Vikings mailbag: Draft options at No. 24, trade possibilities, J.J. McCarthy's readiness

One week until showtime. The Minnesota Vikings spent most of the last two weeks finalizing their draft board. They only have four picks … for now. This mailbag serves as a brief primer for what’s to come.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to ask questions! Let’s hop right into the responses.

Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.

Which is the likeliest option at No. 24: stay put or trade back? — Evan J.

Trading back.

It’s close to a toss-up, and I reserve the right to alter my opinion as we get closer to April 24. It’s just hard to think the Vikings would not try to take more cracks at finding young starting-caliber players.

Most evaluators see this 2025 NFL Draft class as a chance to find contributors in the middle rounds. But the Vikings have just one pick between No. 24 and No. 139. Gathering more darts to throw would make sense.

The hard part is assessing how far they’d be comfortable falling. Houston, Baltimore, Detroit, Kansas City and Philadelphia could all draft players in the trenches. Move down far enough, and the Vikings could risk losing out on a targeted player in the first round. Ultimately, the Vikings will have to weigh how much they like the players on the board at No. 24 versus whether they think they could select a similarly graded player later.

It’s often a bold roll of the dice that must be signed off on by all of the main decision-makers.

Who would be a good trade partner for more Day 2 picks? — Martin F.

History tells us the Vikings would likely have to be willing to fall pretty far for extra Day 2 picks.

In 2022, the Patriots dropped from No. 21 to No. 29 and added a late third-rounder and fourth-rounder. Two years before that, New England exchanged No. 23 for No. 37 and picked up an earlier third-rounder. If there is one outlier that the Vikings would love to replicate, it might be what happened last year, when Dallas traded No. 24 to Detroit for No. 29 and a third-rounder.

Complicating Minnesota’s pursuit of a deal like this is the Commanders and Bills not having a third-round pick. Given the circumstances, the Vikings’ best path to additional Day 2 picks is likely a trade back into the second round with Cleveland, New York or Las Vegas. Of course, Minnesota would have to be OK with waiting until the second round to make a selection.

Using the Rich Hill trade chart, one of the most even trades could feature the Raiders. The Vikings could send No. 24 to the Raiders for Nos. 37, 68 and 213. Would Minnesota’s staff, knowing how much it’s spent on this 2025 roster, want to wait that long to make its first pick? It’s a worthwhile question.

Let’s say the Vikings don’t trade down and stick with their four picks. Which positions do they use those four on? — Drew J.

This helps frame Minnesota’s priorities. Here are the four most likely spots: interior offensive line, interior defensive line, wide receiver and running back.

Don’t rule out cornerback, and safety remains a possibility. However, the Vikings believe in Isaiah Rodgers’ ability to play alongside Byron Murphy Jr. They are also still committed to Mekhi Blackmon, who is returning from a torn ACL, and undrafted signee Dwight McGlothern, who flashed last fall. Jeff Okudah can also contribute as a physical corner on the short side of the field. As for safety, Theo Jackson has earned a full-time opportunity opposite Harrison Smith in the deep half.

So why interior offensive line, interior defensive line, wide receiver and running back? Even though Minnesota retooled its offensive and defensive fronts, the roster still lacks high-upside youth. At receiver and running back, Jalen Nailor and Ty Chandler, respectively, are both entering the final seasons of their rookie contracts. It also helps that the draft class is deep at running back and interior defensive line. The Vikings should be able to snag an intriguing player at each position in the later rounds if they take an interior offensive lineman at the top.

What is the description of a player who fits defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ preferences? — Carl J.

Versatility is the starting point. Flores prefers players who can do multiple things well.

Think about it almost like a defender’s switchability in basketball. The more players you can guard, the more valuable you are. In Flores’ system, the more techniques you can master, the more Flores can introduce.

Murphy is a prime example. He can cover on the outside and in the slot. If the Vikings decide to play a wacky non-traditional Cover 2 coverage, Murphy can play one of the deep-half zones without looking out of place. If Flores wants to blitz Murphy off the edge, he can do that, too.

These tasks require a particular level of functional athleticism. In tandem with that, though, is a certain level of aptitude. Vikings safety Josh Metellus can play more positions than any other NFL player because of his body type and movement skills, but also because he understands the nuts and bolts of Flores’ system and can apply the intricacies on the fly.

Competitiveness is critical for Flores, too. Insert the has that dog in him cliche. Last year, coach Kevin O’Connell used the descriptor “smart, tough and loves football” approximately 700 times for what the Vikings covet. The toughness matters to Flores because of the standard he expects.

Who would be general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s ideal prospect at No. 24? — Andrew J.

Adofo-Mensah has drafted four players in the first round since he’s been in his role: Lewis Cine, Jordan Addison, J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner. What do they have in common? All four played at major college programs, and each was younger than 23.

They have plenty of differences, too. Cine rated highly in terms of his explosiveness metrics. Addison didn’t. Turner had the pedigree of being a five-star recruit. Addison was a three-star.

Suffice it to say, it’s not easy to whittle it down to an obvious throughline. Some names that feel like fits to the high-major, younger profile: Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr., Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker, Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen.

Is there less urgency to draft a left guard considering how Blake Brandel played with Christian Darrisaw prior to Darrisaw’s injury? — Kaleb P.

The numbers paint a fascinating picture.

Brandel had only allowed five pressures before Darrisaw tore his ACL in Week 8 against the Rams. According to Pro Football Focus, his pass protection efficiency metric hovered near the high end of the charts. But everything nosedived after the injury. Brandel gave up 20 pressures from Weeks 9 through 18, and his overall efficiency dipped.

Minnesota’s staff appreciates a lot about Brandel. He can play multiple positions. He works hard. If the draft board presents itself in a way that prevents the Vikings from taking an interior offensive lineman at the top, they’ll still be optimistic about Brandel’s ability to play next to Darrisaw. His early-season performance in 2024, though, won’t keep Minnesota from taking an offensive lineman who is an immediate fit.

What running scheme will the Vikings offense use next season? Is it going to be different than 2024? — Aaron H.

Here are the Vikings’ run concept percentages from 2023 and ‘24, courtesy of PFF:

O’Connell has said the Vikings want to get back to the core principles of marrying the run and the pass. Does that mean he wants to lean further into the outside-zone style used by the Rams for years? Or does that mean Minnesota wants to evolve to where the Rams are currently? Last year, Los Angeles ran duo at the highest rate of any concept. Of course, the Rams had receivers like Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, who could insert and block effectively at the point of attack.

Expecting a drastic change feels unlikely at this point, but the Vikings did add Keith Carter as assistant offensive line coach to provide fresh ideas.

What did you see last year in camp that gives you faith that J.J. McCarthy can perform at a high level in the NFL? — Tim R.

McCarthy’s performance in the preseason game against the Raiders is the best data point we have.

He threw passes with anticipation that day. He stood firmly against pressure. He layered balls, climbed the pocket and kept his balance, scrambled and progressed in rhythm. This was enough to spur the Vikings staff to want to give him more first-team reps in Cleveland during joint practices.

Sam Darnold was always likely to start the season, but it would have been interesting to monitor McCarthy’s day-to-day activity during the rest of camp. McCarthy seemed to take well to coaching. The offense didn’t appear too cumbersome. Teammates celebrated his success. The only questions were about his consistent ability to layer throws and limit the overall torque on his arm with the structure of his biomechanics. Those two aspects of McCarthy’s game are worth following this summer, as is McCarthy’s ability to assert himself as the leader of a team with high expectations.

(Photo: David Becker / Getty Images)