What’s the Vikings Best Path At RB?
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Even though running back often seems like an afterthought in the Kevin O’Connell offense, Aaron Jones and the Minnesota Vikings’ ground game was a crucial part of their success in the 2024 season. However, the running back position will (or at least, should) be far from an afterthought now, as what they’ll do in the backfield is one of the biggest questions Minnesota will face this offseason.
While needs on the offensive and defensive lines might look like more pressing issues on paper, the Vikings currently have just one running back under contract heading into the 2025 season. That’s Ty Chandler, who’s still on his rookie deal, but was trusted so little by Minnesota that he lost his backup gig immediately after the Cam Akers trade.
But how should they go about addressing their holes at running back? With so much uncertainty, Minnesota could take things in just about any direction. Let’s take a look at the three main paths for Minnesota to find a weapon at running back for 2025.
Bring Back Aaron Jones and Cam Akers
Jones and Akers made for a 1-2 punch down the stretch in 2024, but while both were solid, there are major issues with bringing either player back. Jones may have played the full season for just the third time in his career, but he still dealt with some nagging injuries, which are a constant throughout his career. Even if they do bring Jones back, Minnesota needs another back they can trust.
There’s also the matter of Jones’ next contract, which may not be easy to negotiate. He just had the statistical season of his career, rushing for 1,138 yards and five touchdowns, and he didn’t take a pay cut with the Green Bay Packers last offseason. If he’s not willing to take a pay cut with Minnesota, the upside with the 31-year-old Jones might not be worth the salary cap space.
For Akers, while it would also be nice for him to come back, are we sure he even wants to be in Minnesota? The Vikings tried to sign him before the 2024 season, and at least for a few hours, it looked like a deal was going to get done. But then he turned around and signed with the Houston Texans. Are the Vikings going to be his second choice again?
Look Elsewhere In Free Agency
If it doesn’t work out with Jones or Akers, the Vikings are armed with over $57 million of cap space, some of which they can throw at the running back. While cheaping out on running backs has been the norm over the past few years, things may change after the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles inked Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley both to significant deals with great success.
The problem for the Vikings though is someone with the talent of Henry or Barkley isn’t going to be available in free agency. Still, that doesn’t mean there isn’t talent left. Someone like Rico Dowdle, who has had a breakout year for the Dallas Cowboys, Najee Harris, or AJ Dillon (if he’s healthy) could make a lot of sense. Though, Jones is still probably the best free agent running back on the market, which might drive up his price further.
Building Through the Draft
The Vikings only have three draft picks right now, but there is almost zero chance Minnesota will only draft three players in 2025. This won’t likely be a Rick Spielman situation, with three draft picks getting spun into 12, but Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has every incentive to trade down from No. 24 overall to add depth throughout the Draft.
The Vikings have needs that will require early draft capital to fill, but spending a fifth-round pick or later on a running back would be a strong decision. Kansas running back Devin Neal is someone who will probably be gone by the fifth round, but if he somehow fell, he’d be a perfect addition for Minnesota. Last season with the Kansas Jayhawks, Neal finished with 219 carries for 1,266 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Damien Martinez is another player who has a decently high floor for a projected late-round draft pick, and despite only turning 21 on January 31, he’s someone who could come in and make a difference right away. He might not be an instant every-down back in 2025, but he could get there in a few years while giving the Vikings value in the meantime.
Of course, none of these three paths are mutually exclusive. In fact, there’s a possibility Minnesota could travel on all three. They could easily pick one of Jones or Akers, replace the other via free agency, then invest a late-round pick on a developmental back. With such a deep draft class at the position, it’d also make a lot of sense for Kwesi to reach into his UDFA bag of tricks and bring in another back or two to compete for a roster spot.
The Vikings have a lot of balls in the air for the 2025 offseason, but they can’t sleep on this. Especially if the plan is to turn the keys of the offense over to J.J. McCarthy, they’ll need to get themselves a running back to take some pressure off their inexperienced quarterback.
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