With the NFL’s pre-draft process heating up, it’s a good time to get familiar with some of the players the Minnesota Vikings could target with their first pick in April. Here at Vikings On SI, we’re taking a look at five players at positions of need who the Vikings should be looking at, whether with the 24th pick or after trading down a bit. Next up are the defensive tackles.
Defensive tackle is a glaring hole on this Vikings roster, particularly when it comes to players who can rush the passer from that position. Even if they sign a stud in free agency, which they should, adding another big guy early in the draft feels very possible. They have no shot at Michigan’s Mason Graham, who will be a top-ten pick, but these five names make a lot of sense at 24 or after trading down.
Nolen is the dream scenario for the Vikings if he makes it to 24, which seems less likely after his strong Senior Bowl performance. The 21-year-old got better in each season of his career, really breaking out last year after transferring from Texas A&M to Mississippi. He’s listed at 6’4″ and 290 pounds, but he moves like he weighs less than that. Nolen is an explosive, powerful interior force who had 6.5 sacks and 14 total tackles for loss in 2024. He’d be a dynamic addition to Minnesota’s defensive line.
Another d-tackle who has been mocked to the Vikings recently is Harmon, who transferred from Michigan State and had a huge 2024 season for the Ducks (5 sacks, 11 TFL, 4 PD, 2 FF, 2 FR). He led all interior linemen in QB pressures with 43, according to PFF. Harmon is a big dude at 6’5″, 330, but he can really get after the passer in addition to being a good run defender.
The Vikings won’t be able to get Graham, but they might just draft his teammate. Grant is a massive human being, listed at roughly 340 pounds, who has unusual explosiveness for his size. Dudes that big aren’t supposed to be able to chase down running backs at the second level. His combination of size, quickness, and power make him a handful to block, whether it’s a run play or a dropback pass. His bull rush is nasty. Grant had 6.5 sacks and ten batted passes over the last two seasons.
The book on Williams is that he’s maybe the best run defender in this DT group, but he’s still developing as a pass rusher. Considering he had 11.5 sacks over his four-year Ohio State career, the ceiling seems pretty high if he continues to improve in that area. Williams uses his hands and his quickness to get off of blocks and make plays against the run (28 career tackles for loss) like few other players in the country.
A bunch of players could’ve gone in this fifth spot, including Alfred Collins (Texas), Aeneas Peebles (Virginia Tech), and the truly gargantuan Deone Walker (Kentucky). But for me, Sanders is a bit more intriguing than those three. He had 8.5 sacks and 17 total TFL over the last two seasons for the Gamecocks, and he projects as an outstanding pass rusher at 6’4″, 284 pounds. At the Senior Bowl last week, he absolutely ran over an offensive lineman in a 1-on-1. 24 might be too high for a player who can be inconsistent against the run, but Sanders would be a great target for the Vikings after a slight trade down.
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