Minnesota Vikings News and Links: The 2026 NFL Draft Is 11 Days Away!

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It is getting down to the nitty gritty. Still time for some preparations and mocks right? I still would not mind seeing some craziness! How about you?

Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Vikings Projected to Not Select Most Critical Need in Round 1 of the Draft
No Defensive Tackles May Be Taken in Round 1 – Reid
“For the first time since 2021, it is possible that no defensive tackles could be selected in Round 1. I haven’t found a team that has a true first-round grade on any defensive tackle.” Reid wrote on April 10.

Although there are three prospects who would seem to have at least some chance of being Day 1 selections, Reid believes that there is a good chance that none of them are selected within the first 32 picks.

“With Caleb Banks (Florida) recently having foot surgery, he’s likely to be a Day 2 pick. The inconsistencies of Peter Woods (Clemson) throughout the season and during the predraft process have caused most teams I have spoken with to put an early-to-mid second-round mark on him. Kayden McDonald (Ohio State) has mixed reviews because of his lack of pass-rushing ability; many teams wouldn’t use a first-round pick on a two-down interior defender.”

What ‘The Beast’ Reveals About the Vikings’ 5 Most-Mocked Picks
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi/news/what-the-beast-reveals-about-the-vikings-5-most-mocked-picks

Dillon Thieneman – No. 2 safety

Brugler says Thieneman is a “versatile athlete who can make an impact from the backend, near the box or as a nickel,” however, he has only “adequate size” that appears to be “maxed out physically.”

“With his open-field athleticism, Thieneman has a lot to offer in the NFL because of his versatility making plays over the top in coverage or downhill versus the run,” Brugler said. “He shows impressive range and anticipation from the deep half of the field, as well as the intelligence to understand what opponents are trying to do. Although he doesn’t always play up to his testing numbers, he can guard both sidelines and sort through routes. He can clean up some things in the run game, too — he has a nose for the ball and doesn’t hesitate flying to the contact point.”
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Emmanuel McNeil-Warren – No. 3 safety
“McNeil-Warren is an impressive size/speed athlete on the back end, who is at his best when roaming to read his keys, flow to the ball and quickly close space,” said Brugler. “He has the rangy tools to push for starting safety reps as an NFL rookie.”

While Brugler praises McNeil-Warren’s rangy play, he does note that he can be “overaggressive” when tracking down the run game and can be late to adjust.
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Peter Woods – No. 2 defensive tackle
One of the biggest positions of need on the defense remains defensive tackle. After the release of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, Minnesota has a serious lack of experience across its defensive front.

That comes at an inopportune time, as many experts and teams don’t seem to have first-round grades on the top DT talents in the draft. Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald is considered the No. 1 DT in the draft, with Clemson’s Peter Woods coming in at No. 2, according to Brugler.

Brugler says Woods is a “nimble big man with lateral quickness” but warns that he can be “too easily moved by angle/drive blocks.

“Woods flashes the ability to win with quickness, strength and hand usage — and the next step in his development is for him to do so more consistently,” writes Brugler. “He offers scheme diversity, although he projects best as a three-/4i-technique DT.”

3 Free Agents the Vikings Could Target After the Draft
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A Vikings 7-Round Mock Draft Using Only Top 30 Visits, Combine Meetings
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Every Player the Vikings Would Realistically Draft at No. 18 Overall
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Vikings Linked to Elite Cincinnati WR in New Report

Vikings’ Dallas Turner Gets Brutal Message Ahead of 2026 Season

The Vikings signed Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard, who have proven to be one of the best edge rushing duos in the league. This has proven to be a thorn in Dallas Turner’s side, as he just can’t find starting minutes.

As Adam Patrick of The Viking Age mentioned, Paul Allen spoke about Turner on The Paul Allen Show earlier this week. Patrick summarized the words for us.

“[The Vikings] want to play him, [but] Greenard’s better than him until proven otherwise. [Andrew] Van Ginkle is, probably, can argue the best of the three, but he and Greenard are 1 and 1A, whichever way you want to go.

I’m just not sure they know what to do with Dallas Turner.”

Patrick added some of his own insight on the matter.

“Thankfully, Turner is still only 23-years-old and he likely hasn’t hit the prime of his NFL career yet. However, one of the biggest benefits of selecting him in the first round is the ability to take advantage of how affordable of his rookie contract is, and the Vikings haven’t really been able to do that yet.”

Minnesota Named One of the ‘Worst QB Situations’ in NFL in 2026

Bleacher Report had the take that came out of a flamethrower. They made their case as to why it’s the 6th-worst in the NFL per their list.

“In practically every way you can measure a quarterback, J.J. McCarthy was the least qualified passer in the NFL during his sophomore campaign. Now they’ve added Kyler Murray, who missed significant action in three of his last four seasons in Arizona and has a 90.3 passer rating since 2022.”

These claims are technically factual. However, it ignores the high-ceiling that likely-starting Kyler Murray is providing you.

They did provide a bit of a lifeline to the team regarding their take.

“As with Atlanta, you’re looking at two highly drafted guys in their 20s working with strong weapons and a stellar offensive line. And if it’s a crapshoot, at least they get two rolls of the dice. They’re also both cheap.”

49ers trade idea sends Mac Jones to Vikings for JJ McCarthy and more

Mark Morales-Smith of Sports Illustrated proposed a trade that would be similar to what could work for Shanahan. His deal would move on from Jones.

San Francisco 49ers Receive QB – JJ McCarthy, fourth round pick

Minnesota Vikings Receive QB – Jones

“Shanahan is a guy who could think that he could get the most out of a former 10th overall pick and fix him. At least to the point that he’s a serviceable backup. Similarly to what he did with Jones. It makes a lot more sense for San Francisco to get what they can for Jones at the peak of his value rather than keeping him as a backup and letting him walk after this season. We have heard reports that they want a second-round pick for Jones, which isn’t going to happen, but a fourth, and McCarthy is still a good deal,” Morales-Smith wrote.

Note: It would help if the person would know that the Vikings do not have a 4th round pick. Also, trading JJ who has two years left on his deal for Jones who will be in his last year of his deal is not even mentioned.

Vikings Liquidate $72M Greenard And McCarthy 15 Days Before Draft—$43M Cap Crisis Forces Fire Sale

The NFL salary cap punishes overspending on a two-year delay. Minnesota loaded up in 2024 free agency. The bill arrived in 2026. Greenard’s contract goes toxic. McCarthy’s value craters. Jones and Hargrave get cut. Same mechanism, different positions, identical result. The cap structure creates moral hazard: spend aggressively, win now, and let the next front office absorb the wreckage. Except the next front office is an interim GM operating without permanent authority. The system broke the team. The team can’t fix the system.

Note: I liked this paragraph but a lot of the rest is outdated.

Carson Wentz Humorously Holds Back on Secret Behind Early NFL Success

Yore Mock

Draft Results from Mock Draft Hero
Pre-Draft Rankings: Pro Football Focus
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Draft Day Trades
To Las Vegas: Brian O’Neill (RT) + Pick 82
To Minnesota: Pick 67 + Pick 102
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To Indianapolis: Jonathan Greenard (EDGE)
To Minnesota: Pick 78 + 2027 3rd Round Pick
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To LA Rams: Pick 49
To Minnesota: Pick 54 + Pick 152 + 2028 6th Round Pick
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To San Francisco: Pick 67 + Pick 102
To Minnesota: Pick 58 + Pick 139
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To Washington: Pick 78 + Pick 152
To Minnesota: Pick 71
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To Tennessee: Pick 97
To Minnesota: Pick 101 + Pick 194
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To Tennessee: Pick 194 + Pick 235
To Minnesota: Pick 184
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Round (Pick) : Player : Position : School : Height : Weight
Pick 1 (18) : Spencer Fano : OT/C : Utah : 6’5 ½” : 311
Pick2 (54) : : Malachi Lawrence : EDGE : UCF : 6’4″ : 253
Pick2 (58) : : Domonique Orange : DT : Iowa State : 6’2 ⅜” : 322
Pick3 (71) : : Treydan Stukes : CB/S : Arizona : 6’0 ⅝” : 190
Pick4 (101) : Keyron Crawford : EDGE : Auburn : 6’4 ⅜” : 253
Pick5 (139) : Emmett Johnson : RB : Nebraska : 5’10 ¼” : 202
Pick5 (163) : Isaiah World : OT : Oregon : 6’7 ⅝” : 318
Pick6 (184) : Caleb Douglas : WR : Texas Tech : 6’3 ½” : 206
Pick6 (196) : Kalen Elarms-Orr : LB : TCU : 6’2″ : 230
Pick7 (234) : Jakobe Thomas : S : Miami : 6’2″ : 192
Pick7 (244) : Uar Bernard : DT : IPP : 6’4″ : 306
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I know it is not going to be popular but I like to do stuff just for the heck of it. If the Vikings trade these two veterans they would save 31.66M in cap space right away. The team is going to 13.6M in cap space post June 1 from the Allen and Smith releases. They have to spend about 8M on this rookie class. They would have about 40M in cap space if they did not sign anyone else.

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