2025 Minnesota Vikings

The days between the last minicamp practice and training camp can be long. Too long. During one of those long days I was thinking about what the Minnesota Vikings starting lineup might look like in a few years. The selection of quarterback Kellen Mond in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft is a reason for those thoughts. It just feels different to have a rookie quarterback that isn’t a late-round flier. If things go well, the Vikings might have their quarterback of the future on the roster. 

Offense

QB	Kellen Mond
RB	Dalvin Cook
FB	C.J. Ham
WR	Justin Jefferson
WR	Ihmir Smith-Marsette
TE	Irv Smith Jr.
LT	Christian Darrisaw
LG	Ezra Cleveland
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Wyatt Davis
RT	Brian O’Neill

I’m going with an elderly running back tandem. Dalvin Cook will be 30 during the 2025 season. C.J. Ham will be 32. They could do it. If everything goes as planned/hoped, the rest of the offense is easy to predict. The Vikings have spent two firsts, two seconds, and a third to put together the offensive line. It can no longer be said that the team hasn’t put resources into building the group. This line construction has to work. It’s gotta work. It will work! The rookies (Kellen Mond, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Christian Darrisaw, and Wyatt Davis) are unknowns. Second-year guard Ezra Cleveland is an unknown as well. Despite some very bright moments, Garrett Bradbury still has some questions. There are a lot of unknowns. We’re talking about 2025. There should be a lot of unknowns. If this exercise does anything, it shows that all of the pieces might be in place for the Vikings offense that might take the field in 2025. The biggest question might be Justin Jefferson’s receiving partner. I’m going with Smith-Marsette simply because he’s in place. He has explosive skills but he was a fifth-round pick. Stefon Diggs was an explosive talent selected in the fifth round. Maybe the Vikings have found a special pass-catching gold mine in the fifth round. 

Despite the elderly running backs, I really like the potential of this offense. A lot of things have to go right. That’s often the case when peering four years into the future. Most importantly, the offensive line has to become the group that they were drafted to be and Kellen Mond has to develop into a franchise quarterback. 

Defense

LE	Danielle Hunter
DT	Jaylen Twyman
NT	Armon Watts
RE	Janarius Robinson
OLB	Troy Dye
MLB	Eric Kendricks
OLB	Chazz Surratt
CB	Cam Dantzler
CB	Harrison Hand
S	Camryn Bynum
S	Xavier Woods

It’s tough to think about a Vikings defense without Harrison Smith. Maybe he’s still going strong in his 14th season. In this look to the future, I have Eric Kendricks as the ancient (33) leader of the defense. The 2025 season will be Danielle Hunter’s 11th (actually it’ll be his 10th since he missed last season). He’ll enter that season at only 30. Amazing. I have him still racking up about 15 sacks a season. The hope is that recently drafted defensive ends D.J. Wonnum, Patrick Jones II, and Janarius Robinson develop. Armon Watts impressed at the end of his 2019 rookie season. He didn’t seem to take that next step last season. Injuries ripped apart the defense. It’s tough to take the next step when there’s zero stability and consistency from week to week. I like the raw talents of Jaylen Twyman, Chazz Surratt, and Troy Dye. Last season, cornerbacks Cam Dantzler, Jeff Gladney, and Harrison Hand had rookie moments but they also showed the potential of becoming legit NFL corners. The Vikings seemed to have a cornerback trio that could take them to at least 2025. That’s why Gladney’s offseason stunt is so heartbreaking. If the reports are accurate, I don’t know how he comes back. I like the safeties. If Xavier Woods has a terrific first season with the Vikings, he might earn a big payday with another team next March. 

For the above defense to be formidable most of the Vikings recent draft picks will have to hit. How often does that happen? 

I like the offense but it all depends on the quarterback. Kellen Mond should have some good players around him. That’s a nice start. The defense has potential but defensive ends Wonnum, Jones, and Robinson as well as the cornerbacks have to develop.