NFL.com Names the Best Two Draft Prospects for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have nine picks on tap when the NFL draft kicks off in three weeks, and according to NFL.com, the two best men to begin the party for the purple team are Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman and Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller.
Minnesota has obvious reasons to monitor both prospects as the draft gets closer.
Eric Edholm sized up the best two prospects for each team this week, and for the Vikings, it’s evidently a defensive affair.
These Two Prospects Match Minnesota’s Current Roster Path per NFL.com
Brian Flores would get new toys if Edholm got his way.
Dillon Thieneman at No. 18
If you’ve spent only a few minutes searching for the Vikings’ selections in NFL mock drafts, you’ll already know Thieneman’s name. He’s everywhere for the Vikings, the quintessential mock-draft darling after the NFL Combine.
Edholm on Thieneman to Minnesota: “Brian Flores had one of the better defenses in football last season, but losses on both ends prompted these two picks. Thieneman could be a replacement for Harrison Smith if he retires. The Oregon safety has the instincts, skill and athleticism to be a factor deep or in the box.”
Smith will either return for one more season — Year No. 15 — or retire. In any event, the Vikings need a safety. It doesn’t matter if Smith stays or goes; the time is now to refill youth in the pipeline.
ESPN calls Thieneman the 20th-best player in the draft.
The Ringer‘s Todd McShay on Thieneman: “Thieneman’s football IQ really stands out, especially in coverage. He has excellent range in deep-zone coverage, fast eyes, early jumps, and elite closing burst to the ball. I love the angles he takes attacking the football in the air. He trusts his hands. He has a fast trigger versus the run and is at his best facing the quarterback, planting and driving downhill, and using proper angles and savvy to clip ballcarriers in a hurry.”
“He has some tightness and needs to be protected from matching with sudden WRs in deeper coverage. And he doesn’t have the ideal size to hold up frequently in the box in the NFL. He also comes in hot when filling the alley and will miss some tackles as a result. He’s not a thumper or powerful striker as a tackler. He will hit with some initial force but frequently needs to wrap and corral or drag down opponents.”
If mock draft popularity translated to reality, Thieneman would already be a Viking.
Christen Miller in Round 2
How about after Thieneman? Well, NFL.com has a plan for that, too, a defensive tackle from Georgia.
Edholm noted on Miller’s fit with the Vikings, “Miller has lined up at multiple techniques inside and is the kind of versatile contributor Minnesota could use after multiple defections up front.”
Miller is 6’4″ and 325 pounds, size that earns him a hybrid moniker as a nose tackle and regular DT. His schtick? Run defense. Miller gets off the ball quickly and has overly violent hands. He can also play nose tackle or switch to a five-technique. Of course, his pass-rush prowess will need refinement. For now, think of him as a slightly smaller-than-average nose tackle.
NFL Draft Buzz on Miller: “The run defense grades speak for themselves, and any team looking to shore up their interior against the ground game will find a ready-made solution here. Here’s the deal: Miller’s ceiling depends entirely on whether he can develop as a pass rusher. The traits are there.”
“He has the explosiveness to win early and the hand strength to control blockers. But the lack of a refined pass rush plan means he wins almost exclusively on effort and athleticism right now. That can work as a rotational piece, but becoming an every-down starter requires growth in that area.”
Minnesota released two starting defensive tackles last month, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Miller would arrive on the scene as a long-term replacement after that duo flamed out after just one season in Minneapolis.
TBD added, “The good news is that he showed incremental improvement each season at Georgia, and the right defensive line coach could unlock something special with the raw tools he brings. His fit works best in a scheme that values versatility along the defensive front. He can play the nose in an odd front and eat up space, or he can kick out to three-technique in sub packages and use his quickness to penetrate gaps.”
“Teams running multiple fronts get the most value from his skill set. The shoulder injury warrants attention during medicals, but assuming he checks out physically, Miller profiles as a high-floor interior defender who contributes from day one against the run with legitimate upside to become more if his pass rush develops.”
A CB, Center, and RB Later?
While most fans would be delighted with Thieneman and Miller on Minnesota’s roster, it’s worth noting that the club still needs a cornerback, center, and young tailback.
Byron Murphy Jr. and James Pierre are the only cornerbacks scheduled to be under contract in the 2027 offseason. The Vikings may promote Blake Brandel to the starting center job, but he’s not a career-long center, and Ryan Kelly retired a month ago.
At running back, Aaron Jones will turn 32 in December, and Jordan Mason’s last year under contract is this season.
The draft is 21 days away.
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