2025 NFL draft: 5 stud players the Vikings can't pass up at No. 24

It feels almost inevitable that GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings will trade down from the 24th pick in this year's NFL draft. They simply need more selections, and this is a deep draft class into the second and third rounds, particularly at some positions of need for Minnesota (RB, DT, CB). It just makes all kinds of sense, provided Adofo-Mensah can get good value from a team that wants to come up to 24.

But there are certain players who are simply too good to pass up. In hindsight, the Vikings obviously should've taken Kyle Hamilton or Trent McDuffie with the 12th pick in 2022, instead of trading down 20 spots and picking Lewis Cine. Winning in this league requires depth, but it also requires finding stud players. So with that in mind, here are five players who look too good to pass up on if they happen to make it to the Vikings at 24 (and it has to be reasonably possible; we're not gonna put likely top-ten picks Mason Graham or Will Johnson here).

Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty

Yes, this is an extremely deep class of running backs. Yes, the Vikings could probably get a stud like Kaleb Johnson or Omarion Hampton if they move down into the early second round, or wait and get a very good back with the 97th pick. I don't care. If Jeanty is on the board at 24, you take him. We're talking about a player who just had one of the greatest running back seasons in modern history with over 2,700 yards from scrimmage and 30 touchdowns. We're talking about rare vision and burst and contact balance. The Vikings need to solve their running game, and taking Jeanty would be a heck of a way to do it, on the off chance he somehow falls to their pick.

Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen

The Vikings haven't had a game-wrecking interior pass rusher since Kevin Williams' prime in the late 2000s. The closest they've come with a three-technique since then is Tom Johnson and Sheldon Richardson. Even if Brian Flores' defense typically prioritizes run-stopping and gap control from its defensive tackle, watching the Rams dominate the Vikings in the wild card round and the Eagles win the Super Bowl made it very clear that Minnesota needs disruptive pressure creators from that spot. Nolen is a beast who is only scratching at the surface of his potential. Only 21 years old, the former top recruit broke out with the Rebels last year and showed off his immense upside at the Senior Bowl.

Texas CB Jahdae Barron

Barron isn't your typical cornerback, which makes him a perfect fit for Flores' defense. He plays on the outside, in the slot, and even lines up in the box at times. He's simply a playmaker. Barron had five interceptions, 11 total passes defended, three tackles for loss, and 67 total tackles in an All-American season for the Longhorns. His quickness and instincts are big-time traits. He's drawn comparisons to the Lions' Brian Branch and would be an incredibly fun chess piece for the Vikings alongside Josh Metellus, Mekhi Blackmon, and whoever else winds up in their secondary this year.

Alabama LG Tyler Booker

Ok, this one might depend on what the Vikings do in free agency. If they sign two expensive guards, they're probably not drafting Booker. But in a world where they don't, he could be a slam dunk pick if he makes it to 24. Booker is a high-floor, high-ceiling guard prospect who consistently anchors in pass protection and mauls defenders in the run game. He looks like a player with a strong chance to be a Pro Bowl-caliber guard for a long time. The other offensive lineman I'd consider at 24 is Missouri's Armand Membou, a stud tackle prospect with the ability to move inside.

Michigan DT Kenneth Grant

Grant is a very different kind of defensive tackle than Nolen. For starters, he weighs about 50 pounds more, being listed at 340. Grant has rare tools for a player of his size, bringing explosiveness and all kinds of power to the table. He's a dominant run defender, which Flores would love, and he also has very real upside as a pass rusher if he continues to develop. I'm high enough on Grant that I think he might be the pick over other DTs like Derrick Harmon and Tyleik Willams if he's available.

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