Regardless of whether or not All-Pro safety Harrison Smith decides to hold off retirement for another year and return for his 14th season in the NFL, the Minnesota Vikings will likely be looking for his replacement in the 2025 NFL Draft this April.
Combine this with the possibility of the Vikings also parting with Cam Bynum this offseason, the team is probably going to be in need of improving the level of talent inside their safety room by the time they get to this year's draft.
So, in this pre-Super Bowl 2025 NFL mock draft, that's exactly what we have Minnesota doing. In fact, the Vikings not only find a more-than-suitable replacement for Smith, but they trade up in the draft to get him.
Pre-Super Bowl Minnesota Vikings 7-Round 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Before getting into who Minnesota ends up with in this mock draft, it should be mentioned that we have them making two trades to land 2025 selections with greater value than the ones they currently have.
Trade No. 1
Vikings acquire picks No. 32 (first) and No. 64 (second) from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for pick No. 24 (first) and a 2026 fourth-round selection.
Trade No. 2
Vikings acquire pick No. 43 (second) from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for picks No. 64 (second), No. 161 (fifth), and a 2026 third-round selection.
With those now in mind, let's get to who we have the Vikings picking with their four selections in this 2025 NFL mock draft.
First-Round Pick (32nd Overall - From KC)
Omarion Hampton - RB (North Carolina)
There's a good chance that Minnesota will attempt to bring back Aaron Jones this offseason, and even if they do, they will still likely use one of their top picks in the draft to add another player to pair with the veteran running back, and in this mock draft, we have them selecting North Carolina's Omarion Hampton.
At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, Hampton would be able to help the Vikings have a lot more success when running the ball in short-yardage situations. And after splitting time with Jones next season, he should be able to take over as Minnesota's No. 1 running back in 2026.
Second-Round Pick (43rd Overall - From SF)
Xavier Watts - S (Notre Dame)
With Xavier Watts still on the board early in the second round, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will be unable to resist the urge to trade up and select the talented former Notre Dame safety.
With a relentless physicality out on the field, Watts would be the perfect addition to the aggressive defense that Minnesota runs under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He's also excellent in pass coverage, as he came up with six interceptions for the Fighting Irish in the 2024 season and only allowed a 30.1 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks when the ball was thrown in his direction.
Third-Round Pick (97th Overall)
Tate Ratledge - OG (Georgia)
When it comes to offseason needs for the Vikings this year, improving the interior of the offensive line will be a big priority, but they also just need guys who are willing to get nasty in the trenches. Minnesota Nice needs to go out the door when it comes to the team's offensive line next season and adding someone like Tate Ratledge would certainly help them do just that.
Not only does Ratledge look like he was raised by the legendary pro wrestling tag team known as The Nasty Boys, but he was actually a solid blocker during his time at Georgia as well. In 1,177 pass-blocking snaps as a starting right guard for the Bulldogs since 2022, he gave up a grand total of two sacks.
Fifth-Round Pick (139th Overall)
Aeneas Peebles - DL (Virginia Tech)
Speaking of improving in the trenches, we have the Vikings using their final selection on one of the top pass-rushing defensive linemen available in this year's pool of draft prospects in Aeneas Peebles.
Among all FBS defensive linemen during the 2024 season, Peebles accumulated the sixth-most pressures, and his 17.7 percent pass-rush win rate ranked third in the nation among 504 qualifying defensive linemen, according to data from PFF.
Minnesota needs to improve its ability to generate a pass rush with the team's defensive line and landing Peebles in the fifth round would help that cause significantly.