2025 NFL Free Agency and Draft: IOL

Tyler Booker has a 1st round grade if the right offense drafts him.

5th round grade if the wrong offense (wide zone run) drafts him.

Teams, please be smart. pic.twitter.com/cqK0TLX1Gf

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) April 15, 2025

StickierBuns wrote:
https://x.com/gmfb/status/1912852528716493108

Think about that and the level of competition Bama faced. I still favor Zabel a bit due to position flexibility but I’m fine with Booker all day. Intangibles are off the charts. Karma tie in to JJ. All good either way.

Turn a weakness into a strength? Forgetaboutit…!!!  :cool: :angel:

Senior Bowl

Willie Lampkin vs. TJ Sanders pic.twitter.com/fniYD6eON0

— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) April 17, 2025

I’d find a spot for him.

JustInTime wrote:
https://x.com/stevepalazzolo_/status/1912953160018309205?s=46&t=TjjB9Q4BmOwmN74RrrMjoQ

I’d find a spot for him.

I do really like him. He is just so short. Not sure there has ever had a lineman of that size.

Ohio State G/T Donovan Jackson visited with the #Vikings, per @AaronWilson_NFL. The All-American, All-Big Ten offensive lineman allowed just 2 sacks last year for the Buckeyes, and played 529 snaps at LT, 286 at LG, and 1 at RT.

(H/T: @NicholasMMiller)pic.twitter.com/bvNWHNHUXB

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) April 18, 2025

https://www.si.com/college/usc/football/usc-trojans-jonah-monheim-underrated-2025-nfl-draft-prospect-lincoln-riley-scouts-offensive-lineman-center-leader

More and more I dive into it, I want Jonah Monheim. No matter what.

MaroonBells wrote:
It might just be my imagination, but it does appear the Vikings want to get a little bigger up front and use a little more gap. That's exactly what the Buckeyes did. 

"They have gone from zone blocking to more of a gap scheme, which creates good blocking angles for offensive linemen."

I think Jackson would be a great fit for us. He came in for left tackle Josh Simmons after he went down with a knee injury and played well there. Vikings may ask him to do the same thing while Darrisaw recovers. Played a lot of gap at OSU, but you see a lot of reach blocks in his clips. 

Something to keep in mind at the bold. If the Vikings are going to employ more gap, a guy who went through that transition in college is a guy you might want.

MaroonBells wrote:

Something to keep in mind at the bold. If the Vikings are going to employ more gap, a guy who went through that transition in college is a guy you might want.

The more I dig in the more I like this pick. That’s not always the case.

In all reality, we still need a C of the future. We have to decide what we are going to do with O'Neill.

Canthony wrote:
In all reality, we still need a C of the future. We have to decide what we are going to do with O'Neill.

No hurry on the C of the future, but I'm not sure what you mean by O'Neill.

MaroonBells wrote:

No hurry on the C of the future, but I'm not sure what you mean by O'Neill.

Hes an UFA in 2027. All I am saying, you will need to resign him. Unless we let his contract play out.

Canthony wrote:

Hes an UFA in 2027. All I am saying, you will need to resign him. Unless we let his contract play out.

:cool:

Canthony wrote:

Hes an UFA in 2027. All I am saying, you will need to resign him. Unless we let his contract play out.

I don't think there's a reason to do anything at this point. He might get restructured though. His cap hit this year is $26M. But I think when the time comes you just extend him until he retires. As we've seen, good right tackles aren't easy to find. At only 29, he's probably got another 4 or 5 season left at minimum.

MaroonBells wrote:

I don't think there's a reason to do anything at this point. He might get restructured though. His cap hit this year is $26M. But I think when the time comes you just extend him until he retires. As we've seen, good right tackles aren't easy to find. At only 29, he's probably got another 4 or 5 season left at minimum.

That will be a lot of money tied up in the oline is what I am thinking.

StickierBuns wrote:

No doubt. But honestly, that's where I want the cap space spent IMO....on both lines. Every single person at every position benefits from that, every skill player, every cornerback. Everyone.

You will have to pay JJ and Turner as well in 2 years or so. You have Addison as well. I am starting to think... we need to win a damn ring on his rookie deal or we may not get one.

StickierBuns wrote:

I don't think the plan is to keep Addison. You pay the best WRer in the NFL in Jefferson and your WR2 becomes much easier to procure as a byproduct. I think that's Tai. Turner? Hell, he's got to show he's worth a second contract, remains to be seen.

I think Turner showed enough the end of last season to believe he will just get better this year. I am always thinking of the cap and what it looks like later on. I think I just want to see a great product and even an appearance in the SB on JJs rookie deal. We've seen teams do that model, and it looks as though we are following that. I kept hearing over the year with the Vikings just getting aging QBs to fill the gap. Why not get a rookie QB and make a run with their rookie deal. Well, we get to now see it and let's see how it goes.