Vikings NFL Draft grades: Minnesota gets mixed reviews from Mel Kiper Jr., other experts

The 2025 NFL Draft is complete, and it was an odd three days for the Minnesota Vikings. 

On one hand, Minnesota entered the draft with a rock-solid roster, thanks to GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s work during free agency. The Vikings also came into the weekend holding just four total selections, the fewest in the league, so their draft board was always going to be flawed to an extent.

Minnesota could have leveraged its first-round pick, No.  24 overall, to move down the board with an eye on collecting more Day 2 picks. The Vikings loved versatile offensive lineman Donovan Jackson too much to pass on him, though, and that selection set the stage for a quiet final two days, including a brutal 78-pick gap at one point.

Thanks to a few trades on Friday and Saturday — including one with Seattle that netted Minnesota its new backup quarterback for J.J. McCarthy — the Vikings ended up making five total selections in the draft, including three on Day 3:

Vikings 2025 NFL Draft results

• Round 1: No. 24 — Donovan Jackson, IOL, Ohio State
• Round 3: No. 102 — Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
• Round 5: No. 139 — Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DT, Georgia
• Round 6: No. 201 — Kobe King, LB, Penn State
• Round 6: No. 202 — Gavin Bartholomew, TE,  Pittsburgh

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The Sunday after the NFL Draft is like football Christmas for analysts. Grades are pouring in, and the Vikings so far are getting mixed reviews. The Vikings were widely expected to add help to Brian Flores' secondary, but the team surprisingly passed on drafting a defensive back. Here’s what the experts are saying about Minnesota’s 2025 rookie class overall:

Vikings NFL draft grades

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: C- (ranked 31st)

Iyer: "The Vikings had an underwhelming draft after some strong previous work from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. They ended up with some good offensive line depth early with Jackson, but the rest of the picks don't work to keep them as a playoff team in QB transition. They also should not have bothered trading for Sam Howell.”

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: B-

Kiper Jr.: "The Vikings have one of the NFL's most talented rosters around one of the biggest unknowns of the 2025 season. It appears they're going to ride with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, the 2024 first-rounder who missed his rookie campaign because of a knee injury. They let Sam Darnold walk in free agency and have passed up a chance to bring in Aaron Rodgers to compete with him. (They also traded back in Round 5 on Saturday to acquire Sam Howell, who should be the backup.) Can McCarthy thrive? He has all the tools; I ranked him No. 15 on my final Big Board last year. Minnesota, however, came into this draft with just four total picks, the fewest of any team (the Vikings added one more via a trade with the Rams). If general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was going to help out his young passer, he was going to have to do it with surgical precision. The first move was Donovan Jackson in Round 1. He will take Blake Brandel's spot at left guard, where he will help both as a pass protector and run blocker. Somewhat surprisingly, Jackson was the third guard off the board at No. 24. The Vikings got some value with the next few picks. Receiver Tai Felton had 96 catches last season; Minnesota landed my No. 83 prospect at No. 102. Edge rusher Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins didn't fill the stat sheet in a deep Georgia rotation, but he has some traits that can be developed. He was No. 123 on my board, acquired at No. 139. Adofo-Mensah did what he could with the team's limited picks, but I wanted to see the Vikings snag an impact cornerback who could thrive in Brian Flores' aggressive system. Minnesota was the last team to make a pick on defense (Ingram-Dawkins at No. 139), and it didn't do anything at corner. But the Vikings like the young corners they already have in the room.”

Chad Reuter, NFL.com: B

Reuter: "The Vikings made the offensive line a priority in Round 1, taking Jackson, a sturdy guard, over available defensive backs. They also ignored defensive needs when good value presented itself in Felton, whose game will take pressure off Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Minnesota came into Day 3 with just two picks because of trades, including moves to acquire edge Dallas Turner and running back Jordan Mason. Ingram-Dawkins is a tall, athletic lineman able to step in at 5-technique behind free agents Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. The Vikings later traded for Sam Howell and a fifth-round pick from Seattle, then sent the fifth-rounder acquired in that deal to the Rams for a pair of sixth-round choices, which Minnesota used on stout inside 'backer King and solid No. 2 tight end Bartholomew. They did not address their secondary concerns, however.”

Nate Davis, USA TODAY: C (ranked 30th)

Davis: "Previous deals left them with one pick in the top 100, though taking G Donovan Jackson was prudent with QB J.J. McCarthy coming back from his knee injury … even if Jackson is a Buckeye protecting a Wolverine. Otherwise, a team that spent freely in free agency seemed largely relegated to targeting depth, including backup QB Sam Howell via a pick swap.”

Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: A

Trapasso: “General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah started this draft with four selections, added one more, and knocked this selection process out of the park. Jackson in Round 1 directly helps J.J. McCarthy and the run game. He's a pro-ready guard with All-Pro upside. Felton's speed is evident on film -- and from looking at his combine workout -- but there's also run-after-the-catch pop his profile, and Ingram-Dawkins can be another chess piece for Brian Flores up front. King is a throwback type linebacker who provides much needed size to that position, and Bartholomew was probably the most underrated receiving tight end in the class. Needs met, and they were aligned with prospects snagged at the right values.”