The Minnesota Vikings have a desperate need on the defensive line and the 2025 NFL Draft is going to be a great place to find one. There are 5-6 players who could go in the first round on the interior which is a great place for the Vikings to be.
NFL mock drafts aren't necessarily predictive in July but they do provide a guideline of what analysts think of prospects at the given time. A lot can change over then next 10 months. In fact, Vikings defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy was a projected first-round pick in May of 2022 but fell to the fifth round in the 2023 NFL Draft.
ESPN's Matt Miller has the Vikings prioritizing the defensive line where they select Michigan's Mason Graham at seventh overall.
The Vikings made big additions in the 2024 first round, adding quarterback J.J. McCarthy and defensive end Dallas Turner. But the interior of the defensive line should get a big look next year, and Graham is a legitimate contender for the class' top overall prospect. His stats won't blow you away, thanks to Michigan's defensive line rotation and assignments -- he had three sacks in 2023 -- but Graham's explosion and power jump off the tape.
Graham is the next in a long line of defensive linemen from Michigan to be projected to go early in the NFL Draft. Aidan Hutchinson, Kwity Paye, Mazi Smith and Kris Jenkins are just a handful of talented players to go in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.
Graham has a lot of explosiveness and power to his game and will likely end up on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List come August. If the Vikings were to land him and a quality free agent or two, the defensive line could end up becoming a strength for the Vikings.
