Final 2026 NFL Draft Player Rankings: Top 50

The 2026 NFL Draft is tomorrow. One more sleep. Here’s a Top 50 ranking of the players. With picks at #18 and #49, the Minnesota Vikings could select two of these players.

2026 NFL Draft Player Rankings: Top 50

1.   Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

2.   Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State

3.   Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

4.   Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

5.   Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

6.   Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami

7.   Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

8.   David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech

9.   Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

10. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

11. Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

12. Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

13. Makai Lemon, WR, USC

14. Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami

15. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

16. Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

17. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

18. Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn

19. Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana

20. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

21. KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

22. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

23. Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

24. Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee 

25. Blake Miller, OT, Clemson

26. Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami

27. C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia

28. Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State

29. Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

30. Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

31. Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame

32. D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

33. Peter Woods, DL, Clemson

34. Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M

35. Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah

36. Malachi Lawrence, Edge, UCF

37. Aveion Terrell, CB, Clemson

38. Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State

39. T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson

40. Lee Hunter, DL, Texas Tech

41. Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

42. Christen Miller, DL, Georgia

43. Treydan Stukes, DB, Arizona

44. Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

45. Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh

46. Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech

47. Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

48. R Mason Thomas, Edge, Oklahoma

49. Zion Young, Edge, Missouri

50. Caleb Banks, DL, Florida

From the above rankings, a prediction of the Vikings first two picks:

18. Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn

49. Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

or

18. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

49. Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh

I can’t decide. One moment, it’s the first. The next moment, it’s the second.

Final 2026 NFL Draft Player Rankings: By Position

The 2026 NFL Draft is just two days away. The endless draft evaluation process is finally coming to an end. Here’s a look at five of the top draft prospects at each position.

2026 NFL Draft Player Rankings: By Position

Quarterbacks

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

2. Ty Simpson, Alabama

3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

4. Carson Beck, Miami

5. Drew Allar, Penn State

Running Backs

1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

2. Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

3. Emmitt Johnson, Nebraska

4. Jonah Coleman, Washington

5. Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas

Receivers

1. Carnell Tate, Ohio State

2. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

3. Makai Lemon, USC

4. KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

5. Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

Tight Ends

1. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

2. Max Klare, Ohio State

3. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

4. Jack Endries, Texas

5. Dallen Bentley, Utah

Offensive Tackles

1. Francis Mauigoa, Miami

2. Monroe Freeling, Georgia

3. Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

4. Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

5. Max Iheanachor, Arizona State

Guards

1. Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

2. Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M

3. Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

4. Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech

5. Gennings Dunker, Iowa

Centers

1. Connor Lew, Auburn

2. Logan Jones, Iowa

3. Jake Slaughter, Florida

4. Sam Hecht, Kansas

5. Brian Parker II, Duke

Edge

1. Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

2. David Bailey, Texas A&M

3. Kendric Faulk, Auburn

4. Akheem Mesidor, Miami

5. Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

Defensive Tackles

1. Kayden McDaniel

2. Peter Woods, Clemson

3. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech

4. Christen Miller, Georgia

5. Caleb Banks, Florida

Linebackers

1. Arvell Reese, Ohio State

2. Sonny Styles, Ohio State

3. CJ Allen, Georgia

4. Jake Rodriguez, Texas Tech

5. Jake Golday, Cincinnati

Cornerbacks

1. Mansoor Delane, LSU

2. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

3. Chris Johnson, San Diego State

4. D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana

5. Colton Hood, Tennessee

Safeties

1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State

2. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

3. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

4. Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh

5. A.J. Haulcy, LSU

Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft Monday

Finally, it’s the last Monday in front of the 2026 NFL Draft. Here’s a final Minnesota Vikings mock draft before the real one. 

1. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

2. Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

3. Connor Lew, C, Auburn

3. Kaleb Proctor, DL, SE Louisiana

5. Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest

6. VJ Payne, S, Kansas State

7. Kaden Wetjen, WR, Iowa

7. Riley Nowakowski, TE/FB, Indiana

7. Tyler Onyedim, DL, Texas A&M

In Jermod McCoy, the Vikings select arguably the most skilled corner in the draft. If not for a January 2024 torn ACL, he probably isn’t getting out of the top 10. I’ve wondered if the Vikings see corner as a first round option but I’m not sure they can pass on McCoy. 

Germie Bernard and Georgia State’s Ted Hurst have emerged as my favorite Day 2 receivers. In this mock, Bernard is the pick in the second round. The Vikings must select a center on Day 2. Connor Lew is the pick here. He should be an immediate starter. In the last couple weeks, Kaleb Proctor has become one of my favorite defensive linemen in the draft. Coming out of a small school, I’ve hoped that he’d slip into Day 3. I doubt that happens. He closes out the Day 2 mock draft picks in this mock draft. 

When it comes to the real draft, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Vikings grab a running back on Day 2. Unfortunately they have only three picks for about a half dozen significant needs. I have running back being the position pushed to Day 3 mostly because of the potential availability of Demond Claiborne. He’s a speed back similar to De’Von Achane of the Miami Dolphins. Frank Smith helped craft the Dolphins run game in which Achane flourished. Smith was hired by Kevin O’Connell in February to help with the Vikings offense. Claiborne, Aaron Jones, and Jordan Mason would be a strong and versatile trio of backs. I would’ve preferred to address safety earlier than the sixth round. VJ Payne would be a solid Day 3 option. Myles Price emerged as a returner as a rookie last season. Despite that, Kaden Wetjen could immediately be one of the best returners in the league. Riley Nowakowski replaces the retired C.J. Ham as a blocker. I don’t think there’s any chance Tyler Onyedim is available in the seventh round. I don’t even think he’ll be available in the fifth round. He was available in this mock draft simulation and is a steal in the seventh round. 

Next up: The real draft. Finally. 

New First Round Order

After about a month of getting set with the order of the 2026 NFL Draft’s first round, the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals jumbled things. With negotiations at an impasse between defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and the Giants, it felt like a trade could happen. Yesterday, a trade did happen. The Giants traded the gigantic offense-wrecker to the Cincinnati Bengals for the tenth pick. Already holding the fifth pick, New York now has two picks in the top ten. Here’s the new look order of the first round. 

1.   Las Vegas Raiders

2.   New York Jets

3.   Arizona Cardinals

4.   Tennessee Titans

5.   New York Giants

6.   Cleveland Browns

7.   Washington Commanders

8.   New Orleans Saints

9.   Kansas City Chiefs

10. New York Giants (from Bengals)

11. Miami Dolphins

12. Dallas Cowboys

13. Los Angeles Rams (from Falcons)

14. Baltimore Ravens

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

16. New York Jets (from Colts)

17. Detroit Lions

18. Minnesota Vikings

19. Carolina Panthers

20. Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

22. Los Angeles Chargers

23. Philadelphia Eagles

24. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)

25. Chicago Bears

26. Buffalo Bills

27. San Francisco 49ers

28. Houston Texans

29. Kansas City Chiefs (from Rams)

30. Miami Dolphins (from Broncos)

31. New England Patriots

32. Seattle Seahawks

Six teams now have two picks in the first round.

New York Jets: 2,16

New York Giants: 5,10

Cleveland Browns: 6,24

Kansas City Chiefs: 9,29

Miami Dolphins: 11,30

Dallas Cowboys: 12,20

Four more days…

Draft Favorites By Round

The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a week away. Here are some of my favorite players for the Minnesota Vikings in each of the seven rounds.

First Round

Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

Keldric Faulk, DL, Auburn

Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State

Through the draft process, Dillon Thieneman and Keldric Faulk have emerged as my first round favorites. Followed closely by the rest. 

Second Round

Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame

Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech

Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

AJ Haulcy, S, LSU

Keionte Scott, CB, Miami

Third Round

Connor Lew, C, Auburn

Logan Jones, C, Iowa

Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State

Jake Slaughter, C, Florida

Kaleb Proctor, DL, SE Louisiana

Jaishawn Barham, Edge, Michigan

Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh

Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State

Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington

Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska

Fourth Round

Unfortunately, the Vikings have no fourth round pick. It’s going to be a frustrating start to Day 3.

Fifth Round

Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest

Devin Moore, CB, Florida

Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati

Ahmari Harvey, CB, Georgia Tech

Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston

Sixth Round

Kaden Wetjen, WR, Iowa

Deven Eastern, DL, Minnesota

Jordan van den Berg, DL, Georgia Tech

Jaydn Ott, RB, Oklahoma

Eli Heidenreich, RB/WR, Navy

Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll

Seventh Round

Max Bredeson, TE/FB, Michigan

Zxavian Harris, DL, Mississippi

Brett Thorson, P, Georgia

Tristan Leigh, OT, Clemson

Uar Bernard, DL, Nigeria/IPP

Eric Gentry, LB, USC

A draft haul from the above favorites might look a little something like this:

1. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

2. Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

3. Connor Lew, C, Auburn

3. Kaleb Proctor, DL, SE Louisiana

5. Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest

6. Kaden Wetjen, WR, Iowa

7. Max Bredeson, TE/FB, Michigan

7. Zxavian Harris, DL, Mississippi

7. Eric Gentry, LB, USC

The Athletic’s Draft Haul For The Vikings

Fresh off of dropping “The Beast,” the Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his seven-round mock drafts. Brugler is one of my favorite talent evaluators. He puts so much work into all that he does. A seven-round mock is a daunting thing. Here’s what he got for the Minnesota Vikings. 

1. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

2. Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech

3. A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU

3. Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State

5. Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati

6. Mason Reiger, Edge, Wisconsin

7. J.C. Davis, OT, Illinois

7. Seth McGowan, RB, Kentucky

7. Josh Cuevas, TE, Alabama

It’s always a bit startling when Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman isn’t mocked to the Vikings at 18. In this mock, Thieneman was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the next pick. Jermod McCoy would be an outstanding addition to the Vikings secondary. It’s been since Xavier Rhodes started to fade that a corner of McCoy’s talent has been in Minnesota. Shortly after the combine, Lee Hunter was one of my favorites for the first round. Preferably with a little trade back. With the way that he moved, I could see a little Dexter Lawrence in Hunter. Getting him in the second round would be a steal. A.J. Haulcy in the third would also be a steal. The Vikings must find a center on Day 2. Sam Hecht works for me. 

The biggest challenge of this year’s mock drafts has been trying to appropriately address all of the Vikings top needs with their four picks in the first three rounds. It’s both difficult and frustrating. Through this draft evaluation process, I’ve become convinced that the Vikings will address receiver or running back on Day 2. If the draft falls their way, I could see both positions being addressed. With center being a priority, Day 2 could be all offense. In Brugler’s mock, I might be tempted to pass on Lee Hunter for Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price. I like Hunter but I might like Price more. Even with Clemson receiver Antonio Williams, I don’t think I’d give up A.J. Haulcy for a receiver. In mocks, Haulcy has often been my pick in the second round if Dillon Thieneman isn’t the pick in the first. 

As for the receiver concerns, Jeff Caldwell would be a fine addition. The Vikings could use a receiver with his size and speed. With edge being a team strength, I’be debated the need for a pass rusher. In today’s NFL, a team can never have enough players that get after the quarterback. Mason Reiger is one of the best Day 3 options. Brugler didn’t get the Vikings a running back on Day 2 but he found an intriguing one in the seventh round. Seth McGowan is one of my favorite Day 3 backs. I’m surprised that he’s available in the seventh round. J.C. Davis looks like a solid offensive line depth addition. I see Josh Cuevas as a nice C.J. Ham replacement. 

Even though I’d swap Jadarian Price for Lee Hunter, I’d be thrilled if the Vikings real draft fell like Dane Brugler’s mock draft. 

Throwback Thursday: A Look Back At An Old Draft

With NFL Drafts on the mind, I took another look at the 1961 NFL and AFL Drafts. The young, renegade AFL was challenging the old NFL for college talent. So much so that the two leagues were drafting players before the college bowl games were even played. The AFL conducted the first six rounds of their 1961 draft on November 23, 1960, by phone. The draft was completed on December 5th and 6th. The NFL held their 1961 draft on December 27 and 28. The 1961 AFL Draft went for thirty rounds. The 1961 NFL Draft went twenty rounds. With six fewer teams, the AFL selected 240 players to the NFL's 280. As this draft was the first draft of the Minnesota Vikings, I was taking another look at the draft that started it all. I'm always thrilled when I find little nuggets of football history that I've never noticed before. I found one while I was looking through the 1961 drafts of the rival professional football leagues.

Here's the top of the Minnesota Vikings 1961 NFL Draft:

1. Tommy Mason  RB  Tulane
2. Rip Hawkins  LB North Carolina
3. Fran Tarkenton  QB Georgia

Here's the top of the Boston Patriots 1961 AFL Draft:

1. Tommy Mason  RB  Tulane
2. Rip Hawkins  LB  North Carolina
3. Dan LaRose  T  Missouri
4. Mike Zeno  G  Virginia Tech
5. Fran Tarkenton  QB  Georgia

Well, something looks a little fishy there. The Vikings top three selections were three of the Patriots top five selections. They were also taken in the same order. The AFL Draft came first, so the Patriots selected Tommy Mason, Rip Hawkins, and Fran Tarkenton over a month before the Vikings did the same. The Vikings, as an expansion team, had the first pick in the NFL Draft. The Patriots had the second pick in the AFL Draft. Mason was widely considered the top senior back in college football so his selection by teams with one of the top two picks in a draft isn't a surprise. There's just too many variables to even imagine that the Patriots will select three of the same players in the first 34 picks of their draft as the Vikings select in the first 29 picks of their draft. It's as if the two teams had the exact same scouting reports and rankings. Mason selected #1 by the Vikings and #2 by the Patriots. Hawkins selected #15 by the Vikings and #10 by the Patriots. Tarkenton selected #29 by the Vikings and #34 by the Patriots. I guess that the Patriots decided that they could wait a little bit, take care of their offensive line, and grab Tarkenton in the fifth round of their draft.

The threat of losing college players to the AFL was very real for NFL teams. The Houston Oilers, Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers, and Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs dominated the early years of the new league. The Buffalo Bills came on a couple of years later. The Boston Patriots were 5-9, last in the AFL's Eastern Conference in 1960. Maybe the Vikings, despite being an expansion team, didn't see the Patriots as much of a threat to sign players that they drafted. The Vikings saw that the Patriots drafted players that they liked and drafted them with the confidence that they could sign them. It turns out that they were right as the Vikings were able to sign all three players. Each made an impact with the new team. Tommy Mason had a fine career in Minnesota with some Pro Bowl appearances. Rip Hawkins was a prominent member of a defense that would become dominant by the end of the decade. Fran Tarkenton is in the Hall of Fame so he was pretty good.

This little draft nugget is fascinating. There's too many variables for it to be just a coincidence. There's a reason for it. The ability to sign the players may have played a role but there's something more. There's something sinister here. I just know it.