As we see a light at the end of the offseason tunnel, and we can almost hear the popping of pads — not to mention reckless offseason storylines — it’s worth reorienting ourselves.
Much of the preseason can often feel like a mirage. It can be difficult to sort through the training-camp nuggets and messy context of preseason football to determine fact from fiction. How many times have we seen training camp hype or Roc Thomas-esque preseason highlights dissipate into absolutely nothing once cutdown day rolls around?
Often, we don’t understand the vastly different pole positions the coaching staff has for players in a position battle. It’s also hard to evaluate a player’s body of work based on some viral Twitter clips and a dozen preseason snaps, which may or may not be against the scrubbiest scrubs the opponent has to offer. It takes a discerning eye and a level head to sort through it.
But there are specific positions where I think it’s a bit easier. Skill positions are first among them, especially when there’s a level playing field like there is currently in the Vikings’ running back room. I’m not trying to imply a hot take on Aaron Jones’ or Jordan Mason’s job security. They’re firmly entrenched as the 1A/1B in the backfield. But behind them is a fierce battle for snaps and opportunities at RB3 between second-year runner Zavier Scott and rookie sixth-rounder Demond Claiborne.
Claiborne drew a lot of fan attention after the Vikings selected him on Day 3 of the draft, particularly due to his linear speed and electric highlight reel. I wrote about him earlier this offseason. I highlighted new assistant coach Frank Smith and his experience getting the most out of an undersized, linear athlete like Claiborne while working with De’Von Achane in Miami. I’m not comparing Claiborne to one of the best runners in the league in Achane, but his profile suggests that maybe he’s capable of being a dollar-store version of the Miami Dolphins star.
It also makes sense that Claiborne would pop off the screen for Vikings fans given that his elite straight-line speed is something that none of the other backs on the roster possess. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason aren’t slow per se, but neither are burners. The Vikings have been suffering from a dearth of explosives on the ground, and fixing that could take a ton of pressure off the passing game and the questionable quarterback situation. Still, despite how exciting his highlights are, we also mustn’t forget that he went in the sixth round for a reason.
Claiborne is 5’9”, 188 lbs., and he plays like it. The lack of physicality shows up when he runs between the tackles, and he often goes down on first contact. There are also major questions about whether he has the physicality to be an adequate pass blocker. He tends to get walked back by blitzing linebackers in pass protection. These are areas he must improve to see snaps at the NFL level, especially in the third-down, change-of-pace role his body type is suited for.
There’s a ton of promise in Claiborne if the coaching staff can find ways to get him the ball in open space. However, this preseason will be defined by his ability to work on the other parts of his game.
Meanwhile, his competition is an entirely different kind of player. The formerly undrafted Zavier Scott managed to see the field in 2026 as the team’s RB3, and turned in a few productive plays that went understated throughout the year. Scott is well suited to a third-down role thanks to his receiving experience in college, and he’s still on his way to developing into a true running back.
While Claiborne lacks size, the same can’t be said for Scott. The second-year back out of Maine is a firm 6’1”, 220 lbs. That implies he has the frame to play with physicality. He lacks the experience at the position after being a hybrid, gadget player in college. Scott must keep developing his ability to read his blocks and evolve as an inside runner. He doesn’t bring the same straight-line juice that Claiborne does, but he possesses the necessary nuance as a receiver out of the backfield. With coaching, he may also develop into a solid blocker.
What makes this an interesting battle to watch is that it’s truly wide open, and we should see ample opportunities to track it. While Scott is the incumbent for the role, the Vikings drafted Claiborne for a reason and are likely viewing him as a higher-pedigree talent. Scott will have every opportunity to retain his job. Still, I’d imagine the coaching staff will also want to give Claiborne his chance to move up the depth chart.
I’ll be surprised if we see much of either Jones or Mason in preseason games this season, given Kevin O’Connell’s approach to the preseason. That means Scott and Claiborne will likely get plenty of opportunities early in games against the opposition’s presumptive first- or second-teamers. Ball-knowing fans shouldn’t just look for splash plays from either player. Instead, also keep an eye on how they perform without the ball in their hands.
My early lean is that Scott’s body type and experience last season may give him an advantage in this race, particularly given how third down may play such a major role. Claiborne is talented enough to prove me wrong, but I’d trust Scott’s role to be a bit more consistent at this stage. Still, I think the battle will be truly wide open, and I have a feeling it’ll remain a talking point all the way to cutdown day.
