New ESPN Mock Draft Says Defense for 2026 Vikings
If the 2026 NFL Draft kicked off tonight, the Minnesota Vikings would choose 11th, much higher than fans expected when the season began three months ago. Pick No. 11 would be prime territory for a cornerback, probably why ESPN’s Field Yates recommended LSU’s Mansoor Delane this week.
A new ESPN mock draft sends the Vikings toward defense in 2026, projecting an SEC cornerback as the next key piece for Brian Flores’ unit.
Yates indeed got his mock-draft process off the ground, connecting the young defensive back to Minnesota.
Field Yates Mock Draft Says CB Mansoor Delane for Vikings
Maybe the franchise will hit on a rookie cornerback for the first time in 10 years.
Mansoor Delane the Flavor of the Week in New Mock Draft
Slated with a Top 12 pick at the moment, Yates selected Delane for the Vikings and wrote, “A notable need for the Vikings is cornerback, where the team is lacking depth behind Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. Enter Delane, who took his game to another level after transferring from Virginia Tech before this season.”
“He has excellent size for the position (6-foot, 190 pounds) and thrives using force at the catch point to disrupt the ball. Delane is at his best playing off coverage and reading the quarterback, though he is also a willing run defender who could thrive in Brian Flores’ aggressive system. When targeted as the primary coverage player this season, he surrendered the third-lowest completion percentage in the FBS (27.8%).”
Our Josh Frey also mock-drafted Delane to Minnesota last week. It is becoming a thing.
The Delane Scouting Report
Delane has the speed, quickness, and size to translate to the NFL at a starter’s level. He also features scheme versatility, so no matter who might defensively coordinate the Vikings in 2026 and beyond — Brian Flores is not under contract in 2026 — Delane should have staying power. The LSU Tiger is also aggressive and can play safety if needed.
NFL Draft Buzz on Delane: “Delane’s ceiling will ultimately be determined by how effectively he addresses his physical limitations while maintaining the technical precision that makes him special. He brings enough versatility to find a home in virtually any defensive system, but his frame may dictate where he lines up most frequently.”
“The LSU transplant won’t wow anyone stepping off the bus, but his football acumen and competitive temperament will endear him to coaching staffs looking for a reliable defensive back who can execute complex assignments.”
Vikings’ Need for a CB
Minnesota currently has two corners locked in as starters through 2026 — Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers — but that’s where the comfort ends. Murphy Jr. hasn’t lived up to the hefty contract he signed nine months ago, and Rodgers brings juice but not the kind of tackling reliability you build a secondary around. The roster practically shouts for a real CB1, the kind Minnesota hasn’t drafted in ages.
That’s not hyperbole. The Vikings haven’t hit on a corner — in any round — in roughly a decade. Trae Waynes in 2015 was the closest thing to a success story, and even he topped out at “decent.” Since then, Mike Hughes didn’t pan out. Jeff Gladney didn’t pan out. Andrew Booth didn’t pan out.
So here we are again. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has to take another swing early in the draft. Cornerback is easily Minnesota’s biggest need for 2026 — unless J.J. McCarthy faceplants down the stretch, in which case quarterback barges into the conversation, too. But assuming McCarthy steadies, the mandate is simple. Find a corner. Develop a corner. And finally, for the first time in eons, hit on a corner.
Don’t Forget Safety and Maybe Running Back
The Vikings could also need a rookie running back in April. They haven’t drafted an impactful one since Dalvin Cook in 2017 or Alexander Mattison for folks who enjoyed him. With a pick somewhere between 10 and 16, Minnesota could reasonably land the best tailback in the 2026 class, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love.
Then, there’s the safety angle. Harrison Smith will likely retire next month, and Camryn Bynum plays for the Indianapolis Colts. It’s time to draft a safety with Pro Bowl upside, and that’s why Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is generating so much buzz in the Vikings’ mock draft community.
Yes, the 2026 draft for Minnesota will probably feature a three-way roundtable among fans in February, March, and April, debating the foremost need at cornerback, running back, or safety.
Remember these three names: Mansoor Delane, Jeremiyah Love, and Caleb Downs.
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