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J.J. McCarthy QB1: Vikings News from NFL Owners’ Meeting

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On The Real Forno Show, Tyler Forness and Dave Stefano highlight Kevin O’Connell’s strong belief in J.J. McCarthy as the Vikings’ 2025 QB1, citing his readiness despite a rookie injury. O’Connell kept him in the loop during Rodgers talks, affirming his role. | Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

J.J. McCarthy emerges as the Minnesota Vikings’ QB1 cornerstone on The Real Forno Show. With the NFL Owners’ Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, fully underway, this episode dives into Kevin O’Connell’s bold McCarthy endorsement, addresses the Aaron Rodgers rumors, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s contract talks, joint practices with the Patriots and Rams, and 2025 NFL rule changes.

Tyler Forness and Dave Stefano dive into the Minnesota Vikings’ future on The Real Forno Show, a Vikings 1st & SKOL production with the Fans First Sports Network, recorded March 31, 2025, amid the NFL Owners’ Meeting. This episode spotlights J.J. McCarthy’s anointment as QB1, Aaron Rodgers rumors, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s contract talks, joint practices with the Patriots and Rams, and 2025 NFL rule proposals. Forness blends analysis with a seven-round mock draft, offering fans searching “Vikings news,” “J.J. McCarthy QB1,” or “NFL Owners’ Meeting 2025” a comprehensive recap.

Key points include:​

  • McCarthy’s Rise: O’Connell declares, “Two things can be true,” affirming McCarthy’s 2025 readiness despite injury.
  • Rodgers Closure: Rodgers reached out, not the Vikings; it’s due diligence, not currently part of the plan.
  • Adofo-Mensah’s Future: Wilf’s “positive conversations” signal an extension post-draft.
  • Joint Practices: The Patriots and Rams may hit TCO in August, which is tied to the preseason.
  • Rule Changes: Tush push ban, playoff seeding debates; Vikings favor tradition.
  • Mock Draft: Trades down for Xavier Watts (S), Quincy Riley (CB), and more depth.

Listen:​

Watch:​


Don’t sleep on The Real Forno Show—Tyler Forness and Dave Stefano deliver the Vikings’ 2025 blueprint with wit and wisdom! From J.J. McCarthy’s takeover to mock draft gems, this Vikings 1st & SKOL gem on the Fans First Sports Network is your ticket to the Purple People Eaters’ next chapter. Subscribe now, catch Forness on Purple Daily, and join the live draft party—because SKOL Nation deserves the best, and this show’s three-year legacy proves it’s where the action lives!

FAN WITH US!!!​


Tyler Forness @TheRealForno of Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and A to Z Sports @AtoZSportsNFL and Dave Stefano @Luft_Krigare producing this Vikings 1st & SKOL production, on the @RealFornoShow. Podcasts partnered with Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN and Fans First Sports Network’s NFL feed @FFSN_NFL.
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...rthy-qb1-vikings-news-from-nfl-owners-meeting
 
Going Over the New NFL Rule Changes

Super Bowl LIX: Kansas City Chiefs v Philadelphia Eagles

It’s fun to stay at the YYYYYYYYY-M-C-A! | Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Let’s see what the league has done here, shall we?

Yesterday, the NFL owners got together to vote on some rule changes for the 2025 NFL season. Some of these appear to be changes for the better, while others don’t seem to be all that helpful. Let’s take a look at all of them here and see what’s changing for the Minnesota Vikings and the 31 NFL teams that don’t matter as much.

Touchbacks on Kickoffs Will Now Be Brought to the 35-Yard Line​


I assume this means the kickoffs that land in the end zone without hitting the “landing area” and bouncing through, similar to there being differences in placement last year. The idea behind this is to make a touchback such a prohibitive option that it’s better to give the other team a chance to return it, bringing more opportunities for returns. This will also cause teams to put a greater emphasis on players with great return skills, so we’ll see what the Vikings do in that regard.

Replay Assist Expands, But Not In a Really Helpful Way​


Last year, we saw the debut of “Replay Assist,” which allowed the league to reverse calls without teams having to burn challenges when the call was obviously erroneous. The league has given more opportunities for this to happen in 2025, as Replay Assist can now help to have flags picked up for hits to defenseless players, face mask calls, horse collar tackles, tripping, and running into/roughing the kicker.

However, officials still can not add flags to a play that should have been called a penalty but was not. So, if a defensive player were to, for example, grab a quarterback’s helmet and try to spin his head around like Linda Blair in The Exorcist and the officials choose not to throw a flag, they can’t get it right after a review. Doesn’t seem terribly helpful, but that’s just my perspective on it. I may be slightly biased.

Overtime To Give Both Teams a Possession​


The regular season overtime rules have been tweaked a bit. The extra period is still going to be 10 minutes long (despite an effort to expand it to 15), but it now mirrors the overtime rules we see in the postseason where each team gets a possession. There is an exception to this: If a team gets the ball in overtime and holds the ball for the entire 10-minute period, the other team won’t get an opportunity. Other than that, however, both teams should get a chance to possess the ball in an overtime scenario.

First Downs to Be Measured Electronically​


From the “It’s About Damn Time” department, the 2025 season will see the debut of Sony’s “Hawk-Eye” technology to measure first downs. You can read more about the system here. The “chain gang” will still be on the sidelines, but they will be used purely in a backup capacity.

Other Notable Changes/Non-Changes​

  • The Lions proposed a rule to eliminate making illegal contact or defensive holding an automatic first down, presumably because they want to hold Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison more than they already do, which is a pretty absurd amount. That proposal failed.
  • The biggest discussion, that of whether or not to ban the Tush Push/Brotherly Shove/rugby play that Philadelphia has used to great success in recent years, has been tabled until the next set of meetings in May. A proposal to seed playoff teams based on record rather than giving the division winners the top four seeds was also tabled.
  • Teams can now have one phone call with up to five potential free agents during the “legal tampering” period of free agency. Previously, teams could only make contact with player agents during the two days before the actual free agency period starts, not with the players themselves.

Those are the big changes from the league meetings this week, folks. Anything in particular grab your attention?
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/4/2/24399930/new-nfl-rule-changes-minnesota-vikings
 
Can you guess this Vikings quarterback in today’s in-5 trivia game?

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Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Monday, March 31, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/4/3/24400225/sb-nation-vikings-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Vikings Minicamp and OTA dates set

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: Minnesota Vikings v Los Angeles Rams

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The offseason schedule for minicamps and OTAs has been released by the NFL.

On Thursday, the NFL released the official offseason program dates for the Minnesota Vikings. All 32 teams will be able to begin their offseason workout program this month with the team who hired new head coaches getting the chance to start their programs sooner (i.e., CHI starting April 7 compared to DET, GB, MIN beginning April 21 or 22).

Vikings offseason program schedule​

  • April 21: Offseason workout program begins
  • April 24-26: 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin
  • TBD date in May: Rookie minicamp
  • May 27-28, May 30, May 27, June 2-3, June 5, June 16-18: Voluntary OTAs
  • June 10-12: Mandatory Minicamp

The Vikings will begin their offseason workout program on April 21. Per Article 21 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the entire NFL must conduct their nine-week offseason program in three separate phases.

Phase One consists of a two-week program where teams may only get together for meetings, workouts, and rehab.

Phase Two takes place across a three-week period that includes on-field workouts. These on-field drills may consist of individual and group instruction/drills, “perfect play drills,” and drills that require offensive and defensive players lining up across from each other to be conducted at a “walk-through” pace. Live contact and team drills (offense vs. defense) are not allowed.

Finally, Phase Three take place across four week. Teams may conduct 10 days of organized team activities (OTAs), but no live contact is permitted. However, seven-on-seven, nien-on-seven, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.
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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/4/3/24400568/vikings-minicamp-ota-dates-schedule-offseason
 
Vikings Links: Free Agency Day 25 Open Thread

2025 CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T- Ohio State v Notre Dame

Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images

21 Days until the draft!

The Vikings currently have this cap space according to overthecap ...

Season : Total Liabilities : Team Salary Cap : Cap Space​

2025 : $266,932,565 : $284,053,803 : $17,121,238​

2026 : $312,725,322 : $295,500,000 : ($17,225,322)​

2027 : $215,702,782 : $311,000,000 : $95,297,218​

2028 : $112,342,600 : $0 : ($112,342,600)​


... they will need to make moves to get that 2026 cap number where we would all like to see it and that is in the positive category. Fortunately they have a lot of ways to do this or as some say, levers to pull.

Depending on how they feel about Brian O’Neill who does not have any guaranteed money remaining, they could extend him a couple of years. If they wanted to add void years instead then they would most likely have to guarantee all of this year and maybe a small amount next year. They need his permission to add void years.

Any extension for Oliver or Van Ginkel would likely make the 2026 cap number worse.

Restructures of Greenard and Hockenson also could be on the table.

They might hold off on restructuring Jefferson due to his massive cap hits in 2027 of 43.4M and 2028 of 47.4M. Those would go up with a restructure.

It is going to be very interesting and informative to see what the team decides to do and how Brez works his magic.

Minnesota Vikings News and Links​


Vikings Anticipate Benefits from Beefing Up Line of Scrimmage in Free Agency

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www.vikings.com

Football is often said to start up front.

So did the Vikings initial wave of free agency this year.

Minnesota added defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, as well as offensive linemen Ryan Kelly and Will Fries.

Vikings Entertainment Network’s Tatum Everett caught up with General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Head Coach Kevin O’Connell to talk about the additions to the line of scrimmage.

“That’s a position on the front where some of these great scheme play callers like Kevin want to attack you in base downs, and you maybe don’t have your elite pass rush group on the field, so you need defensive interior players who are able to stop the run but also transition and are athletic enough to get after the passer, maybe limit some of these explosive plays these great guys can get against you,” Adofo-Mensah said. “It’s really an important thing. If you look at all great teams, they’re really great in the front from different places, so we’re excited about what we were able to add.

“You talk about Hargrave and the infectious way he plays football,” Adofo-Mensah added. “I think that’s going to elevate that group, and Jonathan Allen is a pro’s pro. Honestly, he’s been on our radar for a couple of years, and we’re excited to add him.”

O’Connell called Allen and Hargrave “proven disruptors.”

“I think people may be underestimating their impact when you think about what we did on the edges last year with [Jonathan] Greenard, [Andrew] Van Ginkel, drafting Dallas Turner, who is going to have a great second year as a Minnesota Viking,” O’Connell said. “Then Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace, Jr., you’re really starting to talk about a front that is as formidable as anybody in the National Football League.”

Hargrave said the Vikings are “definitely beefing up” the offensive line and defensive line.

“Everywhere [I’ve played], everybody emphasized the trenches,” the former Steeler, Eagle and 49er said. “So you just see them making a real emphasis of just getting deep in the trenches, so that just kind of got me excited about being here. Because, like I said, in Philly, Pittsburgh, San Fran, they all believe in the same thing.”

Allen first entered the NFL in 2017 as the 17th overall pick. After wrapping his eighth NFL season by helping Washington advance to the NFC Championship Game, Allen became a free agent upon his release by the Commanders.

He and the Vikings moved quickly. Powerfully. Confidently.

Similar attributes to what he’s shown throughout his career. Now he wants to deliver on the Vikings commitment to the line of scrimmage.

“Whenever an organization brings you in and pays us the way you have, it’s definitely a lot of – I don’t want to say pressure, but I put a lot of responsibility on myself to prove them right, in a sense,” Hargrave (should be Allen) said. “They don’t give out contracts like this easily. So I think for me, my job’s to go in there from day one and prove my worth to the fans and to the coaches for believing in me. One thing I always say is you’re going to get everything I’ve got — good, bad or indifferent — so I’m looking forward to going out there and helping this team continue to be the dominant, successful defense it’s been.”

The Vikings offense ranked sixth in passing yards per game but 23rd in sacks allowed per attempt with a percentage of 8.94 percent.

Kelly and Fries will be tasked with helping lower that percentage and create opportunities in the run game. They anticipate some great training camp reps in their preparation to face waves of pressure from the interior.

“Jonathan’s a great player, a couple years younger than me at Alabama, but I just remember going against that defensive line when I was in college, and it also made me a better player,” Kelly said of his former Crimson Tide and current teammate. “I’m sure he’d say the same thing. And so to see him again, a familiar face in a new place, is always a great thing. And it’ll be great to go against him every single day in practice. It makes us all better.

“As far as the interior of the offensive and defensive line, the league is always progressing, added Kelly, a 2016 first-round pick (18th overall) of Indianapolis. “When I first came in, it was the true seven-man protection, and it was big tight ends and all that. And in a way, offenses always evolved, and they’ve kind of followed a little bit of college and now it’s more spread out. But at the end of the day, I think if you watch teams who win and win consistently, it’s all about running the ball, having a balanced attack, and then the defensive lines that are the best, they’re able to stop it right? Like there’s nowhere to run inside.

“You get a team in the second-, third-and-long, and now you’re Brian Flores’ defense, and you don’t know where the pressure is coming from, and that’s how you win games, right? So to invest in both sides of that, I think, is a team that understands that there’s the mentality of a team wins up front, whether that’s both sides of the ball, if you can stop the ball on defense, you put teams in a hard position to score points,” Kelly continued. “On offense, you have to run the ball. You have to protect well. It’s not always about the receivers, right? Like, if the quarterback doesn’t have time, who cares, right? In Indy, we always had the saying, ‘As o-line goes, the offense goes.’ I think that was always in the back of our mind when we went to a game, was, ‘No matter what happens, it’s on us.’ And that’s the burden that the offensive line carries, right? We’re sometimes the first people to take the criticism, last people to get the praise, right? That’s what you sign up for. That’s why the offensive line is so tightly knit. So speaking for an offensive line perspective, that’s what makes us who we are, and that’s the mentality we’ll bring this year.”

Fries described Flores’ scheme as “complex” and added it “provides a lot of different obstacles” and “makes you think mentally as much as it does in challenging you physically.”

“Getting to compete against them, you know, all spring and summer will make us battle-tested for the year,” Fries said.

Those reps also will be important in connecting Kelly and Fries with the offensive line, where the goal is to have five players functioning as one unit.

“It’s important to me that be able to build that trust with Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw and Blake [Brandel] and all those guys,” Fries said. “I want to be able for them to be trustful in me, know I’m going to do my job and know I can rely on them. So it’s really about building that trust, the communication, and then it’s just, you’ve got to put your hand in the ground and make a stand at some point. Part of it is just mental and physical, and you have to take a stand and know that you’re not going to lose this battle. You don’t have to overcomplicate it. Just a couple of simple things done really well.”

The Vikings liked what they saw from both players during film evaluation. Once Kelly agreed to terms, he helped recruit “Spud,” the nickname he bestowed on Fries early in Indy.

“We ended up with two foundational guys inside there that are going to help make our team better,” O’Connell said. “We wanted to go into the offseason with a clear purpose and plan of getting bigger and stronger up front and a little more dynamic on both the o-line and d-line, and we were able to do that on both sides of the ball.”

Adofo-Mensah noted that Fries “is a Jersey guy like I am, so we were recruiting him pretty hard, and he had some great options.”

“Ryan was like, ‘This is a great place. Let’s go do this together.’ Being able to add them both is something we’re excited about, not only from a play standpoint but the character they bring to that room.”


Analyst names Minnesota Vikings’ ideal top two picks in 2025 NFL draft

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has identified the “ideal” first two picks for the Vikings (and every other team) in a new article. Here’s who he has Minnesota taking:

Round 1: No. 24 overall: Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State

Round 3: No. 97 overall: Wyatt Milum, OG, West Virginia

“Minnesota brought back Byron Murphy Jr. and signed ex-Eagle Isaiah Rodgers but could still use a corner with size on the outside. The 6-1 1/2, 197-pound Thomas has size to spare and will lock up larger targets when allowed to use his physicality downfield. The Vikings traded their 2025 second- and third-round selections in separate deals last spring, then were awarded a third-round compensatory selection — which they use here to fill a hole at left guard by selecting Milum, who could successfully shift inside from left tackle thanks to his active feet and willingness to finish.”


Note: This is not a real trade pitch. It is just a mock draft that some dude is using to come up with something to write about I guess

Browns-Vikings blockbuster trade pitch has Cleveland leapfrogging Steelers to draft QB of future

Zierlein predicts Sanders to fall past the New Orleans Saints No. 9 overall, creating an Aaron Rodgers-like slide on Day 1 of the draft. In this scenario, he believes the Browns will look to make a move to stop Sanders’ slide and land their quarterback of the future.

If the Browns have their eyes on Shedeur Sanders, they would be wise to trade from the 33rd overall pick into the first round, so they can secure the fifth-year option that would then come with Sanders’ rookie contract. It helps that Minnesota, which currently owns just four selections in this draft, needs more picks.


Kevin O’Connell’s honest admission about Brian Flores should leave Vikings fans thrilled for one pivotal reason

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was one of those individuals speaking with the media Tuesday morning about a variety of topics. When he was asked about one particular free agent addition, his response was very noteworthy.

One of the lower-profile signings the Vikings made this offseason was also their first during the legal tampering period in former Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers. He signed a two-year contract worth up to $15 million with incentives.

The biggest reason why the Vikings targeted Rodgers? According to O’Connell, it was defensive coordinator Brian Flores who said that he was identified pretty early.

“Isaiah was a guy that ‘Flo’ identified pretty early. I’ve been doing this long enough with Flo, but once he has that tone in his voice about guys, he’s been pretty darn accurate.”

Being a capable tackler is a huge thing for Flores’ defense. The aggressive nature which Flores calls the unit means defenders will be in one-on-one positions and need to make a tackle in space.

Rodgers also fits in other ways. He’s played in a variety of schemes in his career, with last season playing a lot of zone in Vic Fangio’s. They use a variety of concepts with the majority of them being zone. They also do some match concepts and Rodgers does a good job of understanding when to pass off receivers.


Vikings team building strategy sets them apart from rest of the NFL with one key feature you wouldn’t expect

The Vikings have shown a trend of bringing in players who are injured. It’s a strategy where the Vikings feel they can get an advantage on the open market. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been known to try and find advantages on the market and he’s identified injured players as one of those.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked about that and gave a long answer that dives into everything with player health. Strap in, it’s a good one.

“Yeah, I think, you know, every more and more every year, it’s more of like Tyler and those they got them like, we’re gonna be just fine. They’ve just proven time and time again, world-class down there with what they do. Same with, you know, we’re really excited about Joe down in the strength and conditioning space with, you know, being able to keep Marquis and Dan, you know, in a world where the players now have the resources that with Ben, in the in the nutrition world, all of that plays into it. All of that is an idea of, how do we maximize our roster? But also combined with what we want to do, schematically and as football coaches, with what we can offer? We’ve just seen Aaron Jones and some of these guys that have either come off injury, Andrew Van Ginkel from the foot injury a year ago, and their second team all-pro, Aaron Jones playing 17 games. It just feels to me like we can use the resources but also the collaborative approach that I have with all of them to build a year-round schedule that maximizes every one of our 17 ops.

“Also, their expertise, not only Tyler, but our doctors, of what is the injury, where’s the timeline on that injury? And then what are, what would we envision our process or return to play, kind of analysis, and then what actually happened? Because a lot of times you look at Jonathan Allen, I mean, torn pec, and then ends up coming back and playing and not just playing, he played pretty darn well when he did come back. So you have to take all that into account each situation, although injuries as a whole are very easy to paint with a broad brush if they sign a bunch of your guys. Well, it’s not that simple, and it’s more it’s more something where you have to treat each one of its own because each player is going to come back, either on their own timeline, or all these guys are ready to go for the offseason program. That’s a lot of your players every year. I mean, we have many guys that have different things come up during the season. They don’t miss a single snap, but then they need to get things handled as the offseason extended.”


Kevin O’Connell confirms suspicion why the Vikings traded for Jordan Mason after signing Aaron Jones

Vikings traded for Jordan Mason to maximize Aaron Jones

The trade for Mason seemingly came out of nowhere. They gave up picks 160 and 2026 sixth round pick that they got from trading Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans for Mason, and pick 187. It was a relatively free trade when you consider how small of a price it was.

The reason for the Mason trade was twofold: it was very inexpensive and also meant to maximize Aaron Jones.

“Yeah, I think the big thing we learned about Aaron Jones last year is he can be an every-down back. He was a featured part of our offense. But what we wanted to make sure that we were doing is we were using him in a way that allowed him to be his most impactful self, which is early down run/pass game. He’s got third-down value. I don’t think people give him enough credit for his pass protection, either when we’re dropping back or third downs, but when he has historically had that 1-A, 1-B backfield structure, he could be a total game-changer every time he touches the ball. So it was always about bringing Aaron back, huge leadership role on our team.”

The way O’Connell framed the discussion was very interesting. Jones is at his best when his workload is smaller. Having that second back to share the load with him has been huge when it comes to keeping him fresh and healthy.

They didn’t just bring in a player to share the load with Jones, O’Connell talking about Mason shows how intentional they were with specifically acquiring Mason.

“Jordan Mason was a guy we played against last year. Really felt him in a zone run scheme with kind of gap compliments like the Niners do. We really felt what we were looking for was right before our very eyes: a heavy runner, slash runner, tough to tackle, gets in space and has burst and explosion to finish runs. And also a guy that probably doesn’t get enough credit in his pass protection and just every down versatility. So we really aren’t pigeonholed into any one particular scheme, or, you know, in the run or pass phase.

“But I do think Jordan’s going to bring something to the table in those short yardage situations, those goal line situations, goal to go, where we’ve really left a lot to be desired as a football team, and that starts with me to make sure we improve in that area, because we certainly have improved personnel wise. I think Kwesi (Adofo-Mensah) would have a better feel for the totality of it, but I do remember it was not a quick process. It was something that we were trying to figure out what made most sense for both sides.”


Vikings could be in line for not 1, not 2, but 3 comp picks in 2026

The way the Vikings could receive a third has to do with Trent Sherfield, the depth wide receiver who spent last season in Minnesota and then signed with the Broncos this offseason. His $3 million average salary is right on the cusp of qualifying for a seventh-round comp pick. And as pointed out by The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, he has pretty reachable incentives in his contract — $500K for playing 40 percent of the Broncos’ snaps, another $500K for 30 catches — that could bring him up to $4 million in 2025 if he earns a decent-sized role in Denver’s offense.


A couple of stories that show why KOC is a really good man, coach, and leader.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell: ‘Seattle’s Going To Be Really Happy With Sam [Darnold]’

Coming off of the best season of his career, Darnold seems set to have another good season with offensive weapons like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell pointed to Darnold’s athletic ability, along with his intelligence and leadership as some of Darnold’s strengths.

“I think he’s a guy that’s smart, has command of the system, athletically gifted, but most importantly can make every throw, can touch every blade of grass you need him to, both in and out of the pocket as the Seahawks kind of learned a year ago, playing us.”

And while it may be a sore spot for Seahawks fans, O’Connell pointed to the Seahawks 27-24 loss to the Vikings, where Darnold led a game winning touchdown drive, as a key example of what exactly Darnold is capable of.

“Sam basically willed the team to win that game and he’s got that in him,” O’Connell said.

During Darnold’s introductory press conference, head coach Mike Macdonald was asked about that game and said, “It was a heck of a battle. It was a knock-down drag out fight to the end, and to Sam’s credit, they kept battling and found a way to win in the end. A lot of respect for, obviously, what he did in the game.”

Darnold threw for 4,319 yards last season and 35 touchdowns with the Vikings.

At the NFL Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Macdonald said the team liked Darnold because, “They love the leader, the teammate. The film speaks for itself with his accuracy, he’s able to push the ball down the field. Particularly with us, we’re going to move the pocket a good bit now, Sam’s a great thrower on the run, he’s able to make a lot of plays that way. Then on critical down in the red zone and third downs, especially last year, he had such a great year, and we’re going to count on him to come through in those situations.”

O’Connell noted Darnold’s growth throughout his journey as quarterback, which now spans five NFL teams in what will be eight seasons this year.

“I think what I’m most proud of with where Sam is at in his quarterback journey now is I think he is as close to where he belongs, as far as people view him in this league. At the same time, I think he’s got enough experience now that he can really play the position that “above the neck” mentality and make the other 10 guys in the huddle better. There’s a lot of really good things Sam’s going to bring to the Seahawks.”

“I think it’s not easy to come to a team with some established leaders, leadership like we have in Minnesota and be almost unanimously voted a captain, which he was. So I think Sam is going to walk in the door authentic, he’s going to be himself and I think players gravitate towards that. Seattle’s going to be really happy with Sam.”


Minnesota Vikings coach salutes departing lineman from Alabama

“I don’t know if it’s been talked about enough,” O’Connell said while attending the league’s annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday. “One of the best left tackles in football, Christian Darrisaw, goes down, and Cam Robinson comes into our building on a Wednesday and we win the next nine football games we played against some great pass rushers. I just don’t know how many times in the league that that’s happened. But I think that’s a credit to Cam and what he’s been able to do. He’s played a lot of football. And the one thing about the tackle spot is, you know, there’s not very many snaps you’re not blocking that defensive end.”

“He’s obviously stepping in for a pretty legitimate player in Laremy that’s had a ton of success,” O’Connell said. “So I just think Cam’s going to do well. And knowing a little bit about (Texans coach) DeMeco (Ryans) and (general manager) Nick (Caserio) and kind of what they’ve built there from a play-style standpoint, I think they’re going to like a lot that Cam has to offer.”


Vikings ‘30 visit’ tracker: Which NFL draft prospects are Minnesota hosting?

2025 Interest List

Yore Mock​

Trade Partner: Seahawks​

Sent: Pick 24​

Received: Pick 50, Pick 52, Pick 234​

...​

Trade Partner: Chargers​

Sent: Pick 52​

Received: Pick 56, Pick 158​

...​

Trade Partner: Jaguars​

Sent: Pick 97, 2025 4th​

Received: Pick 88, Pick 194​

...​


Round 2, Pick 50 Quinshon Judkins RB Ohio State 5’11.5” 221


Round 2, Pick 55 Mason Taylor TE LSU 6’5.1” 251


Round 3, Pick 88 Shemar Turner DT Texas A&M 6’3.1” 290


Round 5, Pick 139 Zah Frazier CB UTSA 6’2.7” 186


Round 5, Pick 158 Luke Kandra C/G Cincinnati 6’4.6” 319


Round 6, Pick 187 Fadil Diggs EDGE Syracuse 6’4.3” 257


Round 6, Pick 194 Malachi Moore S Alabama 5’11.2” 196


Round 7, Pick 234 Cody Lindenberg LB Minnesota 6’2.3” 236


Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

  • No discussion of politics or religion
  • No feeding of the trolls
  • Leave the gender hatred at the door
  • Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
  • Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
  • No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
  • If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
  • While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...an-allen-javon-hargrave-ryan-kelly-will-fries
 
Vikings’ Future Takes Center Stage: O’Connell’s Insights

2025 NFL Scouting Combine

Kevin O’Connell shares insights on the Vikings’ culture and draft plans at the 2025 NFL owners’ meetings, as discussed on The Real Forno Show with Tyler Forness and Dave Stefano. A leader shaping Minnesota’s future. | Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

Dive into The Real Forno Show’s latest episode: Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell shares insights on team culture and draft strategy, while host Tyler Forness breaks down key prospects and positions ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. A must-listen for Vikings fans.

This episode of The Real Forno Show, hosted by Tyler Forness and produced by Dave Stefano, dives deep into the Minnesota Vikings’ present and future. Recorded on a lively Wednesday morning, this Vikings 1st & SKOL production, partnered with the Fans First Sports Network, explores head coach Kevin O’Connell’s revealing comments from the NFL owners’ meetings, the team’s stellar NFLPA survey ranking, and a strategic preview of the NFL Draft, which is just 22 days away. Forness and Stefano analyze how ownership’s investment, O’Connell’s leadership, and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s draft savvy are positioning the Vikings as a powerhouse.

Here are the key points:​

  • O’Connell’s Culture Pride: O’Connell boasts, “We’ve got nothing to hide,” highlighting the Vikings’ top NFLPA report card ranking and player-driven culture as a free-agent magnet.
  • Ownership’s Legacy: From Red McCombs’ frugality to the Wilfs’ reinvestment in U.S. Bank Stadium and TCO Performance Center, the franchise’s infrastructure sets the stage for success.
  • Draft Strategy Unveiled: The duo dissects positional needs—cornerback, defensive tackle, interior offensive line, safety, wide receiver—balancing depth, immediate impact, and elite talent.
  • Compensatory Formula Mastery: O’Connell’s quip about needing Tylenol for the complex compensatory pick system underscores the Vikings’ plan to maximize draft capital.
  • Historical Context: Forness ties past draft hits (Moss, Jefferson) to future potential, spotlighting prospects like Tetairoa McMillan and Quincy Riley.

Listen:​

Watch:​


This episode is a must-listen for Vikings fans craving expert analysis on team culture, draft prospects, and championship aspirations.

Ready to feel the Vikings’ SKOL spirit ignite? Forness and Stefano deliver a show that’s equal parts brainy and electric, leaving you hyped for the draft and dreaming of a Super Bowl run. Whether you’re obsessed with O’Connell’s next move or itching to know who the Vikings snag at pick 24, The Real Forno Show is your ticket to the action. Hit play, subscribe, and join the purple faithful—because this isn’t just a podcast; it’s a front-row seat to Minnesota’s rise! SKOL Vikings!

FAN WITH US!!!​


Tyler Forness @TheRealForno of Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and A to Z Sports @AtoZSportsNFL, with Dave Stefano @Luft_Krigare producing this Vikings 1st & SKOL production, the @RealFornoShow. Podcasts partnered with Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN and its NFL feed @FFSN_NFL.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/4/4/24401099/vikings-future-takes-center-stage-oconnells-insights
 
Can you guess this Vikings specialist in today’s in-5 trivia game?

dn_social.0.png


Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Friday, April 4, 2025
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/4/5/24401718/sb-nation-vikings-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Vikings Links: 19 Days Until The Draft

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 20 CFP National Championship - Notre Dame vs Ohio State

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The draft cant get here soon enough!

Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Kevin O’Connell on 2025 Vikings offense: ‘I want to run the football’

Expect that commitment to increase in 2025. Many of the Vikings’ moves this offseason have been those of a team that wants to run the football. They brought in Ryan Kelly and Will Fries as upgrades on the interior of the offensive line, then went out and traded for Jordan Mason to complement Jones in their backfield.

If that wasn’t enough indication, O’Connell has also publicly said that he wants the run game to be a significant priority this season.

“I think the things we’ve done in free agency, from a standpoint of the interior offensive and defensive lines, couple that with Aaron Jones being back and then acquiring a player like Jordan Mason, I think a physicality that I want to play with,” he told ESPN’s Kevin Clark on This is Football when asked what will be different about this year’s Vikings.

“We’ve thrown the ball at a pretty world-class effective clip for three years with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold last year. I want to run the football, I want to get back to the truest nature of where the foundation of this offense was, which is running the football, marrying the run and the pass, generating explosives that way, and trying to be an effective early-down offense that can sustain for 17-plus weeks.”

It makes sense, especially when you consider that the Vikings are going to be breaking in a 22-year-old quarterback who benefited from a strong running game throughout his Michigan career. The more effective they can be in that phase, particularly on early downs, the easier life will be for J.J. McCarthy.


Lunchbreak: The Athletic Points Out ‘Sleeper’ Prospects, PFF Imagines ‘Perfect Scenario

“Sleeper” often is a term thrown around this time of draft season.

And so, it seems proper to dive into a list of 10 “sleeper” players, compiled Thursday by The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, that the Vikings could target in the later rounds. Here’s a rundown, with snippets from Lewis on a select few that piqued our curiosity for varying reasons; Lewis’ complete article can be read here.

Shemar Turner, DT, Texas A&M

Kevin Winston, Jr., S, Penn State

Trey Amos, CB, Mississippi

Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State

T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina

Jacob Bayer, C, Arkansas State

Jimmy Horn, Jr., WR, Colorado

Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas

Tai Felton, WR, Maryland

Jordan Polk, DB, Texas State

This is about as deep in the weeds as we can get, but Polk is a former teammate of Vikings defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez at Texas A&M-Commerce. Following two seasons there, Polk transferred to Texas State, where he thrived as a safety.

Polk is slighter than Winston but not as small as Mukuba. He is in the mold of Miami Dolphins defensive back Kader Kohou (another Texas A&M-Commerce product), who went undrafted in 2022 but has stuck around in the NFL. Polk may go undrafted, but the Vikings would likely pursue him as an undrafted free agent.

Note: Only Bayer and Polk are sleepers. The rest are fairly well known and ranled in the top 200 (save for Horn) on most boards. My definition of sleeper is some player not in the top 250-300.


Five-round 2025 NFL mock draft: Five trades shake up Round 1; Jets select Jaxson Dart

Minnesota Vikings seven-round mock draft: Trading back in first round

Vikings 7-Round NFL Mock Draft showcases trade down that gets Kwesi Adofo-Mensah his draft picks back


2025 Interest List


Yore Mock

Trades​

Trade Partner: Seattle Seahawks​

Sent: Round 1 Pick 24​

Received: Round 2 Pick 18, Round 2 Pick 20, Round 7 Pick 18​

...​

Trade Partner: LA Chargers​

Sent: Round 2 Pick 20​

Received: Round 2 Pick 23, Round 6 Pick 5​

...​

Trade Partner: Cleveland Browns​

Sent: Round 3 Pick 33​

Received: Round 4 Pick 2, Round 6 Pick 16​

...​

Trade Partner: Dallas Cowboys​

Sent: Round 6 Pick 16​

Received: Round 6 Pick 28, Round 7 Pick 23​

...​


50: R2 P18 S Xavier Watts - Notre Dame 5’11.6” 204


55: R2 P23 G Jonah Savaiinaea - Arizona 5’11.3” 197


104: R4 P2 DL TY Robinson - Nebraska 6’5.1” 288


139: R5 P1 CB/S Caleb Ransaw - Tulane 5’11.3” 197

Reese’s Senior Bowl 2025 - Practice
Photo by Derick E. Hingle/Getty Images

181: R6 P5 DL Aeneas Peebles - Virginia Tech 6’0.04” 282


187: R6 P11 RB Brashard Smith - SMU 5’9.7” 194

SMU v Penn State - Playoff First Round
Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/Getty Images

204: R6 P28 LB Brandon George - Pittsburgh 6’3.2” 246


234: R7 P18 WR Isaac TeSlaa - Arkansas 6’3.0” 214


239: R7 P23 EDGE Ethan Downs - Oklahoma 6’3.6” 269

NCAA Football: South Carolina at Oklahoma
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

UDFA​

QB Taylor Elgersma Wilfrid Laurier​

WR LaJohntay Wester Colorado​

TE Thomas Fidone II Nebraska​

OT Bryce Cabeldue Kansas​

C Jacob Bayer Arkansas State​

DL Warren Brinson Georgia​

LB Jailin Walker Indiana​

CB Marcus Harris California​

CB Korie Black Oklahoma State​

S Marques Sigle Kansas State​

P Kai Kroeger South Carolina​


Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

  • No discussion of politics or religion
  • No feeding of the trolls
  • Leave the gender hatred at the door
  • Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
  • Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
  • No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
  • If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
  • While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...s-jonah-savaiinaea-jj-mccarthy-kevin-oconnell
 
Can you guess this Vikings linebacker in today’s in-5 trivia game?

dn_social.0.png


Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Saturday, April 5, 2025
Friday, April 4, 2025
Thursday, April 3, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/4/6/24402295/sb-nation-vikings-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Vikings Congratulate Paige Bueckers on Winning Women’s National Basketball Title

UConn v UCLA

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

In a pretty unique way

On Sunday afternoon, the University of Connecticut Huskies defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks to win the Women’s NCAA Final Four. The Huskies were led by guard Paige Bueckers, who was a high school superstar at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka before moving on to join Geno Auriemma’s squad.

Even though she’s now playing basketball on the East Coast, she’s apparently never forgotten her midwestern roots. Following UConn’s win, the Minnesota Vikings. . .as is tradition. . .chimed in with their own version of “She’s from Minnesota.”


Buckets

pic.twitter.com/OSjgeYpd8p

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 6, 2025​
Click to expand...

The post is a picture of Bueckers, complete with eye black, in an Adrian Peterson jersey and Vikings uniform pants holding a Vikings helmet. Bueckers was six years old when Peterson burst onto the scene in 2007, and though it doesn’t say what year the picture is from, I’m guessing it isn’t too far removed from that season.

Congratulations to Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies on winning the Women’s National Championship in college basketball. I think we’re all curious to see what her reaction is when the Vikings finally get their Super Bowl trophy, and hopefully we’ll get to see that reaction sooner rather than later.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...omens-national-basketball-title-uconn-huskies
 
Can you guess this Vikings receiver in today’s in-5 trivia game?

dn_social.0.png


Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Sunday, April 6, 2025
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Friday, April 4, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/4/7/24402888/sb-nation-vikings-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Vikings Release CB Nahshon Wright

Minnesota Vikings v Cleveland Browns

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

A minor roster move on this Monday

With the free agent signing frenzy basically over or, at the very least, taking an extended pause, the Minnesota Vikings announced that they were parting ways with a player who played a limited role for the team in 2024.

The team has announced that they have released cornerback Nahshon Wright.

Wright was acquired by the Vikings last August in a trade for fellow cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., a deal involving two players who never truly lived up to expectations for their original teams. Wright was a third-round pick of the Cowboys in 2021, while Booth was taken by the Vikings in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

After the Vikings acquired Wright, he was waived as a part of the team’s final cuts and brought back to the practice squad. He wound up appearing in just one game for the Vikings, the team’s 23-22 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13, playing 15 snaps on special teams and not recording any statistics.

We’ll see if Wright catches on anywhere going forward or if the Vikings show any interest in bringing him back for Training Camp.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/4/7/24403450/minnesota-vikings-release-cb-nahshon-wright
 
Vikings Links: 16 Days Until The Draft

NCAA Football: Cotton Bowl-Ohio State at Texas

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

May as well mock!

I love to see those mocks!

Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Seven things Vikings’ offseason has revealed

Players, including McCarthy, were aware of Rodgers talks

On the morning of the 2024 draft, coach Kevin O’Connell summoned quarterback Sam Darnold to his office. In a 45-minute conversation, O’Connell told Darnold — who had recently signed a one-year contract with the Vikings — that the team planned to draft a quarterback that evening. Regardless of that plan, however, O’Connell told Darnold that he would be an important part of the 2024 season.

The conversation was one of the first steps in building Darnold into the Pro Bowl quarterback he became eight months later, and O’Connell utilized a similar approach to explain his discussions with Rodgers to McCarthy and others.

“J.J. knew of those conversations almost borderline in real time just because I do see him every day throughout the week,” O’Connell said, “and I thought it was important just so that he was hearing it from me and my perspective from the very first time I had any communication, really in regards to Aaron and any of the other free agents that we’ve discussed at kind of all positions.”

O’Connell said he also spoke with receiver Justin Jefferson, tight end T.J. Hockenson, right tackle Brian O’Neill and linebacker Jonathan Greenard about Rodgers and/or the team’s roster plans. It might sound simple, but there is value in preventing players — especially McCarthy — from being blindsided by news reports that could affect their jobs.

Vikings trust their medical staff to overperform

RB Jordan Mason will have a big role

There is a plan if WR Jordan Addison is suspended

“I think we basically went through that last year with Jordan [missing games],” O’Connell said. “We essentially, for two and a half games, didn’t have him, and we were able to beat the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans with Jalen Nailor playing huge roles in those games.”

CB Isaiah Rodgers is a Brian Flores special

Goal for new DTs: ‘Impactful’ snaps

G Blake Brandel gets ‘some grace’

“We wanted to make a commitment last year to Blake and see what it looked like over the course of a whole season,” O’Connell said. “I thought over the first five, six games, when you really took a step back with him playing next to Christian Darrisaw, he played at a pretty darn high level.

“There were some moments in there where I really thought Blake was taking that next step, and then Cam Robinson comes in, and I don’t think you can discount the role Blake played in Cam’s ability to come in, handle the communication, new offense, everything. But that had to stress Blake enough that I think we got to give him some grace on some things throughout that time.”


Vikings facilities blew away Jonathan Allen: ‘I feel like I’ve been cheated’

A positive team culture was a prerequisite for Allen no matter where he ended up signing. He didn’t want to go to a team where guys were just collecting paychecks. What stood out about the Minnesota Vikings was the well-established culture under coach Kevin O’Connell, and how the organization from the top down clearly made a strong culture a priority.

“I can’t state enough how great the culture has been, from how they treat their families to how they treat the players,” Allen said Thursday on the Green Light podcast with Chris Long, a former defensive end who spent 11 seasons in the NFL.

It doesn’t hurt either that the Vikings’ facilities at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minn., are among the best in the league, and the fact that the environment at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is memorable for visiting opponents.

“I feel like I’ve been cheated my last eight years,” Allen said of his first impression of Minnesota’s facilities.


Kiper sees Vikings taking Ohio State guard in his final mock

With the 24th pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings select: Donovan Jackson, guard, Ohio State.

That’s what Mel Kiper Jr. sees in his crystal ball. The most reputable mock drafter in the world released his final predictions on Tuesday and he has the Vikings going with the Ohio State guard.

“Minnesota signed guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly away from the Colts. It’s a big improvement on the interior offensive line. Let’s take it a step further. Jackson would replace Blake Brandel at the other guard spot, and he has the versatility to kick outside if needed,” Kiper Jr. wrote.

“He did so this past season when Josh Simmons got hurt for Ohio State. That seems relevant given left tackle Christian Darrisaw is recovering from a left knee injury. Jackson is a plug-and-play interior blocker with great agility and technique; he allowed four sacks over 40 career starts.”


Vikings Predicted To Make Strategic Signing of Former Super Bowl MVP as Mentor for Inexperienced QB J.J. McCarthy

There aren’t many quarterbacks in the NFL with more experience than Joe Flacco, who debuted in 2008 with the Baltimore Ravens. Flacco went on to win a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012, making him one of the top potential mentors for McCarthy.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox predicts Minnesota will swoop in and sign Flacco this offseason, writing, “Ideally, the Minnesota Vikings will be able to rely on second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy throughout the 2025 season. However, the Michigan product is coming off a season-ending knee injury and has no regular-season experience.”


Yore Mock

Trades​

Trade Partner: Cleveland Browns​

Sent: Round 1 Pick 24​

Received: Round 2 Pick 1, Round 3 Pick 3​

...​

Trade Partner: New Orleans Saints​

Sent: Round 2 Pick 1​

Received: Round 2 Pick 8, Round 3 Pick 29​

...​

Trade Partner: Tennessee Titans​

Sent: Round 3 Pick 29​

Received: Round 4 Pick 1, Round 5 Pick 29​

...​

Trade Partner: Dallas Cowboys​

Sent: Round 5 Pick 1​

Received: Round 5 Pick 11, Round 6 Pick 28​

...​

Trade Partner: San Francisco 49ers​

Sent: Round 6 Pick 28​

Received: Round 7 Pick 11, Round 7 Pick 36​

...​


40: R2 P8 RB TreVeyon Henderson - Ohio State 5’10.1” 202


67: R3 P3 WR Jack Bech - TCU 6’1.2” 214


97: R3 P33 DL Ty Robinson - Nebraska 6’5.1” 288


103: R4 P1 G Charles Grant - William & Mary 6’4.7” 311


149: R5 P11 CB Jordan Hancock - Ohio State 6’0.01” 195


167: R5 P29 DL Cam Jackson - Florida 6’6.2” 328


187: R6 P11 EDGE Fadil Diggs - Syracuse 6’4.3” 257


227: R7 P11 S Marques Sigle - Kansas State 5’11.3” 199


252: R7 P36 LB Brandon George - Pittsburgh 6’3” 241


Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

  • No discussion of politics or religion
  • No feeding of the trolls
  • Leave the gender hatred at the door
  • Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
  • Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
  • No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
  • If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
  • While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/4/8/24403876/kwesi-adofo-mensah-kevin-oconnell-jj-mccarthy
 
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