Minnesota Vikings showing interest in running back prospect with three-down ability

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If there's one position we could definitely see the Minnesota Vikings addressing in the 2026 NFL draft, it's running back.

As things currently stand, Minnesota's running backs room is headlined by a 31-year-old Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, which doesn't exactly inspire a ton of confidence.

We fully anticipated Minnesota being aggressive to add an upgrade in free agency, and while that may have been the case behind the scenes, they did not come away with one.

With the 2026 NFL draft a little over one month away, Essentially Sports' Tony Pauline reports the Vikings are showing interest in South Carolina running back Rahsul Faison, who Pauline projects as a fifth-round pick.

"Faison looked smooth in position drills and caught the ball extremely well," he said. "The Minnesota Vikings ran position drills for Faison, then took him to lunch after the workout. Expect him to be drafted somewhere starting in Round 5."

Pauline adds that Faison was right around a 4.49 40-yard dash time and posted 4.1 seconds in the short shuttle and 37.5 inches in the vertical jump.

In 2025, Faison didn't exactly post eye-opening numbers, with the running back finishing with 470 rushing yards, 118 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

He was much more impressive in 2024, when he played for Utah State. Faison had 1,109 yards on the ground to go along with 99 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

Despite his 2025 production, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com warns not to get fooled and Faison looks the part of a three-down back at the next level.

"Faison is an older prospect, but he possesses the talent and toughness to succeed," Zierlein said. "He’s an instinctive runner with the size, vision and wiggle to create yards from broken tackles. He rarely rushes the action, setting up blocks and cutting off the carnage. He’s patient but unpredictable, making it hard for linebackers to square him up."

"His 2025 production might look average, but his tape shows NFL ability on all three downs," Zierlein concluded in his scouting report.

Faison has the body of a three-down back, also, with the South Carolina product standing at 5-foot-11 and 208 pounds, a frame you would assume will get even bigger once he's in the NFL and adds more muscle.

While we would like to see the Vikings address the running back position earlier in the draft, Faison presents an intriguing prospect to take a swing on in Day 3 if the Vikings don't get the guy they want earlier in the draft.

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