The 2025 version of the NFL Draft is just a few days away. Unlike last year, when everyone expected the Minnesota Vikings to address the quarterback position, nobody knows this year’s plan. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could add to an overhauled interior offensive line, grab some young talent for the secondary, or give Brian Flores another defensive lineman.
Vikings Urged to Pass on Popular Draft Prospect
Mock drafts are a fun way to estimate the potential available prospects. Safeties Malaki Starks (Georgia) and Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina) are popular guys for the Vikings, and so are offensive guards Donovan Jackson (Ohio State) and Grey Zabel (NDSU).
Others, however, send defensive line help, especially in the person of Derrick Harmon, an Oregon standout defender. Well, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski is not a fan of that idea.
He assembled a list, presenting one player each team should avoid, and Harmon was his Vikings choice. The reason isn’t the defender’s talent or scheme fit, but the logjam situation he would be in.
“Prior to free agency, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon should have been at the top of the Minnesota Vikings’ draft wish list,” Soblenski wrote. “He’d now be a luxury pick after what the team added to its defensive interior.”
A penetrating defensive tackle had been on the fanbase’s wishlist ever since Kevin Williams departed more than a decade ago. And their wishes were finally heard in this year’s free-agency period, as Adofo-Mensah added not just one but two disruptive defenders, which is why Soblenski doesn’t want Harmon to be Minnesota’s pick.
“With Harrison Phillips already in place, the Vikings signed Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Allen and Hargrave are 30 or older, but both signed for longer than one year and can still perform at a relatively high level. Harmon would enter the Vikings lineup as a rotational piece before taking over a starting spot a year or two down the road.”
Allen and Hargrave both missed significant parts of last season due to injuries, but should still be effective players going forward. The former Commander signed a three-year deal, and Hargrave signed for two seasons.
Defensive tackle is a high-rotation position, and having depth is crucial, as just proven by the Philadelphia Eagles in their Super Bowl season. Milton Williams was a rotational guy with a huge impact in the Super Bowl and then signed a four-year deal with the Patriots, worth a whopping $104 million.
Harmon played his final college season at Oregon, racking up 45 tackles, five sacks, and 11 tackles for loss. He also tabulated 43 quarterback hurries. A strength of his is that he can defend the run and the pass, and he is a versatile defender who can line up in different spots on the line. Those things will help him get reps early in his NFL career.
Picking Harmon could still make sense despite already having the three veterans in the building, considering defensive linemen usually need a year or two to grow into NFL players.
Regardless, Soblenski advises the Vikings to look elsewhere. “Whereas, the organization can immediately address the secondary or guard with quality prospects to fill immediate needs, while still maintaining excellent value. Obviously, depth will still be concern for the D-line, but that doesn’t need to be addressed at the start of the draft class.”
A guard has a clear path towards playing snaps in year one by beating incumbent starter Blake Brandel. In the secondary, a safety would compete with re-signed reserve Theo Jackson to take over Cam Bynum’s role, and at cornerback, the challengers would be free-agent newcomer Isaiah Rodgers and Mekhi Blackmon, who is expected to be back from his torn ACL.
The defensive tackle depth is actually fine. Jalen Redmond was a sneaky breakout player last year and showed enough promise to be happy about him being the first guy off the bench. Taki Taimani, an undrafted rookie from last offseason’s draft, is a powerful nose tackle in case the Vikings need an extra run-stuffer on obvious running downs. Fellow sophomore and last year’s seventh-rounder Levi Drake Rodriguez is also in the mix after practically redshirting his rookie campaign.
Harmon is a solid prospect, and the draft shouldn’t be used to target immediate needs, but to find good football players for the future. If the decision-makers think Harmon can become a staple on Minnesota’s defense for a decade, they won’t care about the veterans already in the room.
The draft’s first round will take place on Thursday.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
