10 Rookies for the Vikings to Target on Saturday

Disclaimer

These players would be fantastic for the Vikings, but probably won’t be on the board at No. 159 — or about 60 picks from the start of Saturday:

• Jonah Coleman (RB)
• Dani Dennis-Sutton (OLB)
• Sam Hecht (C)
• Connor Lew (C)
• Malik Muhammad (CB)
• Chandler Rivers (CB)

If Minnesota has a 4th-Rounder, those four would’ve headlined the list.

10. Eli Heidenreich | RB/WR, Navy
    Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 6-7

There’s some debate over which position Heidenreich will play in the NFL, with some thinking he’s a slot receiver and others insisting he’s a running back.

We believe a smart offensive coordinator will use Heidenreich as a running back, maybe as a poor man’s Christian McCaffrey. If the current draft trend continues with the Vikings not securing a rookie tailback, they should take a Round 7 flyer on Heidenreich.

9. Mason Reiger | EDGE, Duke
   Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 7

Reiger actually met with the Vikings, and as an old rookie — 24 in August — he should be more game-ready than most. He scored the defensive MVP and the Shrine Bowl. Minnesota suddenly needs EDGE depth after trading Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles. Tsk tsk.

8. Logan Fano | EDGE, Utah
   Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 6-7

Fano will also turn 24 this summer, so edit-copy-paste the scribbling above about Reiger. Let’s face it: a 6th- or 7th-Round outside linebacker cannot be trusted to be immediate depth in Brian Flores’s defense, but one EDGE lottery ticket from the draft is better than zero.

7. Eric McAlister | WR, TCU
   Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 6-7

McAlister is 6’4″ and ran a 4.53 forty. He’s tall and fast. The Horned Frog will need refinement with route-running, separation, and footwork, but that’s what Keenan McCardell is for. In a utopia, McAlister could battle Tai Felton or a free agent to be named later for the vacant WR3 job.

6. Brenen Thompson | WR, Mississippi State
   Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 5

Thompson has WR3 upside and made Bruce Feldman’s famous “Freaks” list. For a 5th-Rounder and a team that needs a wide receiver, why not use a late-round pick on Thompson? He ran a 4.26 forty — yes, you read that right — at the NFL Combine, which is just unholy fast.

The bad part? He’s 5’10 and 165 pounds. Fans will have to hope that nobody can ever tackle him. He’s tiny.

5. Matt Gulbin | C, Michigan State
   Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 5

The draft run on centers has already begun, and the Vikings were not part of it. They also don’t have the aforementioned 4th-Round pick, prime territory to draft the “other” two centers in this draft: Connor Lew and Sam Hecht.

So, Minnesota is in a spot of examining players like Gulbin, who will turn 24 in October. He was a team captain at Michigan State and is worth a 5th-Rounder to develop for a year behind Blake Brandel, who appears on deck to start at center in September.

4. Brian Parker II | C/G, Duke
   Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 4-5

Parker may not be an option for Minnesota; he’s a tweener between Rounds 4 and 5. But he started 32 games in college and is durable. If selected by the Vikings, he could showcase a trait the team loves: versatility. He played tackle at Duke, declaring himself a center for the draft.

3. Domani Jackson | CB, Alabama
   Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 6-7

A dirty little secret about this draft: the Vikings have drafted no cornerbacks, despite five opportunities. After Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre on the current depth chart, the club could use an upside youthful alternative.

Alabama defensive back Domani Jackson (1) secures an interception against South Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Oct 12, 2024, making a fourth-quarter play that helps preserve the Crimson Tide lead late in the game. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images.

Jackson could be that guy. He’s 6’1″ and 195 pounds with 4.41 speed. He can play special teams, too. If Alabama trusted him as a two-year starter, Minnesota should spend a 6th- or 7th-Round pick on him.

2. Emmett Johnson | RB, Nebraska
   Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 4-6

The Vikings met with Johnson a couple of times between the Combine and a Top 30 visit. He’s campaigned on people’s podcasts to join the Vikings because he grew up in Minneapolis.

Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson (21) crosses the goal line for a touchdown against USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, on Nov 16, 2024, finishing a first-half run that helps Nebraska build early momentum on the road. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images.

Johnson ran a 4.56 forty in Indianapolis, which turned heads, and not in a good way. Later, he rebounded at Nebraska’s Pro Day with 4.49 speed. If Johnson tumbles to Round 5, and Jonah Coleman of Washington is not on the board — he probably won’t be — this may be the Vikings’ running back of the future.

1. Nicholas Singleton | RB, Penn State
   Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 5-6

Go to YouTube and watch some Nick Singleton tape. It’s dazzling. Injuries have sullied his pre-draft lead-up; once upon a time, pundits thought he’d leave the draft in Round 3 or 4. Now, he’s a 5th- or 6th-Rounder. Why? The injuries. He has not palpable pre-draft measurable.

Singleton squats 570 pounds, however and is 6’0″ + 220lb. He is said to have 4.35 speed, though the damn injuries canceled his Combine showing and Pro Day. The 22-year-old has a knack for game-breaking plays, which the Vikings could use when they’re ready to move on from Aaron Jones and/or Jordan Mason.

Have a look:

Minnesota should use one of its first two Saturday picks on this man.