Here’s Exactly What the Vikings Own in the 2026 NFL Draft
Remember last year, when the Minnesota Vikings barely had any picks because of the Dallas Turner trade in 2024? This year will not be like that. In fact, Minnesota has close to a full allotment in the piggybank.
This is what the Minnesota Vikings have on tap in the 2026 NFL Draft, notably missing a 4th-rounder because of the Adam Thielen trade earlier this year.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has certainly moved and shaken with draft pick trades, but here’s a gander at the lay of the land with the draft less than four months out.
Round by Round: The Vikings Draft Picks for 2026
Draft time is just around the corner if you’re a draft nut.
High-Round Picks
Stop the presses: the Vikings might actually make a 2nd-Round draft pick for the first time since Andrew Booth and Ed Ingram. Minnesota has not used a 2nd-Rounder on draft night in four years, but this time, that pick is untouched as of December 7th.
These are the Vikings’ high-round picks 2025:
- 1st-Round Pick
- 2nd-Round Pick
Barring a splashy trade for a veteran quarterback or proven playmaker, the Rounds 1 and 2 capital will be untouched.
Mid-Rounders
Minnesota won’t have a 4th-Round pick due to the emergency Cam Robinson trade in 2024. That pick lives in Jacksonville, and it is not coming back. The same goes for the 2027 4th-Rounder, too, which was clumsily offloaded for Adam Thielen.
Here’s the mid-round platter for Minnesota in 2026:
- 3rd Round Pick
- 3rd-Round Compensatory Pick (probable)
Minnesota has not traded its organic 3rd-Rounder, and that pick will be quite high in Round three, unless the Vikings fire off a five-game win streak to end the season.
The compensatory pick will come from Sam Darnold’s free-agent departure last March — just like Kirk Cousins in March 2024. And that will likely be the very first pick at the start of compensatory selections in Round 3.
The Day 3 Stuff
Finally, the late-round stuff:
- 5th-Round
- 5th-Round (via Philadelphia)
- 6th-Round (via New York Jets)
- 6th-Round (via Houston)
- 7th-Round
Adofo-Mensah traded Mekhi Blackmon, Harrison Phillips, and Ed Ingram to get most of these late-rounders, so he better have some tricks up his sleeve in April to make good on the swaps. Those players have performed quite well in their new homes, so much so that Adofo-Mensah probably should have kept them.
Team Needs?
Minnesota’s draft needs, of course, will be debatable and could hinge on the need for a quarterback if J.J. McCarthy flops in the next five games. Too, there’s the idea, albeit unlikely, that the Vikings could have a new general manager before draft time.
But in the franchise’s current form, the primary draft needs look something like this for the long haul:
- Cornerback
- Safety
- Running Back
- Inside Linebacker
- Tight End
An argument could be made for a defensive tackle, as well, if Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave leave the team.
Generally speaking, purple fans will likely spend January through late April calling for a defensive back or an impactful running back.
Recent Mock Drafts
This week, Pro Football Network‘s Jacob Infante mock-drafted Ohio State safety Caleb Downs to Minnesota and explained, “Not much has gone right for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025. A big part of those struggles has been the quarterback position, but it’s too early to give up on J.J. McCarthy. Their best bet is to just go with the best player available, who, in this mock draft, happens to play at a position of need.”
“As of this writing, Caleb Downs is my top overall prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. The fact that he plays safety makes estimating a draft slot for him in a mock draft difficult, but there’s no denying the tools he brings to the table. He’s a large, physical, athletic, intelligent safety with good ball skills in coverage and the fluidity to cover a lot of ground as a two-high or single-high safety. He’s the real deal.”
Our Janik Eckardt has recently identified Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love as a “draft darling” in Round 1.
He noted, “Love could certainly make a difference and change the looks of the Vikings’ offense, but one might wonder whether it’s worth it to spend a high draft pick to acquire a player we’re not even sure O’Connell would use. Minnesota ranks 30th in rushing attempts and with the quarterback struggles in the Twin Cities, that’s almost inexcusable.”
“Last year, the Vikings ranked 19th and it was widely expected that they would rise in those rankings after acquiring Mason to form a solid one-two punch. Keep an eye on Love as we will fully enter draft season next month. He’s the early target for the Vikings, according to various analysts.’
Defensive backs and running backs could dominate the lead-up to the Vikings’ draft.
Here’s the full list of picks:
- 1st-Round
- 2nd-Round
- 3rd-Round
- 3rd-Round (probably compensatory)
- 5th-Round
- 5th-Round (via Philadelphia)
- 6th-Round (via New York Jets)
- 6th-Round (via Houston)
- 7th-Round
The draft will start on April 26 in Pittsburgh.
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