Grey dealing with a transfer inside to middle helps his draft inventory out and may make him one of many earliest-drafted facilities on this class.

…

Ten Winners from Day Three of East-West Shrine Bowl led by elite group of cross catchers

Arkansas DT Eric Gregory

It’s onerous to face out sharing a room dominated by Jordan Phillips and C.J. West on the Shrine Bowl, however Eric Gregory flashed routinely all through the day.

He had a rep that drew whistles with a pleasant arm-over in drills, producing an instantaneous win that had scouts buzzing.

South Carolina DT Tonka Hemingway

Tonka is a becoming title for a defensive deal with who performs with the facility that Hemingway does. He had fairly a number of reps simply working by opposing offensive linemen in drills on the day.

Minnesota Vikings Information and Hyperlinks

Vikings’ Daronte Jones will get one other interview; Grant Udinski replace

Vikings defensive backs coach and cross recreation coordinator Daronte Jones is interviewing with a second group for a attainable promotion to defensive coordinator. After interviewing with the Chicago Bears this weekend, Jones spoke with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday morning, in response to NFL Community’s Tom Pelissero.

The Bears crammed their emptiness, hiring former Saints and Raiders head coach Dennis Allen on Sunday. However the Vikings aren’t out of the woods but relating to probably shedding Jones. This interview is especially notable as a result of Jones is the primary reported candidate to interview for the Jaguars’ DC opening below new offensive-minded head coach Liam Coen.

The opposite notable coach the Vikings may nonetheless probably lose is Grant Udinski, their 28-year-old wunderkind whose title is assistant quarterbacks coach/assistant offensive coordinator. He’s considered as a rising star within the trade and has acquired actual curiosity from a number of groups in want of an OC.

Udinski had two interviews with the Seattle Seahawks and was a finalist for that job, but it surely ended up going to former Vikings and Saints OC Klint Kubiak. He additionally interviewed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who wish to change Coen after shedding him to the Jaguars in dramatic style. And there’s buzz that Udinski may maybe be thought of as an OC candidate for Coen in Jacksonville, in response to Alec Lewis.

7 cornerbacks the Minnesota Vikings may goal in free company

D.J. Reed, Jets

Reed has typically been overshadowed by teammate Sauce Gardner, however he’s a bona fide No. 1 nook (or elite No. 2) in his personal proper. The 28-year-old has been excellent since changing into a full-time starter in 2020, first with Seattle for a pair years after which for the final three in New York. That’s included a number of spectacular performances in opposition to Justin Jefferson and the Vikings. Reed is undersized for a boundary nook at 5’9”, however he makes up for it with physicality, approach, and ball abilities. He’s an awesome participant who would match properly in Brian Flores’ protection.

Carlton Davis, Lions

Mike Hilton, Bengals

Asante Samuel Jr., Chargers

Kristian Fulton, Chargers

Byron Murphy Jr., Vikings

Charvarius Ward, 49ers

Ward was a Professional Bowler and second group All-Professional in 2023 after racking up 5 interceptions and a league-high 23 complete passes defended. His 2024 wasn’t almost nearly as good, and included 5 missed video games because of harm, however his observe report suggests he ought to bounce again subsequent season. The previous Chiefs UDFA turns 29 in Could. He’s one other massive exterior nook at 6’1”.

Vikings named touchdown spot for $13 million RB with 4 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons

Veteran Aaron Jones had a robust debut season with the Vikings, however he was slowed by numerous accidents late within the season and simply turned 30 in December. Minnesota may definitely run it again with Jones, and that’s seemingly the popular final result for either side, however this offseason presents a possibility for the Vikings to get youthful on the RB place, both in free company or the 2025 NFL Draft.

Knox not too long ago named Minnesota as a high touchdown spot for Najee Harris, a 26-year-old former first-round decide who simply posted his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard speeding season. Right here was Knox’s tackle the potential match:

A recent begin and a foray into unrestricted free company may very well be greatest for Harris. He’s a succesful dual-threat again, will flip 27 in March and will obtain starter-level contract affords from running-back needy groups. … Harris can be a wise goal for the Vikings in the event that they don’t retain Aaron Jones. Minnesota is anticipated to show the offense over to J.J. McCarthy in 2025, and the younger signal-caller would profit from having a high-volume again within the fold.

18 Million QB Floated as ‘Special’ Choice for Vikings in Free Company

The Minnesota Vikings can go in a number of instructions with their quarterback room this offseason. Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, and/or Daniel Jones may return in 2025. However Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon floated the concept of Justin Fields to the Vikings.

“Maybe Fields will never be a classically elite quarterback, but in the right environment he could absolutely work as a game-changing offensive weapon on a consistent basis,” Gagnon wrote on January 22. “Imagine him in a special role with the Vikings, for example?”

Fields accomplished 65.8% of his passes for 1,106 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 1 interception in 2024, including 289 yards and one other 5 TDs on 62 carries.

He set profession highs in completion proportion, passer ranking, and air yards per try.

Fields is heading to free company after a four-year, $18.8 million contract. Over The Cap tasks a $6.4 million valuation for Fields. That will be a cut price similar to Darnold’s one-year, $10 million pact signed in 2024.

Matthew Coller: Way forward for the Vikings, Half 5: What’s subsequent on the D-line?

Dallas Turner

After struggling to get onto the sphere early within the season, Turner labored his method into the common rotation over the ultimate six weeks. After averaging simply 15 snaps per recreation by the primary 12 weeks and choosing up simply 1.0 sack and 7 QB pressures on 79 cross rush snaps, he was given 25 snaps per recreation from Week 13 by the tip of the 12 months. PFF graded him a 68.8 throughout that stretch, which was thirty second out of 127 both starters or part-timers.

Turner’s grade was not a lot based mostly on a constant influence however a number of spectacular performs, together with a eye-popping sack in opposition to the Bears and a very good interception versus Seattle. He solely picked up 5 pressures on 65 rushes and ranked 107th of 116 in pass-rush win charge in these six video games the place he noticed the sphere extra usually.

Harrison Phillips

As a result of the Vikings rotated their defensive tackles extra in 2024 than they did in 2023, Phillips performed a extra cheap quantity of snaps with 672 within the common season slightly than the 838 that he performed final 12 months.

The factor about evaluating Phillips statistically is that defensive tackles that do the soiled work in Brian Flores’s system not often get massive PFF scores. The variety of splash performs created for different gamers like Ivan Tempo Jr., Josh Metellus and Blake Cashman that concerned Phillips doing his job is big however his job doesn’t usually land TFLs, QB pressures and sacks. What we are able to say statistically was that he performed an important position within the No. 2 speeding protection within the NFL and graded by PFF as a top-10 tackler. Phillips had the ninth greatest missed-tackle charge amongst beginning DTs

Jonathan Bullard

Just like Phillips, the veteran DT scored excessive marks within the areas concerned with stopping the run. He was the fifth greatest tackler by PFF and cracked the highest 25 in run protection (out of 67). That’s plenty of bang for buck when you think about Bullard solely took up $2.2 million on the cap and performed 571 snaps.

As a cross rusher, Bullard was rather more concerned in transferring blockers for blitzes to get house than he was going straight up discipline. He had simply six pressures on the season.

Jalen Redmond

Jalen….Redmond? It isn’t usually {that a} participant from a spring league just like the XFL or UFL turns into a distinction maker within the NFL however that was the case for Redmond in a small pattern in 2024. Early within the season he was bumped as much as the lively roster and performed a handful of spectacular snaps in opposition to Houston in Week 3.

He didn’t see vital taking part in time once more till Week 8 in opposition to Los Angeles however graded as probably the greatest defensive gamers on the sphere that evening. After which he had a breakout recreation in opposition to Arizona during which he chased Kyler Murray throughout US Financial institution Stadium, incomes a 91.1 PFF grade for the sport. After that, he was an everyday, taking part in between 21 and 38 snaps each recreation down the stretch.

Redmond completed with 14 defensive stops (pressured damaging performs for the offense) in simply 208 snaps, which is greater than Tillery had in almost 300 extra snaps. Amongst gamers with at the very least 200 snaps, the ex-Oklahoma Sooner had the thirteenth greatest PFF grade.

A dozen different replacement-level guys — Right here’s one thing I guess you didn’t know: Former Vikings Jaylin Holmes, James Lynch and Sheldon Day all noticed a good quantity of taking part in time in 2024. There are a lot of DT free brokers who will come at a low price with restricted ceiling that the Vikings may decide as much as fill the spots in the event that they assume gamers like Redmond and Rodriguez are able to step in. That technique has not been notably efficient up to now.

That mentioned, the Vikings want a giant improve there subsequent season if they’re going to take one other step as a protection. Too usually they have been pressured to hurry Tempo Jr., Cashman or Metellus and vacate the center of the sphere as a result of they may not get inside stress by speeding 4 defensive linemen. The three beginning DTs totaled 38 QB pressures between them. There have been 25 DTs who had greater than that alone in 2024.

Why Vikings’ QB questions start with McCarthy, not Darnold

Many NFL followers have been shocked on the evening of Jan. 5, when the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback of the longer term obtained appreciable air time throughout NBC’s broadcast of the group’s 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions. J.J. McCarthy, who missed his rookie season due to a torn meniscus in his proper knee, appeared thinner than ordinary as he watched the sport from the sideline in a T-shirt and shorts.

Listed at 219 kilos at first of coaching camp, McCarthy dropped greater than 20 kilos this fall, following a sample acquainted for a lot of soccer gamers who put power exercises on maintain through the rehabilitation course of. McCarthy has loads of time to regain the burden earlier than OTA practices this spring. However his look was a visible image of the impartial phrases Vikings normal supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell used final week in discussing his rapid future.

Nationwide dialogue has framed the Vikings’ looming quarterback determination as whether or not they need to re-sign veteran Sam Darnold, who is about to change into an unrestricted free agent. However their first precedence is to evaluate McCarthy’s capability for a fast ascension.

“He is … right where we hoped he would be at this point,” O’Connell mentioned, “to have the type of offseason to be able to answer that question.”

Mentioned Adofo-Mensah: “We’re really confident in him, his work ethic and his preparation. But I can’t sit here and tell you I know anything for certain.”

There isn’t a lot precedent for projecting McCarthy’s subsequent step. He was the primary quarterback within the NFL’s fashionable draft period (since 1967) to overlook his whole rookie season due to harm after being chosen within the first spherical.

Assessing Darnold for a attainable 2025 beginning position carries its personal challenges. He earned his first Professional Bowl honors in 2024 after throwing for 4,135 yards and 35 touchdowns within the Vikings’ first 16 video games, at which level he ranked No. 12 within the NFL with a 63.8 QBR. However his efficiency then cratered within the Vikings’ two most necessary video games — losses within the regular-season finale to the Lions and wild-card spherical to the Los Angeles Rams — as he threw a mixed 23 off-target passes, in response to NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, and took 11 sacks. His QBR (14.8) ranked thirty first out of 32 certified quarterbacks throughout that interval.

Within the rapid aftermath, O’Connell mentioned will probably be “very important” to contemplate Darnold’s full “body of work” slightly than specializing in the Lions and Rams video games. And in response to Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings mentioned the potential of Darnold upending their timeline for McCarthy even earlier than the season started.

“I always ask Kevin [O’Connell] before the season starts, ‘Hey, what information would you need to kind of change your mind?’” Adofo-Mensah mentioned. “And to say it beforehand so that you simply’re not form of whipped round with what probably may occur. And we had these conversations beforehand. We thought there was an opportunity Sam Darnold may play at a excessive degree. Simply seeing what he had carried out at earlier stops and what Kevin’s infrastructure and our infrastructure right here has carried out for different quarterbacks which have performed right here, we thought there was an opportunity for a excessive degree.

“Did I know it was going to be a Pro Bowl? I’m not going to sit here and tell you that. But I think that there was some part of us that all believed that Sam was going to have a really good season, and so when we made the move, that was part of the calculus.”

If nothing else, this season offered a transparent glimpse at Darnold’s ceiling. The Vikings know the way nicely he can play of their system, however they noticed his limitations as nicely. They’ll pair that data with their greatest projection of McCarthy’s progress and, within the subsequent six to eight weeks, their plan on the place might be clear.

An Off Season Plan earlier than the mock

Beginning Cap House
2025: $57,942,543
2026: $101,508,844
Minimize Ed Ingram : saves 3.325M in 2025 cap area
Minimize CJ Ham : saves 2.65M in 2025 cap area
Franchise tag Sam Darnold 1 yr 40M
Lengthen/Redo : Andrew Van Ginkel 3 yr 40.5M : saves 5M in 2025 cap area
Lengthen/Redo : Josh Oliver 3 yr 16.5M : saves 4.78M in 2025 cap area
Lengthen Byron Muphy 3 yr 52.5M
Lengthen Aaron Jones 2 yr 12M
Lengthen Dalton Risner 3 yr 12M
Signal LG Teven Jenkins 3 yr 45M
Signal DT Levi Onwuzurike 3 yr 36M
Signal DT Teair Tart 2 yr 10M
Signal S Julian Blackmon – 3 yr 24M
Beginning Cap House
2025: $19,727,543
2026: $6,772,844

The 2026 cap quantity could be very low but when they reduce O’Neill, Phillips, and Brandel they’d save 30.5M in cap area and have 37.3M to play with earlier than any restructures.

This reveals that the group may tag and play Darnold for another season if push got here to shove. I imagine they’ll tag him if they can’t discover a appropriate commerce. They’ll all the time commerce him later.

One notice about guards. Risner graded very nicely as a cross blocker and so in order a run blocker. When you take a look at the grades of most guards they’re both good in run blocking or cross blocking however not often each.

And, after all, the group may preserve Ham and do nothing together with his wage as he’s within the final 12 months of his deal.

Partial depth chart earlier than draft
QB: Sam Darnold, JJ McCarthy, Brett Rypien
RB: Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler
TE: TJ Hockenson, Josh Oliver
WR: Jets, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor
RT: Brian O’Neill
RG: Dalton Risner
OC: Garrett Bradbury, Michael Jurgens
LG: Teven Jenkins
LT: Christian Darrisaw, Walter Rouse
DT: Harrison Phillips, Teair Tart, Taki Taimani
DE: Levi Onvuzurike, Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez
WLB: Jonathan Greenard, Dallas Turner, Bo Rithcer
SLB: Andrew Van Ginkel, Gabriel Murphy
LILB: Ivan Tempo Jr
RILB: Blake Cashman, Brian Asamoah
LCB: Byron Murphy
RCB: Mekhi Blackmon, Dwight McGlothern
NB: Josh Metellus, Najee Thompson
SS: Julian Blackmon, Jay Ward
FS: Theo Jackson, Hitman?

Yore Mock
Trades
Commerce Companion: Las Vegas Raiders
Despatched: Spherical 1 Choose 24
Acquired: Spherical 2 Choose 5, Spherical 3 Choose 4
…
Commerce Companion: New Orleans Saints
Despatched: Spherical 2 Choose 5
Acquired: Spherical 2 Choose 8, Spherical 4 Choose 29
…
Commerce Companion: Dallas Cowboys
Despatched: Spherical 2 Choose 8
Acquired: Spherical 2 Choose 12, Spherical 5 Choose 11, Spherical 6 Choose 12
…
Commerce Companion: New York Giants
Despatched: Spherical 3 Choose 4, Spherical 5 Choose 11
Acquired: Spherical 3 Choose 1, Spherical 5 Choose 16
…

44: R2 P12 G Armand Membou – Missouri 6’3” 314

Picture by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs

65: R3 P1 RB Omarion Hampton – North Carolina 6’1” 220

Picture by Don Juan Moore/Getty Photographs

97: R3 P33 S Andrew Mukuba – Texas 6’0” 190

Picture by Todd Kirkland/Getty Photographs

130: R4 P29 DL J.J. Pegues – Ole Miss 6’2” 325

Picture by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs

138: R5 P1 CB O’Donnell Fortune – South Carolina 6’1” 185

Picture by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs

153: R5 P16 CB Nohl Williams – California 6’1” 200

Picture by Andrew Wevers/Getty Photographs

159: R5 P22 C Seth McLaughlin – Ohio State 6’4” 305

Picture by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs

187: R6 P12 WR Nick Nash – San Jose State 6’2” 195

Picture by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs

236: R7 P21 LB Cody Simon – Ohio State 6’2” 235

Picture by Steve Limentani/ISI Photographs/Getty Photographs

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