Some pundits have argued the Minnesota Vikings are a team that could keep an eye on the running back market throughout the summer to potentially find an upgrade. This weekend, Vikings Territory’s Adam New strongly suggested Minnesota might already have that running back upgrade on the roster in rookie Demond Claiborne.
New placed Claiborne on a list of three Vikings rookies with surprise potential in 2026. The analyst seems to see the first-year running back adding something to Minnesota’s ground game despite being a sixth-round pick.
“He can add some juice to a solid, if unspectacular, Vikings rushing attack. Aaron Jones is in the twilight of his career, and Jordan Mason is a good downhill runner, but Claiborne doesn’t see his path to playing time in Minnesota blocked by a Christian McCaffrey or Kenneth Walker,” wrote New.
“Claiborne gives the Vikings a twitched-up runner with quick feet who can find gaps and generate big chunk plays. The Vikings’ rushing attack lacks that, and while I wouldn’t expect him to start the season ahead of either Mason or Jones. He can create opportunities for himself, and when they arise, he needs to seize them. There is a place for his style of runner in the Vikings offense if he can take it.”
Claiborne averaged 4.7 yards per carry during his career at Wake Forest. He ran for 2,599 yards along with 55 receptions for 424 yards in 44 games.
Claiborne also scored 28 total touchdowns.
Could Vikings Have Draft Steal in RB Demond Claiborne?
New’s description of Minnesota’s backfield was his opinion. But it’s hard to argue it wasn’t accurate.
The Vikings have quality in their backfield with Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. They also have quantity with Zavier Scott back too.
But Minnesota doesn’t have a clear-cut top running back that opposing defenses have to prepare for each week.
Claiborne won’t be that guy either as a rookie. But Minnesota lacking that guy means the sixth-rounder will probably have the opportunity to play in 2026.
At Wake Forest, Claiborne really took off the past two seasons. In 2024, he had 1,049 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Then as a senior last fall, Claiborne averaged 5.1 yards per carry, scoring 10 rushing touchdowns.
Like New, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who projected Clairborne to have fifth-round value, also described the Vikings rookie as a “twitched-up” running back.
“He’s creative in tight quarters, using lateral agility and sudden feet to escape trouble. While willing to run between the tackles, his lack of size and strength limits his effectiveness in that area,” wrote Zierlein. “His unpredictable nature — sometimes pulling runs off-track when profit is available — might frustrate coaches, but it also generates unexpected chunk plays.”
Could Vikings Add Another RB Before 2026 NFL Season?
The inclusion of Claiborne on New’s list was intriguing for another reason. The writer’s colleague, Dustin Baker, at Vikings Territory recently argued Minnesota should be in the running back trade market this summer.
Baker argued that even with the arrival of Claiborne and fellow rookie back Kejon Owens on the roster. On Saturday, Baker named Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson a potential Vikings target.
“Do the Vikings have a full running back room? Yes. Should they take a flier on Benson? Also yes,” wrote Baker.
“Benson’s career has not taken off, as injuries have prevented his ascent. Now, he’s buried in Arizona, a part of this RB depth chart
“He’s 23. Once upon a time, he was forecasted as a trustworthy RB1 prospect.”
If Claiborne truly has surprise potential, then the last thing the Vikings should do is acquire another middle-to-lower tier running back to block his opportunities.
The plan in Minnesota, though, might be to see how Claiborne progresses over the summer. If he isn’t showing the “surprise potential” New described, then another running back addition could be on the table for the Vikings.
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