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The Minnesota Vikings have one game remaining against the Green Bay Packers before the 2025 NFL season comes to an end and the offseason begins. While quarterback likely remains a primary focus, the running back position is another area that clearly needs attention.
Minnesota is not on track to have a 1,000-yard rusher, with Jordan Mason leading the team in rushing at 664 yards. On top of that, Aaron Jones Sr. is 31, making it evident the team will need to start planning for a replacement at the position.
One way the Vikings can replace Jones is through the NFL Draft. Minnesota hold the 17th overall pick, per Tankathon, and one potential prospect on their radar is Jeremiyah Love of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who declared for the NFL Draft on December 16.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis shared his take on the Vikings’ potential pursuit of Love at the 2026 NFL Draft on the December 30 edition of “The Alec Lewis Show.”
“Jeremiyah Love is the Notre Dame product who’s going to be a first-rounder and, by all accounts, is one of the premier players in this draft,” Lewis said. “It just becomes a question of whether he is going to be there when the Vikings are picking and, if he is, whether it makes sense for this Vikings team, given where the roster stands, to take a running back…
“I have always been a best-player-available guy. If your confidence level that Jeremiyah Love is going to hit as a premium-style player is, let’s say, 70 percent, that is probably the route you should go.”
Vikings Could Use Free Agency to Land a Running Back
Nonetheless, the Vikings could be going the free agency route for a running back and use their first-round pick to fill another need. Lewis named Javonte Williams, Travis Etienne, Kenneth Gainwell, Emmanuel Wilson, and Brian Robinson Jr. as names Minnesota might have on its radar if the front office wants to go the free-agent route to address this weakness.
Furthermore, with so many names and profiles hitting the market in free agency, Lewis believes this approach might be sensible for the team.
“If you look at the free agent positions of this upcoming offseason, running back is one where there is a lot of depth and a lot of intriguing players there,” Lewis added. “So, if that’s where the Vikings wanted to save money and spend money, it would be a sensible spot.”
Brian Flores Breaks Silence on Vikings Future
The running back position needs to be upgraded, but another aspect the Vikings must address is whether they can keep defensive coordinator Brian Flores. On December 30, Flores broke his silence regarding his future with Minnesota.
“Obviously, there’s been a lot of talk about my personal situation and next year,” Flores said (h/t Pro Football Talk). “Look, I’ve said this many times. I’ve loved my time here in Minnesota. My family loves it. The state of Minnesota’s been tremendous to me. [Coach Kevin O’Connell] mentioned there’s been great dialogue, and there has. And now we’ll just kind of let the club and my representation handle the rest.
“And so that’s kind of where I’m at on that. I don’t, as you guys know, don’t like talking about myself. I think our players are doing a lot of great things on the field, and I don’t want to take away from them in any way; I think if anything, they deserve all of the recognition, I certainly don’t play, as you guys know.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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