Minnesota

Vikings

He’ll stay in Minnesota on a deal that includes $250,000 guaranteed, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Brosmer (6’2/217) made the leap from FCS New Hampshire to Minnesota for the 2024 season. He was immediately thrust into a starting role as a true freshman in 2019, but was limited to just one game in 2020 (COVID) and missed all of the 2021 season due to a torn ACL. He returned to throw for 3,157-27-8 in 2022, and threw for another 3,498-29-7 in his final season before joining the Golden Gophers. A leap in competition didn’t prove too tough for Brosmer, who threw for double-digit touchdowns in five of the 13 games he appeared in, which included a 320-yard, four-touchdown performance against Maryland. Brosmer’s deep accuracy leaves much to be desired (32.7 deep completion percent in 2024), but he excels in the short and intermediate parts of the field and has done well at keeping the ball out of harm’s way. Despite the one-year stint at an FBS program, Brosmer cemented himself as a legitimate NFL prospect, even if it’s just as a guy who has a chance to carve out a career as a backup. His ability to process plays and make good decisions with the ball are evident, and could work in his favor once he’s gotten up to speed with the pro game.

A team captain at Pittsburgh, Bartholomew (6’5/246) was a starter in all four of his college seasons. He tallied 326 receiving yards and four touchdowns as a freshman, but was not able to exceed either total the rest of his college career. Bartholomew possesses speed with the ability to chew up yards over the middle of the field, but lacks explosive production. He is more likely to be a short-area target rather than a downfield pass-catcher. As a blocker, Bartholomew has size but will need to improve his strength to sustain blocks against bigger defenders. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler says Bartholomew’s “intangibles will make it tough for a coaching staff to cut him,” noting he had a “positive influence in the program” as team captain. Though he will need to demonstrate his skill set for an NFL team to keep him on the roster, Bartholomew’s intangibles will at least earn him a chance.

Celebrated for his hard-hitting, violent playing style, King (6’1/236) profiles as a potential two-down starter in the NFL. He lacks overall elite athleticism but was clocked at a 1.57-second 10-yard split (93rd percentile RAS) and pumped out 26 bench press repetitions at Penn State’s Pro Day. The latter sum would have tied for the positional high at the NFL Scouting Combine. King started for the Nittany Lions over the last two seasons and promisingly posted career highs in solo tackles (55), stops (38), TFLs (15) and quarterback pressures (nine) in 2024 regular season play. He thrived in the postseason limelight, racking up 19 solo tackles in Penn State’s three combined playoff and bowl games.

The Seahawks dealt Sam Howell and pick No. 172 to the Vikings to move up and take Mills. Mills (6’5"/291) spent five years in South Bend as a gap shooting three-tech, starting 35 games over the last three years as a key cog in Notre Dame’s National Championship runner-up defense led by HC Marcus Freeman. Mills sustained a knee injury that ended his 2024 campaign three games early, but not before he rolled up 8.5 TFLs and 7.5 sacks to go with 34 pressures and an 83.1 pass rush grade. Though he’s an able tackler who rarely lets ball carriers escape his grasp, as is evidenced by his sterling 3.4% missed tackle rate, Mills is much more dangerous in the pass game, having posted an elite 14.3 percent pass rush win rate. He has the requisite length and size to be a penetrating 3-4 defensive end who brings the heat on passing downs.

The trade price is a cup of coffee, with the Seahawks essentially accepting a picks swap. They have moved up from 172 to 142 for the price of Howell. Seattle, of course, drafted Alabama’s Jalen Milroe to be its new No. 2 on Friday evening. For Minnesota, it should officially end the chatter of Aaron Rodgers coming to the Twin Cities, perhaps finally shaking him loose to sign with the Steelers. Howell isn’t a particularly great backup, but he is still only 24 years old with a dual-threat skill-set and 18 career starts. He has attempted 645 passes. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has coaxed production out of every quarterback he has ever worked with, and we assume Howell would be no different were first-year starter J.J. McCarthy to go down.

Ingram-Dawkins (6’5/276) was named South Carolina Mr. Football in his final season at Gaffney High School before joining Georgia as a four-star recruit. He won two rings in his first two seasons as a Bulldog but only appeared in one game as a redshirt freshman and was a reserve in the following season. Playing on a handful of defenses littered with NFL talent, Ingram-Dawkins didn’t see meaningful playing time until his senior season. He totaled 17 tackles, eight TFLs, and three sacks as a rotational defensive lineman. He played all across the line, with the plurality of his snaps coming at right end. Ingram-Dawkins crushed all of the combine drills, registering 95-percentile marks or better in every test, including a 4.86 Forty. He left Indy with a 9.95 RAS. The former Bulldog simply needs more reps to hone all phases of his game, but the ceiling is sky-high.

Felton’s production steadily rose over four years at Maryland, culminating in a 96/1124/9 receiving line in his senior season. He’s a svelte outside receiver (6'1/183) who won after the catch and racked up 590 YAC in his final season and forced 26 missed tackles; the fifth-most among wide receivers last year. Unsurprisingly, Felton didn’t have the frame to win contested targets in college, bringing down 7-of-18 contested looks in his final season. Felton showed off his speed and burst at the combine with a 4.37 Forty followed by broad and vertical jumps above the 90th percentile. He left Indianapolis with a 9.2 RAS. Felton has the production of a potential NFL starter, but he may need to bulk up to be anything more than a volatile WR3 in the pros.

A three-year starter for the Buckeyes Jackson (6’4/315) spent most of his time as a First Team All-Big Ten guard who allowed just one sack with a 98.7 percent pass block efficiency rate and zero penalties in 2023. However he was pressed into service at left tackle for the final nine games of OSU’s national championship run following a season-ending injury to Josh Simmons. The Second Team All-American gave it his best shot, but pass rushers like Abdul Carter and Josaiah Stewart ate him up on the edge leading to a career high 19 pressures with a 46.5 grade on true pass sets. Fortunately for Jackson, he returns to guard for NFL Draft purposes where he can use his broad shoulders and 33.5-inch arms to pop and drive opponents. He has the prototype guard frame and requisite hip flexibility to torque and turn defensive linemen, and is quick enough to kick out and reach his mark on second-level blocks. Jackson is one of the most accomplished and projectable guards in the class.

“Minnesota, where Cousins played for six seasons, is the least likely of the trio to consummate a deal, and Cousins, who must approve any trade, is not eager to go to a team with a promising young quarterback,” according to Russini. Cousins, 37, is owned $45 million for the 2025 season, some of which the Falcons are going to have to eat if they’re going to part ways with the veteran quarterback. Cousins would figure to function as the starter in both Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Cousins could be traded during the first or second round of the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night in Green Bay.

It’s great news for McCarthy, who is hoping to rebound from a lost rookie year due to a torn meniscus he suffered in the preseason. O’Connell and the Vikings have long suggested throughout the offseason that McCarthy was trending toward a full return, but his comments on Monday are about as clear a message as we are going to get. While the team has entertained the possibility of bringing in Aaron Rodgers or another quarterback as insurance for McCarthy, their decision to not add to their quarterback room speaks volumes about his progress thus far.