The Vikings have seen enough of Demond Claiborne to know the rookie can run fast. They still haven’t seen enough to trust him in a real game that matters.
That’s the tension hanging over Minnesota’s third running back battle, where Claiborne and second-year pro Zavier Scott are still locked in a fight that hasn’t produced a clear winner. Claiborne’s speed is obvious, but the rest of the package has been slower to arrive.
Through two preseason games, he has 20 carries for 52 yards, including 12 attempts for 34 yards in the opener and eight more for 18 yards against Baltimore. He’s averaging 2.3 yards per carry and his longest run has gone for nine.
He has spent plenty of time with the second-team offense, yet the job is still unsettled because the athletic upside hasn’t been matched by clean execution. The runs have been inefficient, and there have also been preseason ball-security concerns. That’s keeping the race open.
The Vikings also have a bigger reason to care about the answer now. Aaron Jones is 31, and while Minnesota can manage his workload with Jordan Mason, one injury would force either Claiborne or Scott into snaps that go well beyond just carrying the ball. Pass protection, short-yardage work and assignment discipline all come into play, and those are the spots that expose whether a back is ready or just fast.
Claiborne’s college résumé explains why Minnesota was intrigued enough to take him at No. 198 overall. At Wake Forest, he piled up 2,599 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on 558 carries, added 55 catches for 424 yards and two scores, and posted his best seasons late in his college career. He ran for 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024, then set another personal best with 28 receptions in 2025.
But the NFL has already shown him a different pace. His 4.37 speed can turn a crease into a chunk gain, yet he still has to do the harder work before that burst matters: reading blocks, hitting the right gap and staying balanced through contact. At 188 pounds, he also has strength to build before coaches feel comfortable putting him in front of starting defenders.
Scott brings a different kind of appeal. He already spent his rookie season in Kevin O’Connell’s system, so the staff knows what it’s getting from him.
That familiarity matters in a room where one missed assignment can swing a roster decision. Still, Claiborne’s straight-line speed and big-play juice have kept Scott from simply being handed the No. 3 job.
Week 1 against Green Bay would be a tough place for either rookie to learn on the fly, though the Vikings shouldn’t have to make that kind of leap without more certainty. The Packers defense can disguise pressure, force fast decisions and make a running back sort out his responsibility before the snap. In that kind of matchup, one mistake in protection can put the quarterback in danger and get the back pulled.
Minnesota has until Aug. 30 at 3 p.m. to trim the roster, and the first regular-season depth chart is expected in early September. The Vikings could keep Claiborne for his upside and special-teams value while going with Scott as the steadier RB3. They could also look outside the building after cuts if neither one earns enough trust.
Cam Akers is the familiar name if Minnesota wants a veteran who already knows O’Connell’s offense. He’s still a free agent after three separate stints with the Vikings, and another reunion would give the team an experienced option while Claiborne continues to develop.
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Vikings Suddenly Have A Bigger J.J. McCarthy Problem Than Expected
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Minnesota is still sorting through a wider set of issues than a typical August evaluation, with Brian Flores remaining in the building while his discrimination lawsuit continues to hang over the organization. The quarterback conversation is the one drawing the most attention, but the Vikings broader challenge is just as important: finding enough dependable answers in a market where veteran edge rushers are scarce. The next few days should offer a clearer read on where McCarthy stands, and whether the team has enough around him to avoid turning one concern into several. [Read more 🡒]