The Minnesota Vikings are likely to look for a running back this offseason and they could lean on one of college football’s biggest stars to solve the problem in this year’s NFL Draft.
NBC Sports’ Connor Rogers has former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty landing with the Vikings with the 28th overall pick in his latest 2025 NFL mock draft and suggested adding the Heisman Trophy finalist to Kevin O’Connell’s offense would be “flat-out ridiculous” if Minnesota made the selection next spring.
“Aaron Jones on a one-year deal at age 30 has been a home run for the Vikings, but adding Jeanty to this offense next year would be flat-out ridiculous. He has some of the best balance and vision I’ve evaluated at the position and would be a day one star in Minnesota.”
Former Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty would be massive for the Minnesota Vikings backfield
The Vikings’ running game isn’t broken as they rank 19th in rushing yards this season. Jones has also been a hit in his first year in Minnesota running for 1,138 yards and five touchdowns and has said he would like to finish his career with the Vikings.
Even if Jones returns next season, signs are pointing to an addition to the running back room. The Vikings haven’t found a suitable backup for Jones which has had their wheels spinning at times this season. While the Vikings’ original plan was to use Ty Chandler as the 1B to Jones’s 1A, that hasn’t panned out and Minnesota traded for Cam Akers in October.
The Vikings have also had significant issues running the ball in the red zone. The Minnesota Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling recently noted that 50 percent of the Vikings’ runs inside the 10-yard line have gone for zero or fewer yards this season and 72.2 percent of their runs have resulted in the running back hit at the line.
Mix in Jones turning 30 years old last December and it makes sense why the Vikings may want an upgrade at running back. But instead of making a selection in the later rounds, they could go all-in to acquire Jeanty.
Jeanty caught the attention of draft scouts by running for 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2023 but he became the top running back prospect in the class with a generational junior season.
Jeanty ran for 2,601 yards last season, second only to Barry Sanders’ record of 2,628 yards set with Oklahoma State in 1988. He also led the nation with 29 rushing touchdowns posting the highest overall Pro Football grade at 95.2 and leading all qualifying running backs with 5.42 yards per contact.
With receiving ability in the passing game and an equal number of runs in zone (153) and gap (159) concepts, Jeanty is a fit for any running-back needy team. But despite the first-round price tag and limited draft capital, the Vikings could be interested in the same way they were interested in Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round of the 2023 draft.
After watching Gibbs shred the Vikings for four touchdowns in Sunday night’s loss to the Detroit Lions, O’Connell may look for a similar back to lead his backfield. Jeanty fits that bill and could lead to a selection that surprises many on draft day.