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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 23: Head coach Kevin O'Connell (R) of the Minnesota Vikings congratulates head coach Jim Harbaugh (L) of the Los Angeles Chargers after the game at SoFi Stadium on October 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings are reportedly doing their homework on a certain 2026 NFL Draft prospect out of the backfield.
Aaron Jones is aging, and is likely going into his final year as a Viking in 2026. Jordan Mason will be featured heavily, although his contract expires after the 2026 season. Minnesota could be looking to future-proof the running back position.
GettyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 28: Demond Claiborne of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons participates in the 40-yard dash during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Adam Carlson of The Viking Age recently mentioned a report from ESPN’s Jordan Reid while on The Alec Lewis Show. In this appearance, Reid reported something quite notable for all Vikings fans.
“[Claiborne’s] somebody that I’ve heard they like quite a bit. Crazy enough, my comp for him is Aaron Jones, so it makes sense.”
Carlson provided more insight into Claiborne.
“Claiborne spent four seasons at Wake Forest, where he played in 44 games, carrying the ball 558 times for 2,599 yards and 26 touchdowns while adding 55 receptions for 424 yards and two more scores.
NFL.com projects the 22-year-old rusher to be a fifth-round pick in the draft. His athleticism score is a healthy 74, but his production score of 56 drags his total score to 67. His prospect grade of 6.1 shows a belief that the five-foot-ten, 188-pound running back could develop into a starter in the NFL“
If the Vikings really are all-in on Claiborne, they’ll either have to reach on him in the third round or hope that he falls to them in the fifth round around the 161st pick. That is, unless Minnesota swings a trade put themselves in better position for him, whether that’s a trade up or a trade down.
GettyJustin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings participates in warmups prior to a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Over the last few days, it was announced the Vikings would host 4 WR prospects of a specific archetype for Top-30 visits.
If you’ve been doing your draft homework, you would know that all of these men are boundary or “X” receivers. This means they do most of their bidding beginning lined up near the sideline.
The average height of these gentlemen? A quarter-inch over 6’3. C.J. Daniels and De’Zhaun Stribling are the “shortest” of these men at 6’2. Caldwell is the tallest at 6’5, and Hurst stands at 6’4.
For reference, the average height of the Jefferson-Addison-Nailor trio from 2025 was a hair under 6 feet tall. If the Vikings were to draft one of these prospects at a taller height, it could mean great things for Jordan Addison, who could be moved to work primarily out of the slot and would absolutely cook.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
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