Could the Vikings find their RB of the future in the 2027 NFL Draft?
In a way-too-early 2027 NFL mock draft, do the Minnesota Vikings find their franchise running back?
Both things can be true: doing a mock draft for next year immediately after this year's draft is absurd and a ton of fun. Every year, NFL Draft analysts will release a way-too-early mock draft for the following season, and predicting the 2027 draft should be a blast, as that class is loaded on both sides of the ball. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today released a 2027 NFL mock draft, and has the Minnesota Vikings selecting their potential franchise running back at pick 17, as they draft Missouri's Ahmad Hardy.
Hardy is a thumper through and through, as he forced 97(! ) missed tackles last season, good enough for second best in the country. He's stout in his lower half with tree trunk legs, and uses them to drive through contact.
Excellent short-area acceleration and stellar contact balance through the hole. The Ahmad Hardy pick would be great for the Vikings, but let's not count out Minnesota's sixth-round pick, Demond Claiborne. Claiborne brings what this offense has needed for ages, and that is juice.
He's dynamite with the ball in his hands, and his change of pace from Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason might surprise people in 2026. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings land Ahmad Hardy in Way-Too-Early 2027 NFL Mock Draft