2025 Minnesota Vikings Complete Offseason Mock

If you are a deranged NFL fan like myself, you probably perform some sort of exercise every offseason like I am about to do for you. I remember sitting in my college dorm in 2007 rolling over the footballsfuture.com forums and examining the ideas and mocks done by the members of the Vikings page like it was yesterday. I, of course, had my own thoughts and ideas, which caused me to take copious notes that went little way further than that forum. Participating in that forum, along with a lifelong obsession to manipulating my favorite football team in Madden led me to execute offseason blueprints much like the one you are about to see.

If you share in my same derangement, I say that you try this same exercise out. It's not as easy as Madden by any means (no turning the salary cap off if you want to be realistic), and it will be forever difficult to project just how aggressive your team will be. Understand that as I put my GM hat on, I am doing so with the hope of being at least mildly realistic, but also with the complete knowledge that I am a homer who wants the Vikings to bring home a Super Bowl.

A couple of ground rules to hopefully let everyone understand the general parameters of how I completed this offseason mock:

• For salary cap and contract management, I utilized OverTheCap.com and their salary cap calculator. Every teams salary cap space is an estimation meaning you can get multiple different answers depending on where you look. In order to not "hunt for the best option" I just stuck with OTC's calculator and system.

• For projected contract values of free agents and in-house re-signings, I utilized PFF. They provide estimated contract values for the top 200 free agents, and while I have my thoughts on the accuracy of these values, I again wanted to use an outside source to remove any bias that could taint the end contract values. There are two caveats to this. One, if a player and their projected contract isn't listed, interpolation is a must. For those contracts I utilized the players previous contract value and increased or decreased the AAV (average annual value) based on their PFF ratings during that contract. Second, I never reduced the contract value as shown on PFF, but I did increase them in some cases because I felt that PFF was low on certain players AAV. I felt that this was acceptable because it only "hurt" me in the exercise when trying to balance the books.

• If you compare contracts from the players I sign to that of PFF's projected values, some, if not most, of the 1st year cap hits are lower than the AAV recommended by PFF. This is not be short changing the player or denying PFF. I am simply doing what most NFL clubs do on contracts greater than 1 year in length: I am applying a signing bonus which prorates over the contract and causes larger cap hits in future years where the salary cap has assuredly increased.

• The mock draft portion of the exercise is also run on PFF's Mock Draft Simulator and it's default settings. I do not agree completely with their player rankings, nor do I agree with their trade value estimations, but I still wanted to use an outside source for the draft to eliminate at least some of the bias or ability to "cook the books".

With those ground rules in place, lets jump in to the offseason!

START OF THE NEW LEAGUE YEAR

Minnesota Vikings Projected Salary Cap: $63.3 million

Brian O'Neill Restructure: O'Neill has no more guaranteed money left on his contract. The team is able to restructure his contract without any player involvement (and to the players benefit) by converting some money to guaranteed money, and spreading it among the remaining years of his contract. This automatic restructure creates an extra $8.1 Million in cap space.

Harrison Smith: The Hitman is one of my favorite Vikings. I would love to have him back for his leadership, not to mention that he still is an above average player, but he decides to hang up the cleats. Expect Harry to be an instant add to the ring of honor.

Ed Ingram Cut: Ingram has not produced equitably to his draft position. In 2023 he was whiffing and stepping on Kirk Cousins' feet, and in 2024 he lost his job relatively early to stop-gap veteran Dalton Risner. Head coach KOC made it clear that he would be focusing heavily on the interior O-line based on the unit's performance at the end of the year, and for a player who was downgraded in that unit already, I would doubt he is seen as an answer. Cutting Ingram saves the team $3.325 Million in cap space, allowing the team to find, at a minimum, an upgrade at backup for roughly the same amount of cap space.

Ivan Pace Extended: Ivan the Terrible has been anything but since the Vikings nabbed him as a UDFA. The team rewards him with a big boost in money on a 3 year $18 million contract ($6mil AAV). His cap hit for 2025 is $5 Million.

Resultant Cap Space: $69.7 Million

INTERNAL RE-SIGNINGS

CB Byron Murphy Jr. - $18Mil AAV, 3 years (2025 Cap Hit $14Mil)

Murphy had his best year as a pro under Brian Flores. Flores' scheme can be complex and difficult to learn which might explain why Murphy only blossomed in his 2nd year. Projected to be one of the better CB's on the market, the Vikings can't let a strength walk, especially with Byron's versatility to play in the slot or on the perimeter. I am wary of this contract because we only saw one year of production, but it's a risk that is necessary.

QB Daniel Jones - $10Mil AAV, 1 year (2025 Cap Hit $5Mil, 2026 $5Mil Void Year)

Jones was signed by the Vikings last year after his release from the Giants. Jones spent a majority of his time in Minny on the practice squad and in the background. After seeing what KOC and the Vikes did with Sam Darnold and the other QB's who preceded him, Jones signs up for "QB Rehab University" with the intent of trying to restart his career and find a new home in 2026.

S Cam Bynum - $14.25Mil AAV, 3 years (2025 Cap Hit $11Mil)

Bynum maybe wasn't the heart of the Vikings defense last year, but he definitely brought a lot of the soul, as he was the focal point of the awesome celly's. That being said, he has been an extremely effective center fielder in his time with Minnesota, and after the Hitman's retirement, the Vikes cannot afford to see a talent like Bynum walk.

DL Jerry Tillery - Vet Minimum, 1 Year

Tillery was a one year addition this past season and possibly had his best season as a pro. Despite this, he is still just an average rotational piece who is dependable but won't be guaranteed a roster spot come cut down day.

LB Jihad Ward - Vet Minimum, 1 Year

Much like Tillery, Ward was a vet brought in last season to provide veteran depth and play in certain situational roles. Specifically, Ward was brought in on passing downs as part of the Flores "Lambo Package" where the field was loaded with pass rushers. In these situations, Ward lined up almost like a lineman, due to his size, and provided some interior pass rush.

TE Josh Oliver - $8Mil AAV, 3 years (2025 Cap Hit $6.4Mil)

Oliver remained the Vikes best blocking TE, and still is one of the best in the NFL. He also got to show some of his receiving skills last year while Hockenson was recovering from his knee injury. Despite this, Oliver is brought back because of how he will be able to impact the run game and protection overall.

WR Trent Sherfield - Vet Minimum, 1 Year

Sherfield was a lackluster signing last year during the offseason, but proved his worth through the year, not as a receiver, but as an outstanding blocker and high level special teamer. Because of these traits, he remains inexpensive but plays an important role.

TE Johnny Mundt - Vet Minimum, 1 Year

Mundt followed KOC from the Rams and has lived up to his "best 3rd TE" moniker given to him by O'Connell. Mundt isn't a spring chicken, but does provide modest ability as both a blocker and receiver. This earns him a roster spot unless he is able to be beaten out through training camp, in which case he probably mulls retirement.

RB Cam Akers - $2Mil AAV, 1 Year

The Vikes learn that rather than have Akers on someone else's roster and needing to trade for him mid season, they might as well just keep him in house. A smart move, as Akers is the only RB retained from the previous year, and one who has shown decent production in short stints.

WR Brandon Powell - Vet Minimum, 1 Year

This will be Powell's 3rd year on the Vikings, and he has settled in to a role as the primary punt returner, but has provided little else beyond that special teams role. When he's been on the field on offense, he has been relatively reliable, although unspectacular. He's brought back on a minimum contract, but his roster spot is not safe by any means.

S Theo Jackson - $3.5Mil AAV, 3 Years (2025 Cap Hit $2.5Mil)

Jackson has been a pretty consistent performer on special teams, and has shown ability to be a starter, though he's been buried on the depth chart. With Harrison Smith retiring, Jackson is brought back on a modest deal with the expectation that he will be competing to take over the Hitman's starter spot.

LB Brian Asamoah - $2Mil AAV, 2 Years (2025 Cap Hit $1.5Mil) Asamoah never lived up to his draft slot or athletic ability as far as cracking the starting roster, but he has proven to be a solid special teamer. The Vikes bring him back as the latter with the ability to provide linebacker depth where the team is limited, but competition is expected.

INTERNAL PLAYERS NOT RETURNING

RB Aaron Jones

Aaron Jones had a good year with Minnesota, and both parties would love to reunite, however Jones wants a bit too much to make it happen (according to his PFF projection)

LT Cam Robinson

The Vikes made a trade for Robinson after they lost Darrisaw for the year, and Cam provided decent LT play (about league average, but not irreplaceable). With Darrisaw expected to make a full return, Robinson and his expected contract just wouldn't merit a return.

OG Dalton Risner

Risner is a decent pass blocker, but provides very little in the run game. While he did replace Ed Ingram at RG last year, he still was not an answer or solution to the interior O-line woes, and for those reasons, the team doesn't attempt to retain him.

CB Stephon Gilmore

Mr. Reliable, Gilmore continues to be an average to above average outside corner in the NFL. There were no complaints from me on his production to cost last year, however his age makes him a short term solution (if he doesn't retire) which means the Vikes will look to find upside at a younger ager for the position.

QB Sam Darnold

I want to thank "Nuke" Darnold for his service last year. He looked like a rookie QB with impressive physical traits for the position, but still needs some work between the ears. Regardless, his play dramatically increased his expected AAV, and that coupled with the Vikes being prepared to move on to their rookie JJ McCarthy means that Darnold is not retained. Now, I would love to see a Darnold market develop and for the Vikes to tag and trade him, and while it's possible, it's still mostly wishful thinking.

CB Shaq Griffin

Shaq was brought in last year after the Mekhi Blackmon injury to provide some veteran stability. He was never meant to be anything than a replacement level starter, and for that, he served his role. Again with an eye towards development and a younger roster, the Vikes move on, but will keep his number handy if he isn't signed.

CB Fabian Moreau

Moreau was brought in after Shaq Griffin, and while he played more towards the end of the season, he graded out nearly identically to Griffin. He is projected to cost less and is younger (not by much), so a reunion wouldn't be out of the question on a vet minimum deal given he is available at some point in the season.

OL David Quessenberry

Quessenberry has been a "serviceable" backup swing tackle for the Vikes, but you definitely don't want him starting for any length of time. The Vikes will look to replace his services with other lineman like last years draft pick Walter Rouse, as Quessenberry will be turning 35 this year.

LB Kamu Grugier-Hill

Kamu was a fine veteran back up and rotational backer, and would be welcomed back on a vet min contract. At this point, his services won't be needed, but he could be brought back if injuries arise.

DL Jonathan Bullard

Bullard provided low end rotational serviceability ever since he was acquired via trade from the Texans. At his age, the Vikes let him walk and hope to see development from their young rotational players who broke into the lineup last season.

OL Dan Feeney

Feeney was more of an emergency interior backup last year who doesn't provide much other than a safety net. With a re-tooling of the interior O-line in the works, Feeney is not retained.

DE Patrick Jones II

Pat has been a developing player for several years, with his best season being last year. He had perennially been stuck as a rotational player in the depth chart, but had his most statistically impressive year last year. For the money he likely could command, and the ability to leave for a starting role, the Vikes will let him walk.

QB Nick Mullens

Mullens and his boom or bust arm has been a necessary part of the lineup as a backup for a few years, but with JJ and Jones on the roster, Mullens contract is a tougher swing.

P Ryan Wright

This thicc boi punter had me excited, but his leg seems to have continually diminished the more he plays. Expect the Vikings to bring in a healthy amount of punters, including Wright, to compete in camp. I don't expect him to be outright signed to any contract worth noting.

RB Ty Chandler

Chandler showed some pop as a rookie, but reports from the coaches that he wasn't the best in practice along with diminishing return when on the field leads the team to want to start fresh at RB.

FREE AGENCY

**This will probably be the most controversial part of the mock off season. The Vikes come into this free agency period with a significant amount of holes to fill, but also have the money to make a huge dent. In addition to having ~top 6 cap space available, they also are becoming a very enviable spot to go. The coaching staff is impeccable, with Coach of the Year KOC and a defensive savant in Flores. The Vikes continue to place amongst the top teams organizationally in the NFLPA poles. They also just came off a 14 win season when their initial over/under was 6.5. This team will be viewed as a strong destination to have consistent representation in the playoffs, and has the money to be aggressive now that Kirk Cousins' contract is off the books. Again, contracts will be at or above what is projected by PFF**

CB DJ Reed - $14Mil AAV, 3 Years (2025 Cap Hit $12Mil)

Reed comes in to become the top outside CB for the Vikes which is a huge need following the departures of Gilmore and Griffin. Byron Murphy is expected to fill the slot while Blackmon or McGlothern expect to compete for the opposite outside corner spot. Reed's aggressive playstyle fits perfect with Flores, and Reed will no longer be overlooked because of playing next to Sauce.

DT Levi Onwuzurike - $9Mil AAV, 2 Years (2025 Cap Hit $6Mil)

Onwuzurike has been a rotational interior lineman for the Lions, and was really able to showcase his skills in a larger role this year due to the rash of injuries in Detroit. The Vikes are all too familiar with his abilities after he owned their line in week 18 last year, so they look to him to provide an upgrade. We pay him more than his PFF expected contract, but leave it at 2 years to fit in line with last years contracts for players like Cashman and Van Ginkel.

DT Teair Tart - $2.5Mil AAV, 1 Year

Tart has been consistent to take short term and relatively cheap contracts while providing upper end of average rotational flexibility along offensive lines. He comes in as a veteran replacement for Bullard and could make the likes of Tillery expendable by the end of camp.

OL Patrick Mekari - $8.7Mil AAV, 3 Years (2025 Cap Hit $7Mil)

Mekari has the ability and experience to play all 5 positions along the offensive line. This versatility increases his value, while his PFF scores indicate that he could be an upgrade at any of the interior line positions for the Vikes. He likely fits in initially as a guard. **Note that the Vikes also make a play at both Trey Smith and Will Fries to substantially upgrade at the guard spot, but with both commanding a much higher expected AAV, the Vikes settle for a lesser upgrade while retaining more cap freedom through free agency.

LB Jamien Sherwood - $7.8Mil AAV, 2 Years (2025 Cap Hit $6Mil)

Sherwood quietly had a very strong season for the Jets last year, with high tackle numbers and a strong presence in coverage. The Vikes look to hedge their bets on Blake Cashman, who is now on the last year of his deal and over the age of 30 with Jamien, who at worse replaces Ivan Pace for pass downs and provides nearly no drop off if either inside backer is injured.

RB JK Dobbins - $3.5Mil AAV, 2 Years (2025 Cap Hit $3Mil)

Dobbins replaces Aaron Jones as the main veteran back in the RB room. Dobbins showed how high his ceiling can reach if he stays (mostly) healthy for a year, and would be an excellent compliment in a RB duo backfield. His contract most likely is on the lower end of the better FA RB's because of the injury history.

End of Free Agency Cap Space Remaining: $12.5 Mil

2025 NFL DRAFT

The Vikes enter the draft with 4 picks. After a very aggressive free agency that hopes to fill most of their needs, the Vikes can be tactical with their picks. The biggest needs for the Vikes entering the draft are RB and OL. The defense also could use more darts at DT, S, and CB, but KOC knows that Flores makes the most out of who he has, and he already got upgrades in free agency. With rookie JJ McCarthy expected to be the opening day starter, shoring up the offense will provide him with the greatest chance of success early on.

TRADE: Vikes trade back with the Buffalo Bills. They are able to retain a 1st round pick while massively upgrading their 3rd round comp. pick into a 2nd rounder and getting a 5th rounder, bringing their total picks to 5.

PICK 30: GREY ZABEL, OL NDSU

The more I watch Zabel, the more I love him. He played tackle in college, but showed natural skill at all 5 line spots during senior bowl practices. With all of the top IDL talent off the board, the Vikes grab Zabel with the intent of him competing for a starting guard or center spot, and with the ability to fill in at tackle in the near term if there is an injury. He also could end up as the future starting RT as O'Neill continues to age.

TRADE: The Vikes move down with Philly, keeping a 2nd round pick and adding a late 3rd rounder, in a similar spot to the 3rd round comp pick they dealt to Buffalo.

PICK 64: KALEB JOHNSON, RB IOWA

Kaleb Johnson will probably rise after the combine, where he will be able to showcase his speed that is being slept on. With the size and ability to be a true 3-down back in the NFL, he'll initially split playing time with Dobbins. Johnson has fantastic size, vision, and production. He reminds me of another Johnson from the NFL: David Johnson. He needs to increase his ability in pass protection, but has shown to be a capable receiver, a strong zone scheme runner, and a thug in the red zone.

TRADE: Vikes trade back 2 spots with the Dolphins in order to secure a late 7th round pick. Kwesi hopes to draft talent rather than just find it in the UDFA class.

PICK 98: NICK EMMANWORI, S SOUTH CAROLINA

Emmanwori is another guy who I am not convinced will be here after a strong performance at the combine. Nick has fantastic size at 6'3" and 227lbs, and plays a hybrid safety/linebacker role. The Vikings already have this sort of player in Josh Metellus, but he is on the last year of his contract and could see an increased role with the Hitman retiring. Emmanwori projects as a starter either in Harrison Smiths SS role, or as a future replacement for Metellus. He has shades of Javon Holland and Brian Dawkins, so don't be surprised if by draft day he is a fringe 1st rounder.

PICK 139: LUKE KANDRA, GUARD CINCINNATI

With one of the few picks the Vikings came into the draft with, Kandra is brought in as a developmental guard who would be best fit into a zone scheme. He lacks some play strength and doesn't have fantastic athleticism, but contains a strong anchor and can play any of the 3 interior line spots. He has solid technique and only allowed 2 sacks last year. He's available at this point because of his weaknesses, but has the potential to develop into an above average starter in the pros. The Vikes continue to bring in O-line talent to create competition and find starters for the future outside of free agents.

PICK 160: JAMAREE CALDWELL, DT OREGON

Caldwell is a big boy at 6'2" and 342lbs. This sort of heft is something that the Vikes have been lacking for several years, so finding a true run stuffing bowling ball who will eat up double teams is an excellent score at pick 160. While he had a down year as far as his pass rush, that isn't expected to be a consistent role for him in the NFL. Being a 2-down run stuffer drops him for now, but this is another name I would expect to be a riser as we get closer to the draft.

TRADE: The Vikes move back another 2 picks in order to secure a 7th round pick with the intent of grabbing some depth they would otherwise be looking to the UDFA pool for.

PICK 172: JAYLIN SMITH, CB USC

Smith is a developmental CB who has flexibility to play all over the defensive backfield. Through changing defensive coordinators at USC, he played, nickel, safety, and corner. This movement likely stunted his growth at least initially, as his technique needs refinement, but the experience across the field make him intriguing. Should fit as a special teamer early, and gets to come to a familiar spot in Minnesota, where his girlfriend, Olympian Suni Lee, is from.

PICK 225: ORONDE GADSDEN II, TE SYRACUSE

Gadsden was a favorite move TE target for Kyle McCord at Syracuse, and Oronde plans to fit into that receiving TE role in the NFL by channeling the talent of his WR Father Oronde Gadsden. Oronde's truly a large bodied receiver, so don't expect much in the run game, but he comes to the Vikings hoping to fit in to passing sets opposite Hockenson.

PICK 235: TYLER SHOUGH, QB LOUISVILLE

Once upon a time, Shough was the backup to Justin Herbert at Oregon. Now the 25 year old enters the draft after putting up stellar numbers at Louisville. Shough is an interesting prospect who based only on his production in 2024 would probably be looked at in nearly the same light as Jaxson Dart. Shough (pronounced Shuck) however, has had a myriad of injuries through his time in college which is why he falls so far. Why is he getting injured you ask? The dude is fearless, and that causes him to get crushed. He is a ballsy runner, with the body size to do so, and he will take insane hits just to get the pass off. That mentality caused him to put up stellar stats, but also put him in the medical tent far too often. The biggest downside to Shough outside of his age and durability is that he is a "see it" thrower. He doesn't anticipate guys getting open as well as he should, and instead throws once they are open. The Vikes add Shough to be the 3rd stringer and eventual primary backup. He'll provide high upside and a mitigated downside of injury because he hopefully won't need to see too much of the field.

TRAINING CAMP DEPTH CHART

CONCLUSION

There you go, ladies and gentlemen. Feel free to tear it up as you see fit. Just try and remember, I didn't do any "pulling of contracts out of my butt" or draft nothing but 1st round players. I utilized outside sources for contract compensation, trades, and draft pick selections. At the end, the special teams (kicker, punter, and long snapper) are factored in because those are generally decided, sans the punter. The roster sits at 57 players with those 3 special teamers added in, and that means there are still 33 spots open for UDFA's and training camp invites/depth. I think there is still depth to be had at CB, along the defensive line, and at WR, but if a blueprint like this were to play out for the Vikings, I think that the team as a whole would see upgrades on both sides of the ball with the biggest lynchpin being JJ McCarthy and how he performs in his first true year. Comment below, lemme know how you think it went! Keep it Raw, because we know you like it raw...