Draft Day Momentum Points to One Man for Vikings

Nov 4, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Tyler Booker (52) celebrates after defeating the LSU Tigers during the second half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images.

From Green Bay, Wisconsin, NFL teams will reveal their draft picks on Thursday night, and the Minnesota Vikings are No. 24 on the ladder.

Draft Day Momentum Points to One Man for Vikings

Most expect Minnesota to explore a trade down the board, and if those offers don’t tickle their fancy, draft a defensive tackle, safety, or cornerback.

Offensive guard theories have also twisted in the conversation, and with the draft just hours away, Alabama guard Tyler Booker has become the momentum pick for Minnesota. If the last-minute steam turns out to be correct, the Vikings would demote Blake Brandel and start Booker in 2025 and beyond.

SI.com’s Albert Breer Says Tyler Booker (G) for MIN

Booker has earned Vikings momentum from a couple of places. SI.com‘s Albert Breer habitually publishes one mock draft all cycle, and in his 2025 edition, he linked Booker to Minnesota.

Dec 2, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman T. Booker (52) wears an SEC Championship hat at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Alabama defeated Georgia 27-24 to claim the SEC Championship. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports.

“I wanted to put Georgia S Malaki Starks here. The Vikings have also asked other teams on the availability of veteran corners, so someone such as Hairston could be in play, too. But this is doubling down on the team’s effort to get stronger and tougher down the middle, with Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and Jonathan Allen already added this offseason. And they don’t get much stronger or tougher than Booker,” Breer wrote.

The mock turned heads because Breer is particularly plugged into NFL front offices and wouldn’t publish something off his rocker.

But that wasn’t the only hint.

KFAN High on Tyler Booker

KFAN’s Paul Allen, the “Voice of the Vikings,” made unofficial predictions during Thursday’s show, pointing to offensive guard as his selection. He essentially named Booker his primary prediction, with North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel as a secondary “if he’s there” caveat.

Oct 12, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman T. Booker (52) completes his pregame stretch routine before playing South Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images.

Allen doesn’t dabble too deeply into prediction waters but did offer that tidbit about 10 hours before the draft.

Another KFAN personality made a bold Booker declaration. Paul Lambert, often called MeatSauce, tweeted, “The Vikings will stay at 24 and take Tyler Booker, they will take TJ Sanders at 97 and trade their 5th round pick for a current CB on a roster.”

He also posted to X that Vikings coaches or scouts enjoy Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison and his teammate, Xavier Watts, a safety.

So, KFAN came in hot, generally speaking, with the Booker heat.

Tyler Booker Bio

Booker, 21, is humongous, standing 6’5″ and weighing 325 pounds. Bleacher Report‘s Brandon Thorn on Booker: “Tyler Booker is a two-year starter at left guard inside Alabama’s run-first (60-40 run-pass split), shotgun, RPO-heavy, multiple-run scheme. Booker has a massive, dense build with good arm length, very good play strength and adequate athletic ability.”

“Booker is a stout run blocker with excellent square power to deliver jolt at the point of attack with his best work coming as the drive man on double-teams, down, pin and base blocks. Booker generates quick displacement off the ball before bracing and clamping defenders up with churning feet and a nasty demeanor to finish at a high level.”

Mar 19, 2025; Tuscaloosa AL, USA; Offensive lineman T. Booker rusn a drill for scouts at the University of Alabama Pro Day as several Crimson Tide players worked out for NFL teams in the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility. © Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

Minnesota took 2nd-Round flyer on an SEC guard in Ed Ingram three years ago. That plan went up in flames when Minnesota traded Ingram in March.

Thorn added, “In pass protection Booker does a nice job playing square to limit rushers’ options and box them into his frame where his stifling stopping power and grip strength clamps, anchors down and ends the rep quickly. He will also deliver jarring blows on adjacent rushers when uncovered to clear the pocket. Booker shows mediocre foot quickness and lateral agility that results in soft edges against adept counter moves, signaling some limitations against higher-end, widely aligned rushers and sub-package looks.”

“Overall, Booker is a powerfully built guard with commanding play strength, power, and a tone-setting demeanor who can get manipulated out of position when isolated against high-end rushers but will solidify the pocket against the bull-rush and dish out body blows as a finisher.”

Other Mock Draft Evidence

Chicago Tribune‘s Brad Biggs also mocked Booker to Minnesota this week.

Brad Biggs wrote, “Even with safety Harrison Smith returning for another season, there’s a need in the middle of the secondary. More pressing, however, is the need to fortify the interior of the offensive line as the Vikings want to put second-year QB J.J. McCarthy in the best position to succeed. They’re viewed as being open to a trade down as they own only three other picks: one each in the third, fifth and sixth rounds.”