The Minnesota Vikings will host Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson for a pre-draft visit.
The Minnesota Vikings surprised some by bringing back Aaron Jones this offseason. But does that mean the running back room is complete?
Jones is 31 and missed five games last year. Jordan Mason, whom the Vikings acquired in a trade last year, appeared in 16 games and made five starts. He carried the ball a career-high 159 times for 758 yards and six touchdowns.
So, with one back being older and the other never carrying a full workload, Minnesota could be in play to draft a running back in April.
On Thursday, Arye Pulli and Jason Harmon reported the Vikings will host Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson for a pre-draft visit next month. Minnesota met with Johnson at the Combine last month.
Johnson is currently ranked as the 117th overall prospect on Pro Football Network's (PFSN) Industry Big Board. That combines the rankings of PFSN, Bleacher Report, CBS, ESPN, Pro Football Focus, The Athletic, and NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah.
PFSN ranks Johnson 70th overall, the highest among the experts, and as low as 189th overall on ESPN. He likely projects as a third- or fourth-round pick. The Vikings own two picks in the third round (picks 82 and 87) but no picks in the fourth round.
Their visit with Johnson aligns with a report from Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune earlier this week. Goessling joined KFAN on Tuesday, saying there's a "very good chance" the Vikings use an early draft pick on a running back.
"I would not be surprised if one of those top-100 picks is used on a running back," Goessling said.
Johnson, ranked 137th on PFF, has been selected by the Vikings in 33% of the site's mock drafts. The 5'10", 210-pound back generated a 64 athleticism score at the Combine, ranking 20th among running backs, per Next Gen Stats. However, his 76 production grade ranked fourth among the group, as did his 74 total score.
Although PFF gave Johnson a late-fourth-round grade, they graded him well in 2025. At Nebraska, Johnson's 85.6 PFF grade ranked 47th out of 448 college running backs. His 88.1 rushing grade ranked 27th among qualified runners.
To top it all off, Johnson grew up in Minneapolis and rooted for the Vikings as a kid. He won "Mr. Football" in 2021 as the top senior football player in Minnesota.
"I grew up a Vikings fan," Johnson told NBC Sports in February, saying he modeled his game after Adrian Peterson. "Just how downhill he was. I feel like if you watch my tape, I finish a lot of my runs moving forward. I feel like the violent part came from AP."
Johnson doesn't possess game-breaking speed, clocking in at 4.56 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine. But he is tough to bring down, forcing 68 missed tackles in 2025, eighth-highest in the nation.
If the Vikings do draft Johnson, they will have a room with three capable runners. That would provide depth in case of injury this season while also setting the Vikings up for 2027 if Jones does not return for an 11th NFL season.
The NFL Draft is a dream come true for players. But getting drafted to the Vikings would mean a little extra for Johnson, while also providing Minnesota with a boost at running back.