The Minnesota Vikings want you to know that they expect an improved running game next season. Kevin O’Connell has mentioned the running game multiple times during interviews this offseason, and his words have been backed up by his actions, including hiring Keith Carter as his new offensive line coach and former Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith as his assistant head coach.
The one question that Vikings fans have is whether O’Connell will actually use his running game after establishing a pass-happy scheme during his first four seasons as head coach. But another issue the Vikings could run into is a lack of talent in the backfield.
Minnesota Vikings backfield good, but not great, entering 2026
B/R’s NFL scouting department released a list of the 1,000 best players in the league this week and broke each position group down individually. In their list of running backs, the Vikings did not end up in a good spot, with Aaron Jones ranking 34th and Jordan Mason ranking 60th among 71 graded running backs.
While the Vikings may have a different opinion, it may be a group that’s starving for high-end talent, and it’s unknown whether Minnesota can unearth it and add another dimension to their offense next season.
Mason had a solid first season with the Vikings, leading the team with 758 yards, six touchdowns and a 56 percent success rate according to Pro Football Reference. But those numbers came up short of the expectations fans had for him after he was acquired in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.
Part of the reason the rest of the league is low on Mason is his limited production in the passing game, including 14 catches for 51 yards last season. But his athleticism is also an issue, with nine breakaway runs, which Pro Football Focus defines as designed runs over 15 carries on 159 attempts.
The Vikings never acquired Mason to be a burner, however, and his role feels safe entering training camp after averaging 4.8 yards per carry. But Aaron Jones may be a bigger concern as the player who is supposed to bring an explosive element to the running game.
After running for 1,138 yards and five touchdowns and catching 51 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns in his first season with the Vikings, Jones battled injuries and was limited to 548 yards and two rushing touchdowns with 28 catches for 199 yards and a touchdown. Explosiveness was also an issue with five breakaway runs on 132 attempts and it was part of the reason the Vikings considered releasing Jones before coming to an agreement on a revised contract for this season.
Together, Jones and Mason represent an average duo and that is reflected in the rankings. The Vikings are also betting heavily that a more physical approach from their offensive line and more outside zone runs could spring more big plays on the ground. But that may not matter if they don’t have a game-breaker that can bust a long run.
Vikings need someone to break out in the backfield to help their offense
Throughout O’Connell’s tenure as head coach, this has been a problem. Dalvin Cook ran for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns during O’Connell’s first season, but he was inefficient on most of his runs and was released afterward. The Vikings tried Alexander Mattison as his replacement, but he ran for just 700 yards and failed to score a touchdown on 180 attempts during the 2023 campaign.
The Vikings have also tried to get younger at the position, taking Ty Chandler in the 2022 draft and McBride in 2023, but neither panned out: McBride failed to make the team in his rookie season, and Chandler left for the New Orleans Saints in free agency last spring.
The latest attempt is Demond Claiborne, who was taken in the sixth round of last spring’s draft. While the early impressions were promising, with Jones comparing Claiborne’s speed to Detroit Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs, Claiborne comes to the NFL with ball security issues (five fumbles at Wake Forest last season) and pass protection questions, which could keep him off the field in favor of the trusted veteran.
If Claiborne doesn’t pan out, the Vikings could dive into a talented 2027 draft that includes Ole Miss star Kewan Lacy, Florida’s Jadan Baugh, Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy and Miami’s Mark Fletcher Jr. But that wouldn’t do anything for an offense that needs more production (and perhaps more usage) on the ground.
In the end, it may be the coaching staff’s job to get the most out of the players they have and according to the latest assessment, it could be a major obstacle for a revamped running game.
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