The Minnesota Vikings defense was much improved last season under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Brian Flores. One area where the defense can still get much better, though, is along the defensive line, specifically at defensive tackle. The Vikings’ defense could be markedly improved by applying consistent pressure on the inside.
Luckily for the Vikings, they land the help they need for the future in the latest 2025 mock NFL draft from PFN. Of course, this is all hypothetical at this stage, but if things were to play out as writer Owain Jones has laid out, winding up with Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker could help the team’s defensive front immensely. According to Jones:
Deone Walker is a physical specimen at 6’6” and 348 pounds, and he has the production to match, with 7.5 sacks in 2023. The Kentucky DT combines his size with otherworldly athleticism, and his explosive first set is difficult for offensive linemen to handle.
If Walker can consistently play with a lower pad level he will be considered a unique prospect with his physical abilities.
Walker is an absolute beast on the inside at Kentucky, and he would serve the Vikings well, likely in a rotational role, to begin his career. Later, he could serve as the next Vikings stalwart defensive tackle after Harrison Phillips calls it a career.