It’s never too early for a mock NFL draft, and a recent one from Sports Illustrated has the Minnesota Vikings selecting a running back. Gilberto Manzano has the Vikings selecting SEC star Kewan Lacy with the 29th overall selection.
Age And Depth Hurting Vikings Running Back Room
Depth at the position is important, and as of right now, the Vikings are struggling with it. Veteran Aaron Jones was hurt in last Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. Now, he is questionable to return for this Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On top of this, Jones is 31 years old. This puts the Vikings’ running back room as one of the older rooms in the league.
For context, DeeJay Dallas is the backup running back. He is 28. Jordan Mason, who is currently on injured reserve with a thumb injury, is 27. The Vikings do have some youth at the position in rookie Demond Claiborne. However, that’s not enough for a team that relies heavily on the rushing attack.
The Case For Kewan Lacy To Vikings
Manzano made his case for Lacy, and it is certainly a compelling one. It’s also worth noting that he has the Vikings solo, which means he is predicting a successful season.
The Vikings could use an upgrade at running back. Aaron Jones will turn 32 in December and is getting the bulk of the carries this season with fellow veteran Jordan Mason on IR. The 5’11”, 205-pound Lacy is a dangerous playmaker who possesses speed and quickness. He proved last year that he’s more than capable of being a three-down back, racking up 306 carries for 1,567 yards and a whopping 24 touchdowns. He’s averaging 4.9 yards per carry this season.
If the Vikings want to upgrade at running back, then Lacy is certainly the guy. The junior transferred over from Missouri to Ole Miss in 2024, and he immediately made an impact. He had 306 carries for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns. The playmaker also added 29 receptions for 177 yards in the passing game. Lacy received several accolades as a result of his stellar season. He earned first-team All-SEC and first-team All-American honors.
So far this season, the running back has 39 carries for 191 yards and four touchdowns.
Kewan Lacy Would Bring Perfect Mix For Vikings
It’s clear that the Vikings need a workhorse running back as much as an upgrade. They need someone who is going to be durable and can carry the load. Lacy can certainly do that. He led the entire FBS with those 306 rushing attempts. No other running back in the country was able to pass that mark. In addition to those carries, he played 83% of the offensive snaps for Ole Miss in 2025.
At the collegiate level, he has functioned primarily as a pure running back, and not a pass-catcher. As a result, he is able to carry quite a bit of the load. He recorded 18 or more carries in 10 different games in 2025.
Lacy would be a perfect fit for the Vikings and give them another young running back that they could use to ease the load on Jones and Dallas. Adding another rookie into the fold would not necessarily fix the lack of experienced depth. However, it does help the Vikings build for the future. This offense is explosive with several high-quality pieces to be had. There is a solid mix of veterans and rookies on the unit, and Lacy would be able to add to that mix. Time will tell if this ends up happening, but Lacy would fill several needs for the Vikings
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