The Minnesota Vikings struck lightning in a bottle with QB Sam Darnold and RB Aaron Jones in free agency, but both positions could feature different names next year.
Darnold will hit free agency heading into his age-28 campaign with elite draft pedigree and coming off of the best season of his career. The salary he could potentially command may not fit into the Vikings’ plans at quarterback considering the presence of J.J. McCarthy on the roster, who will miss his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury but should be ready to roll come the start of 2025.
Meanwhile, Jones is going to be on the wrong side of 30 and headed to free agency after signing a one-year, $7 million contract in Minnesota. The Vikings should be set at QB with McCarthy and at the pass-catching skill positions with wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison under contract as well as tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Both the offensive line and the secondary will be units of need, though teams across the NFL — such as the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles — have shown there is market value in investing in the RB position.
As such, Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department suggested on Monday, November 18, that the Vikings pursue collegiate superstar and Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty of Boise State in the draft next season.
“Aaron Jones has been terrific this season when healthy, but he’ll turn 30 next month and is playing on a one-year deal. One can question the value of drafting a running back in the first round, but Jeanty’s NFL upside is unquestionable,” B/R wrote. “Rounding out [McCarthy’s] supporting cast with an elite running back would help set up the Michigan product for early success.”
Ashton Jeanty Makes Sense for Vikings as Running Backs Proving Valuable Again in NFL
Jeanty is among the best collegiate running backs to enter the draft in several years and has the potential to follow in the footsteps of Atlanta Falcons rusher Bijan Robinson, who that franchise drafted with the No. 8 overall pick in 2023.
Drafting a running back that high isn’t generally advisable for teams in the modern NFL because of the value that can be found later in the draft or in free agency at a lower cost — either in terms of draft capital investment, financial investment or both.
That said, Robinson came to the Falcons at an annual average salary of roughly $5.5 million over four years. Derrick Henry landed with the Ravens at a yearly number of $8 million over two seasons, and Saquon Barkley joined the Eagles at the annual cost of roughly $12.6 million on a three-year contract.
All three of those investments have paid off in 2024, as all three teams are currently in the playoffs — the Eagles and Falcons as leaders of their respective NFC divisions, and the Ravens as the second wildcard team in the AFC.
Ashton Jeanty Producing Heisman Trophy-Worthy Season at Boise State
Jones has been somewhere between good and excellent for the Vikings for essentially the entirety of this season, though Jeanty represents an opportunity to sign a player 10 years younger for less annual money than Jones currently earns.
If the Vikings’ decision makers value the running back position over some of their other needs, Jeanty makes a good deal of sense as a first-round target.
The Boise State back has tallied 1,893 rushing yards and 26 TDs through 10 games to go along with 17 receptions for 98 yards and 1 score.
