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1 week ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Nelson Thielen |Cole Smith |Joshua Badroos |Wyatt Wade
What’s your favorite NFL draft “character concern” story? I’m not talking about something genuinely horrific, like domestic violence or drunk driving. I’m talking about the weird stuff. Robert Nkemdiche out of the window. Laremy Tunsil’s gas mask bong. Will Levis putting mayo in his coffee and eating bananas with the peel on. The reality of the NFL draft is that these franchises spend a lot of time and money trying to vet and learn everything they possibly can about these guys.
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2 weeks ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Cole Smith |Joshua Badroos |Wyatt Wade |Matt Fries
The Minnesota Vikings attacked free agency when the league year began in March. They addressed holes on the offensive and defensive lines, added secondary help, and returned three key veterans: Aaron Jones, Harrison Smith, and Byron Murphy, Jr.Their approach erased many glaring, immediate holes across the roster. If the Vikings can have as much success with their new free-agent additions as they did last season, they can take a massive step towards contending for the NFC Championship next year.
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2 weeks ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Wyatt Wade |Matt Fries |Chris Schad |Joshua Badroos
The Minnesota Vikings head into the draft with their biggest needs still being interior linemen on both sides of the ball and help in the defensive backfield — most importantly at the corner position. They have made splashy moves at all of those spots, bringing back CB Byron Murphy and acquiring C Ryan Kelly, OL Will Fries, OL Justin Skule, DL Jonathan Allen, DL Javon Hargrave, CB Jeff Okudah, CB Isaiah Rodgers, and DB Tavierre Thomas, which is meaningful help in needed positions.
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3 weeks ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Cole Smith |Tony Abbott |Wyatt Wade |Chris Schad
The Minnesota Vikings were aggressive in free agency, addressing holes across the roster. They signed linemen on both sides of the ball, traded for Jordan Mason to bolster the running game, and added Isaiah Rodgers to the secondary. But one move stood above the rest, even if it involves a familiar face. Harrison Smith decided to return and play his 14th NFL season, agreeing to a reworked $10 million contract.
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3 weeks ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Tony Abbott |Wyatt Wade |Chris Schad |Tom Schreier
It’s a bit tough to engage fully with Mock Draft Season in Minnesota, at least in 2025. Every time you read…Pick 24 (Minnesota Vikings):…it feels almost dishonest. That’s not the fault of the mock drafters, of course, but every Vikings fan knows Minnesota has to trade down. They have four picks in the 2025 draft, and their first-rounder is the only major carrot they can dangle to recoup the draft capital they spent for J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner last season. They almost have to take advantage.
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3 weeks ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Wyatt Wade |Chris Schad |Tom Schreier |Carter Rees Cox
Football fans nationwide are looking for any glimpse of football they can get in the offseason. Besides the draft and waiting for Aaron Rodgers, among other stars, to decide where to go or whether it’s time to call it a career, football fans need their fix. Those are the people the United Football League is trying to reach. Minnesota doesn’t have one of the eight teams in the UFL, so it could be easy to ignore this spring football league.
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3 weeks ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Nelson Thielen |Preet Mukesh Shah |Cole Smith |Wyatt Wade
Every draft season, being the absolute lunatic that I am, I have a ritual the week before the draft. I watch the 2014 Kevin Costner instant classic Draft Day. Draft Day is one of my favorite bad movies of all time. Its plot is nonsense, and most of the movie feels like bad NFL GM cosplay, but man, I love it.
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4 weeks ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Cole Smith |Wyatt Wade |Tony Abbott |Preet Mukesh Shah
Earlier this week, J.J. McCarthy revealed on Kay Adams’ Up & Adams podcast that the Minnesota Vikings haven’t informed him that he will be the team’s starting quarterback yet in 2025. “I’m happy they didn’t [name me the starter yet] because I try to earn it every single day,” McCarthy told Adams. “I never want that to be given to me.”There’s uncertainty that comes with a first-time starting quarterback.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Tony Abbott |Matt Fries |Chris Schad |Wyatt Wade
After signing Aaron Jones, the Minnesota Vikings needed to find a way to reduce their veteran stalwart’s workload. Jones rushed for a career-high 1,138 yards in 2024, on a career-high 306 touches. With running backs having notoriously short shelf lives, that’s not ideal for the 30-year-old Jones. Minnesota had an opportunity to look to the 2025 draft, where running back is considered one of the deepest positions. They still do, perhaps, but that theoretical back isn’t going to be the No. 2 option.
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1 month ago | 
zonecoverage.com | Matt Fries |Byron Murphy |Chris Schad |Wyatt Wade
The Minnesota Vikings went on a free-agency frenzy this year, spending nearly $300 million on players as of Sunday afternoon, with $150 million in reported guarantees. They’ve retained key players like Byron Murphy, Harrison Smith, Aaron Jones, and Theo Jackson while adding beef to the lines with Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave. They’ve also added depth like Jordan Mason, Tavierre Thomas, Ryan Wright, Bubba Bolden, Justin Skule, and Eric Wilson.
