In the lead up to the 2024 NFL Draft, Vikings.com is taking a look at prospects who have garnered a range of attention from national outlets. The series will include rankings by those national outlets, stats and background information for multiple prospects.
Vikings status at offensive line
Bookends
The Vikings have tons of experience returning at tackle, with 2021 first-round pick Christian Darrisaw on the left side and 2018 second-rounder Brian O'Neill on the right.
Minnesota also re-signed veteran David Quessenberry, who filled in admirably for Darrisaw and O'Neill after joining the Vikings just before the 2023 season.
Olisaemeka Udoh signed with the Saints during free agency. Coy Cronk was signed to Minnesota's practice squad in November and re-signed via a future contract with Minnesota in January.
Interior Offensive Linemen
Center Garrett Bradbury is back at the pivot, where he has started all 71 regular-season games played since his selection as a first-round pick in 2019. Ed Ingram, who has started 32 games at right guard since his selection in the second round of 2022, is back for his third pro season.
The Vikings added Dalton Risner during the 2023 season, and he started 11 of 15 games at left guard for Minnesota, quickly connecting with teammates. Risner is currently a free agent.
Minnesota opted to trade Ezra Cleveland during the season after Risner began filling in for him, and veteran Austin Schlottmann departed for the Giants in free agency.
The Vikings re-signed Blake Brandel, who has shown versatility and development since he was picked in the sixth round in 2020. Minnesota also added veteran center/guard Dan Feeney during free agency.
Minnesota also has Tyrese Robinson and Henry Byrd on the roster.
Expert rankings
NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah currently has eight tackles in his Top 50: 8. Joe Alt, 10. Taliese Fuaga, 11. Troy Fautanu, 15. Olumuyiwa Fashanu, 18. JC Latham, 22. Amarius Mims, 23. Tyler Guyton and 49. Jordan Morgan.
Jeremiah has three interior offensive linemen in his Top 50: 24. Graham Barton, 30. Jackson Powers-Johnson and 37. Zach Frazier.
ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., six offensive linemen in his overall Top 25: 8. Alt, 9. Fautanu (projected as a guard by Kiper), 11. Latham, 15. Fashanu, 18. Fuaga and 22. Guyton.
Rankings for offensive linemen by Jeremiah, his NFL Media counterpart Bucky Brooks, Kiper, analytics site Pro Football Focus (tackles and interior offensive linemen) and The Athletic's Dane Brugler are listed below.
Prospects
Note: Heights and weights are from each player's profile on NFL.com (linked for each player's name).
Because some players are projected at different positions, we're just going to group the offensive linemen together and make note of those projections that vary.
Although tackle may be seen as less of a priority for the Vikings, particularly early in this year's draft, we thought we'd include a few of those prospects, along with some interior linemen.
School: Notre Dame | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-9 | Wt: 321 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: T1
Bucky Brooks: T1
Mel Kiper, Jr.: T1
Pro Football Focus: T1
Dane Brugler: T1
Career starts/games played: 33/38 (all starts at left tackle)
Upholding a legacy: The former Totino-Grace star (and Minnesota Vikings All-State selection) earned First-Team All-America honors in 2022 and 2023 and is positioned to join his father, John, as a first-round pick. John was picked by Kansas City in 1984 and garnered two trips to the Pro Bowl. Joe's brother Mark played hockey at Minnesota prior to his selection in the second round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Mark played for the Flyers, Avalanche and Kings.
School: Oregon State | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-6 | Wt: 324 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: T2
Bucky Brooks: T2
Mel Kiper, Jr.: T4
Pro Football Focus: T2
Dane Brugler: T4
Career starts/games played: 25/39 (all starts at right tackle)
Near the top: Fuaga garnered Second-Team All-America honors from The Associated Press and was a finalist for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year in 2023. His name is pronounced Tall-ee-s-a Foo-ah-gah.
School: Washington | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-4 | Wt: 317 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: T3
Bucky Brooks: T6 (Brooks designated as "keep an eye on")
Mel Kiper, Jr.: G1
Pro Football Focus: T3
Dane Brugler: G1
Career starts/games played: 31/41 (29 at left tackle and 2 at left guard)
Respect from foes: Fautanu won the 2023 Morris Trophy, presented to the top offensive lineman in the Pac-12 through a vote by the conference's defensive linemen.
School: Penn State | Year: R-Junior | Ht: 6-foot-6 | Wt: 312 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: T4
Bucky Brooks: T3
Mel Kiper, Jr.: T3
Pro Football Focus: T4
Dane Brugler: T2
Career starts/games played: 21/29
Best in the Big Ten: Fashanu was named the Rimington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2023 after not allowing a sack over the course of 365 pass-blocking snaps.
School: Alabama | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-6 | Wt: 342 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: T5
Bucky Brooks: T5
Mel Kiper, Jr.: T2
Pro Football Focus: T5
Dane Brugler: T3
Career starts/games played: 27/41 (all 27 starts at right tackle; played 14 games as a reserve guard and on special teams in 2021)
Apt description: NFL Media's Lance Zierlein described Latham as "bulldozer in human form with the upper- and lower-body power to forcibly evacuate run lates and instantly upgrade a team's ground attack."
School: Duke | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-5 | Wt: 313 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: IOL1 (Interior Offensive Line)
Bucky Brooks: IB1 (Interior Blocker)
Mel Kiper, Jr.: C1
Pro Football Focus: T7
Dane Brugler: C1
Career starts/games played: 39/40 (34 starts at left tackle; 5 starts at center in 2020)
Convincing argument: Barton grew up playing lacrosse (and lettered in that sport for two seasons in high school). According to Brugler, Barton convinced his mom to let him start playing organized football when he was in fourth grade.
School: Oregon | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 328 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: IOL2
Bucky Brooks: IB2
Mel Kiper, Jr.: C3
Pro Football Focus: IOL1
Dane Brugler: C2
Career starts/games played: 17/36 (13 starts at center in 2023; 1 start at right guard in 2022; 1 start at right guard, 1 at left guard and 1 at defensive tackle)
Home at last: After bouncing around a bit on both sides of the line, Powers-Johnson settled into a home at center in 2023, claiming the Rimington Trophy (presented to the nation's best center) and unanimous All-America honors. He became the first Pac-12 player to win a Rimington Trophy (presented since 2000).
School: West Virginia | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 313 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: IOL3
Bucky Brooks: Not Ranked (among Top 6 interior blockers)
Mel Kiper, Jr.: C2
Pro Football Focus: IOL2
Dane Brugler: C2
Career starts/games played: 46/47 (37 starts at center from 2021-23; 9 starts at left guard in 2020)
Family ties: Frazier committed to West Virginia on Father's Day in 2019 to surprise his father Raymond, who involved him in football at an early age. Frazier also comes from a long line of wrestlers. He was a four-time heavyweight champion and named the 2019-20 West Virginia Wrestler of the Year. According to Brugler, Frazier's grandfather (on his mom's side) and three uncles also are state wrestling champs.
School: Connecticut | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 317 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: Not Ranked (in Top 50 overall prospects)
Bucky Brooks: IB3
Mel Kiper, Jr.: G3
Pro Football Focus: Not Ranked (in PFF's Top 10 interior offensive linemen)
Dane Brugler: G4
Career starts/games played: 49/51 (49 starts at right guard from 2019-23; school did not play football in 2020)
Pass protection: Haynes was part of an offensive line that allowed just 12 sacks during the 2023 season, which ranked ninth in FBS.
School: Kansas State | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 322 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: Not Ranked (in Top 50 overall prospects)
Bucky Brooks: IB4
Mel Kiper, Jr.: G6
Pro Football Focus: IOL7
Dane Brugler: G3
Career starts/games played: 48/51 (13 starts at left guard in 2023 and one in 2020; 27 starts at left tackle from 2021-22; 7 starts at right tackle in 2020)
Football family: Beebe's father Tom played at Pittsburg State (Kansas). His brother Colton played tight end at Minnesota (2015-18) and his brother Camden joined Kansas State's team in summer 2023.
Vikings status at running back
The Vikings quickly stepped in to sign Aaron Jones once the Packers released the veteran just before the start of the new league year.
Jones bounced back from injury in 2023 to finish the season with five consecutive 100-yard games (including two playoff contests) and will help the group following Alexander Mattison's release after his fifth pro season and first as Minnesota's starter.
Minnesota has returned running backs Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu, Myles Gaskin and DeWayne McBride, as well as Pro Bowl fullback C.J. Ham.
Chandler's opportunities bumped up from 12 offensive snaps as a rookie in 2022 to 307 in 2023. He rushed 102 times for 461 yards and three touchdowns.
Nwangwu has played sparingly on offense, totaling 27 rush attempts for 88 yards and six catches for 30 yards in his first three seasons. He remains a threat as a kick returner, especially now that the NFL has dramatically changed its kickoff rules for at least one season.
Gaskin spent time with the Vikings and Rams, totaling 10 special teams snaps over the course of three total games in 2023.
McBride did not play as a rookie in 2023.
Ham played 216 snaps on offense and 244 on special teams in 2023.
Expert rankings
NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah did not list a running back in his overall Top 50.
ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., also did not list a running back in his Top 25.
Rankings for running backs by NFL Media's Bucky Brooks, analytics site Pro Football Focus and The Athletic's Dane Brugler are listed below.
Prospects
Note: Heights and weights are from each player's profile on NFL.com (linked for each player's name).
School: Texas | Year: R-Soph. | Ht: 6-foot | Wt: 216 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: RB1
Mel Kiper, Jr.: RB1
Pro Football Focus: RB1
Dane Brugler: RB1
2023 stats: 11 games; 187 rushes for 1,139 yards and 10 TDs; 25 receptions for 286 yards and 1 TD
TD Tribute: Brooks, who scored nine touchdowns and rushed for 501 yards in one playoff game for Hallettsville (Texas), now taps a tattoo on his forearm after touchdowns in honor of his late father, Skip, who passed away in March 2022.
School: Tennessee | Year: Junior | Ht: 5-foot-10 1/2 | Wt: 210 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: RB3
Mel Kiper, Jr.: RB2
Pro Football Focus: RB2
Dane Brugler: RB4
2023 stats: 12 games; 137 rushes for 1,013 yards and 4 TDs; 22 receptions for 141 yards
Breakaway potential: Wright became the second player in Volunteers history (LaMarcus Coker) to post multiple rushes of 80-plus yards in his career. He averaged 7.39 yards per carry, which led all qualifying FBS running backs and ranked second behind LSU QB and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels in 2023 and ranks second all-time in Tennessee history behind 7.94 by Hank Lauricella in 1951. He totaled 35 rushes (25.5 percent of his carries) that gained at least 10 yards, helping him reach 1,000 yards on just 136 carries, setting a school record.
School: Michigan | Year: Senior | Ht: 5-foot-8 | Wt: 205 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: RB4
Mel Kiper, Jr.: RB4
Pro Football Focus: RB3
Dane Brugler: RB2
2023 stats: 15 games; 258 rushes for 1,245 yards and 27 TDs; 16 receptions for 117 yards and 1 TD
Consider it done: Corum was the only FBS player to score in every game during the 2023 season, helping him finish his career with school records of 58 rushing touchdowns and 366 points. He scored at least two rushing touchdowns in 10 of Michigan's 15 games.
School: Florida State (after Oregon) | Year: R-Junior | Ht: 6-foot-1 | Wt: 223 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: RB2
Mel Kiper, Jr.: RB3
Pro Football Focus: RB5
Dane Brugler: RB3
2023 stats: 13 games; 156 rushes for 905 yards and 14 TDs; 20 receptions for 227 yards and 1 TD
A night to remember: Against Virginia Tech (Oct. 7, 2023), Benson rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries, averaging 18.2 yards per carry to break a school single-game record set by Warrick Dunn in 1995. He joined former Viking Dalvin Cook as the second Seminole with a 200-yard game since 1988.
School: Oregon (after Minnesota) | Year: Junior | Ht: 5-foot-9 | Wt: 192 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: RB6 (Brooks designated as "keep an eye on")
Mel Kiper, Jr.: RB9
Pro Football Focus: RB4
Dane Brugler: RB8
2023 stats: 14 games; 186 rushes for 1,180 yards and 11 TDs; 56 receptions for 413 yards and 2 TDs
Hot hands, elite mind: Irving led FBS running backs with 56 receptions, recording at least two catches in all 14 games and posted five games with five or more catches. He also became the first Oregon running back named a First-Team Academic All-American.
School: Wisconsin | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-1 | Wt: 235 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: Not Ranked (in Top 6 RB prospects)
Mel Kiper, Jr.: RB7
Pro Football Focus: RB9
Dane Brugler: RB6
2023 stats: 11 games; 181 rushes for 984 yards and 12 TDs; 28 receptions for 131 yards
Century party: Allen rushed for more than 100 yards in 18 of Wisconsin's 22 wins from 2021-23 and finished his career tied for sixth in school history with 20 such games.
School: Clemson | Year: Junior | Ht: 5-foot-11 | Wt: 206 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: RB5
Mel Kiper, Jr.: RB10
Pro Football Focus: RB10
Dane Brugler: RB10
2023 stats: 12 games; 167 rushes for 827 yards and 5 TDs; 31 receptions for 244 yards and 2 TDs
Triple threat: In 2022, Shipley became the first player in ACC history to be selected First-Team All-ACC in three different categories (running back, all-purpose and specialist). He was one of only three FBS players to record 1,200-plus all-purpose yards each season from 2021-23. Shipley also in 2022 became Clemson's first Academic All-American since 2012 and the first running back in school history to claim that honor.
