Derrick Harmon, you are the newest member of the Minnesota Vikings … in a mock draft that likely means absolutely nothing other than recognizing players who could hear their name called in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Nobody really knows what’s going to happen when the draft starts April 24, and the thought that someone can accurately nail down the player the Vikings are eying with the No. 24 pick nearly three months ahead of time is too crazy to consider. Alas, the mock drafts are here and they’re fun to dissect.
In the new mock draft released Friday by Eric Edholm, the lead draft writer for NFL.com, he has the Vikings selecting Harmon. “Another high-energy disruptor would only make Brian Flores’ defense more dangerous. The Vikings could use more depth up front,” Edholm writes.
Harmon led all interior defensive lineman in 2024 with 43 quarterback pressures.
As our staff discussed in our latest YouTube discussion, one of the key areas for Minnesota to upgrade this offseason will be the defensive tackle position. The teams in the Super Bowl feature dominant interior defensive linemen, namely Chris Jones of the Chiefs and Jalen Carter for the Eagles, and every team in the league should aspire to find their version of that type of player.
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How good is Harmon? In Mel Kiper Jr.’s NFL draft big board, he ranks Harmon as the fourth best defensive tackle. Ranked ahead of him are Michigan’s Mason Graham, Walter Nolen of Ole MIss and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant.
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has Harmon ranked 22nd on his big board.
“Harmon is a quick, disruptive defensive tackle with excellent instincts. As a pass rusher, he has quick hands to knock away the punch of opposing linemen. He also has a club/rip move that helps him collect early wins. He flashes an occasional bull rush, but I’d like to see more of it because it’s effective,” Jeremiah writes.
“Against the run, he’s very aware and avoids getting displaced by down blocks. He can anchor down versus double-teams and he excels at shooting gaps to disrupt and redirect runners. Overall, Harmon has a great feel for the game and can create a lot of havoc despite lacking an elite trait.”
The only D-tackles ranked ahead of Harmon by Jeremiah are the duo from Michigan, Graham and Grant.
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