Iowa tight end Luke Lachey linked to Vikings as college player to watch

The Vikings already have T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver at tight end...

Iowa tight end Luke Lachey (85) slips past Kentucky defensive back Keidron Smith (1) for a touchdown during the second quarter of the TransPerfect Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022. Musiccitybowl 123122 An 024 Syndication The Tennessean / Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA

We're two months from the start of the NFL regular season and 290 days from the 2025 NFL draft, but it's the football abyss in July and that means everyone is doing their darndest to come up with compelling content. Whether this is compelling or not is for the reader to decide, but Pro Football Focus (PFF) thinks the Vikings could get creative and look at Iowa tight end Luke Lachey in next year's draft.

"Adding Lachey, who would have likely been a top-100 pick in 2023 had he not broken his ankle early in the season, would make for a legit heavy personnel group from which Minnesota could run or pass," PFF explained in an article that focuses on one college offensive player for NFL teams to focus on this fall.

"Yes, the Vikings have T.J. Hockenson. No, this isn't a move to replace him; we're setting up an impressive and impactful two-tight end offense that can complement wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison."

Despite currently rehabbing from a torn ACL, Hockenson is entering the first year of a four-year, $66 million contract. Selecting another tight end with a high draft pick wouldn't make the most sense from a team-building perspective, but it would give Minnesota a unique offensive attack.

Minnesota is also set to pay tight end Josh Oliver more than $7 million in 2025 before he's eligible for free agency in 2026. From the point of view that Oliver's run with the Vikings could be coming to an end, drafting a tight end like Lachey could make sense – but using a first- or second-round pick on a tight end when they already have Hockenson is highly questionable when there are other high-priority positions of need at guard, defensive line and cornerback.

Iowa, despite its sluggish offense in recent years, has become known as Tight End University after sending the likes of Hockenson, George Kittle, Noah Fant and Sam LaPorta to the the NFL.