The 2025 NFL Draft quickly is creeping up on us.

Experts are refining their big boards, filing their newest, best mock drafts and profiling many players who starred in some capacity on Saturdays and are at the precipice of accomplishing their NFL dreams.

At this stage in the game, there's also an in-depth understanding of favorite small-school prospects and other lesser-known players, including guys who quietly outplayed their competition and strengthened their probability of getting drafted by shining in front of scouts during pro days and rounds of interviews.

"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

Turner offers traits but not much collegiate production. He only recorded two sacks in 2024, and his pressure rate was similarly disappointing, but he was navigating a stress fracture throughout the season that required an operation this winter. At 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, he could be a player with a lot of potential for Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores and defensive line coach Marcus Dixon to mold.

One thought from us: There's an inherent reliance on forecasting when drafting traits over production. But with individualized plans for each player in the Vikings building, it's an acceptable and logical pursuit.

Kevin Winston, Jr., S, Penn State

Trey Amos, CB, Mississippi

Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State

Williams is an unheralded prospect who does what Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell most wants his receivers to do: separate. Williams can release off the line of scrimmage and win at all three levels. He also has experience returning kicks.

Among the 2025 class, Williams is …

WR5 in Rec Yards Market Share (28.1%)

WR5 in Rec TD Market Share (32.9%)

WR5 in Experience-Adjusted Rec Yards/Team Pass Att (+0.05)

One thought from us: Williams had 12 college games with 100-plus yards and 30 with at least 50.

T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina

Jacob Bayer, C, Arkansas State

Jimmy Horn, Jr., WR, Colorado

Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas

Mukuba, who transferred to Texas from Clemson, has the instincts and ball skills to be dynamic. He picked off five passes in 2024, anticipates route concepts and has no problem reading the quarterback's eyes. He's also not afraid to knife in from depth and make tackles.

One thought from us: Here's an awesome story on Mukuba’s 2024 season at 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.

One thought from us: Minnesota's recent track record has resulted in undrafted defenders finding success. Beyond Ivan Pace, Jr., there's been quite a bit of upside shown by Bo Richter, Taki Taimani and Dwight "Nudie" McGlothern.

Potentially perfect scenario

Max Chadwick, a college football analyst for Pro Football Focus, projected on Wednesday his perfect scenarios for teams without much early draft capital in the annual event that's exactly three weeks away.

Based on Minnesota's current ownership of only four selections (Nos. 24, 97, 139 and 187), it's no surprise that Chadwick included the Vikings in his analysis. In addition to Minnesota, Chadwick zeroed in on Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Washington – four franchises with just a pair of picks over Rounds 1, 2 and 3.

It's important to note, Chadwick formed his takes sans trading down to acquire more draft capital. To start off, he proposed the Vikings use the 24^th overall pick on Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.

Chadwick liked the potential to add Grant's skill set to an effort that has included adding free agents Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave on the interior of the defensive line.

Grant is the best nose tackle in the class and has rare quickness for a 340-pounder. He was one of eight FBS interior defenders since 2023 with 80.0-plus PFF grades as both a pass rusher and a run defender.

Interestingly, Minnesota doubled down on defense in Chadwick's mockup, addressing the defensive secondary at slot No. 97, which was delivered via the compensatory pick formula to account for Kirk Cousins' departure and signing with the Falcons last offseason, by taking Penn State's Kevin Winston, Jr.

Chadwick touted Winston, who played three games last year due to a partially torn ACL, as "one of the best safeties in the class," and likened his production and athleticism in 2023 to a first-round standard.

Winston was the only safety that year who earned 85.0-plus PFF grades both in coverage and run defense. He also scored above the 99^th percentile in PFF's Game Athleticism Score metric. With Harrison Smith recently turning 36 years old and Joshua Metellus being more of a solid starter than a true star, Winston could be one of the biggest steals of the draft while filling a massive need for the Vikings.

One perk of another robust free agency for Minnesota, and Smith committing to a 14^th season, is the Vikings aren't pressed to fill a gaping position hole; their roster is more balanced now than a month ago.

Check out the rest of Chadwick's article featuring teams with limited attempts to nail the draft here.

View the Vikings Free Agency Tracker.

View the Vikings 2025 Draft Picks.

View the Vikings 2025 Opponents.