1. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
2. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
3. Jake Slaughter, C, Florida
3. Kaleb Proctor, DL, Southeastern Louisiana
5. Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest
6. Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll
7. Noah Thomas, WR, Georgia
7. Max Bredeson, FB/TE, Michigan
7. Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State
These mocks are often frustrating because I’m at the mercy of the rankings created by Pro Football Focus. I rarely agree with PFF’s view of football. I doubt that the views of the league’s decision-makers align with the PFF grades either. For example, since the scouting combine, Oregon safety Dillion Thienemen never gets close to the Minnesota Vikings 18th pick. Despite all of that, mock drafts are fun and I kinda like this one.
I see the Minnesota Vikings entering the 2026 NFL Draft with the following needs.
Safety
Cornerback
Defensive Line
Center
Running Back
Receiver
Linebacker
Basically every position can be considered a Vikings need. It’s the first four of the above positions that must be filled in the draft. In every mock draft I do, safety, corner, defensive line, and center are addressed with the early picks. This mock draft does that.
More often than not, safety or corner is my pick in the first round. Just to shake things up, I sometimes take a swing at a defensive lineman. I really hope the Vikings come out of the real first round with one of the following players.
Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
In this draft, the pick is the Toledo safety. I believe that he’d be a Day 1 starter. I feel that I lucked into corner Chris Johnson in the second. Come draft day, I believe that Johnson will be a consideration for teams at the end of the first round. The 17th pick in the second round isn’t likely. If the Vikings do luck into Johnson in the second round, I believe that he’d join McNeil-Warren as a Day 1 starter.
While Blake Brandel is a nice place-holder, I believe that the Vikings must draft a starting center. It’s a good year to need a center as there are few in this draft that could start right away. The Vikings will probably have to use one of their three Day 2 picks on that center. In this mock, it’s their first pick of the third round. With Jake Slaughter, this mock draft would provide the Vikings with three immediate starters in the first three picks.
I’ve really come to like Kaleb Proctor from what might be considered the second tier of this draft’s defensive linemen. If the position is addressed in the third round of these mocks, I often have to decide between Proctor and Missouri’s Chris McClellan. At more than 320lbs, McClellan is the much bigger player. In deciding between the two, it’s a decision between the smaller, quicker Proctor and the bigger, line-plugger McClellan.
After bringing back Aaron Jones, running back isn’t an immediate need. This isn’t the running back daft class that last year’s draft brought to the league. There’s still a few intriguing backs that should be available on Day 2 and a couple into Day 3. Demond Claiborne might be one of those available on Day 3. I wish the Vikings had a fourth-round pick to secure one of those intriguing backs. In this mock, Claiborne was an easy pick in the fifth.
As easy as Demond Claiborne was to pick in the fifth round, selecting Tyren Montgomery in the sixth round was even easier. I assume that he’s being undervalued for playing at itty bitty John Carroll. Don Shula made it work. Maybe Montgomery follows Shula’s path to NFL glory.
Of the last three picks, Max Bredeson is probably the one with the best chance to find an immediate role. I see him as a successor to C.J. Ham at fullback. I’m curious about Noah Thomas for his 6’5” size. I believe that the Vikings could really use a receiver of that size.
Good things can happen when a team adds a developmental quarterback in, or after, every draft. Cole Payton is this year’s quarterback.
Until the next mock draft.
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