Vikings Draft Profile: Running Back Audric Estime
The Minnesota Vikings' rushing attack struggled during the 2023-2024 season, finishing the year with 1,553 total yards. The running backs Alexander Mattison (700) and Ty Chandler (461) combined for 1,161 rushing yards. Mattison had 700 yards on 180 attempts, while Chandler had 461 yards on 102 attempts.
Although Chandler had fewer rushing yards than Mattison this season, he was more efficient, averaging 4.5 yards a carry compared to Mattison's 3.9. Chandler’s performance this season likely catapulted him to the lead-back role next season, meaning the Vikings will need a better complementary piece than Mattison. There is no better place to look for that new running back than the 2024 draft.
Since running back is not the Vikings' main priority, they are not likely to take one with their first or second round pick, and they do not have a third-round pick this year. That means the earliest they would be able to attack the running back position is in round four with the 109th pick. Currently, Pro Football Focus has Notre Dame running back Audric Estime ranked at 106 on their big board. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Estime will fall to pick 106 or even to the Vikings at 109, but it means there is a higher chance of it happening.
This past season, Estime rushed for 1,341 yards, 18 touchdowns, and averaged 6.4 yards a carry. One of his rushes last season was an 80 yard touchdown run. However, that run didn’t massively swing his yards per carry, as he would have still averaged six yards a carry without it.
Estime finished his time at Notre Dame with 2,321 rushing yards, 29 rushing touchdowns and an average 6.2 yards a carry. That level of production shows how explosive he is, even at 227 pounds, which is good because the Vikings need explosiveness in their running game.
While there is potential for Estime to have an upside in the NFL, he does have some flaws in his game. Estime's major flaw is that he sometimes lacks field vision, which can cause him to not maximize every play. That is an issue in the NFL, since every play is important because of the level of competition. Estime also has had fumble concerns in college, which again is not something that any NFL team wants to deal with. Lastly, even though Estime had an 80-yard touchdown run, he lacks breakaway speed. That could pigeonhole the team that drafts him into being a running back by committee the whole time he is there, which may not be the best for the Vikings.