Minnesota Vikings: Possible RB in Later Rounds?

By Ben Ryan | Apr 26, 2015

In a time in football where drafting a running back in the first round is almost rare to a point, the position as a whole is losing it’s value almost every year. While Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley will more than likely be drafted top 30, there are always the sleepers who end up better than top ranked players.

With great running backs that can be acquired in the later rounds such as Frank Gore, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, and DeMarco Murray (all third rounders), it’s really not a necessity anymore to use your first pick on a running back.

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Sometimes, if the team lucks out well, they can get a running back undrafted. Arian Foster and BenJarvus Green-Ellis went undrafted. As we all know, Foster has always been great, with four out of six seasons being over 1,000 yards for rushing, that’s something you would expect out of a first or second round pick.

Green-Ellis is not nearly as spectacular as the four-time Pro-Bowler but has still been a solid back in the NFL. He didn’t fumble until his fifth season of the NFL; if you can do that, a good coach will find a way to make you great. Leading up to that fifth year, Green-Ellis had a total of 2,064 yards and 29 touchdowns.

For the Minnesota Vikings, they’re in an interesting situation. With Adrian Peterson reinstated but on the fence of returning or getting traded, the Vikings will be left with Teddy Bridgewater handing the ball off to Jerick McKinnon, instead of the All-Pro runningback.

If by chance Peterson isn’t on the roster for 2015, is leaving yourself with McKinnon and Matt Asiata the way to go? Well, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, but maybe they could find somebody better in a later round.

Yes, McKinnon and Asiata were a nice one-two punch in 2014; McKinnon averaging 4.8 yards per carry with no touchdowns, and Asiata had nine touchdowns. They complimented each other very well. However, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to snag up a running back in this years draft.

Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah had himself a nice career as a Cornhusker; a 2014 second team All American and 4,588 career total rushing yards in his four years there. On 813 attempts total, that’s 5.6 yards per carry, he also had 39 career touchdowns in that four year span. He’s projected to get picked anywhere between the second and third round, if he’s available by the Vikings 76th pick, he’d be a nice addition.

Miami’s Duke Johnson is another top prospect for this draft and is also expected to fall in either the second or third round. He has excellent acceleration and is patient behind the offensive line. Finding the right hole to cut through to break out for big runs, as he showed in his career as a Hurricane.

In the three year career he had, he was accountable for 14 career 100-yard rushing games and currently is the all-time leader for all-purpose yardage for the Canes.

If the Vikings are thinking about a running back in an even later round, such as fourth or fifth round, they can still find quality running backs to help their team out.

Minnesota’s David Cobb is a fairly high prospect this year. Being projected around the fourth round, the 5-f00t-11-inch 229 pound halfback is a large, large man. Being built with an NFL physique, he lacks the NFL speed. At the combine, he ran a 4.81 40-yard dash; not the ideal speed for a runningback.

He might be a slow runner, but he’s a truck. He has powerful leg drive while running against defenders. In his final two years as a Gopher, where he started over 10 games each year, he totaled for 2,828 yards and averaged 5.1 yard per carry; he also added 20 total touchdowns in those years.

Another runningback to consider would be LSU’s Terrence Magee. A very solid player in this draft that is projected to go around the fifth round. He’s great a protecting the quarterback, which Bridgewater would love. He had 626 yards and eight touchdowns being behind the star Leonard Fournette.

Oct 4, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson (8) prepares for a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Magee is an overall tough player that is a very balanced player, with great vision, quick feet, and being a hard rusher, Magee could potentially be a nice pick up for the Vikings. Any team at that. He would be a nice addition to stir into the pot of running backs the Vikings have.

The Vikings should have their main focus in the draft, which is just days away, be either protecting Bridgewater or helping out the defense. Even though Gurley and Gordon will be available, it’s in the Vikings best interest to stay away from a runningback in the first round as it’s been proved you can find great one’s in later rounds.

If the Vikings do decide at all to go after one, trying to find a player to fill the hole that Peterson may or may not leave, shouldn’t be too hard. This years draft is packed in this position.

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