The Vikings Could Have One Sneaky Draft Swerve in Round 1
Sometimes it’s tempting to look down at an NFL team’s roster, identify a couple of short-term roster holes, and think, “It looks like a Team X needs a player at Position Y.” That’s even the correct line of thought from time to time. But for the Minnesota Vikings in 2026, outside linebacker could be a sneaky roster need, even if it’s not shouted from mountain tops.
Minnesota may have bigger needs elsewhere, but an EDGE pick at No. 18 would not come out of nowhere.
Most fans expect the purple team to draft a defensive back or defensive tackle in Round 1 — it’s a smart theory — but an EDGE defender cannot be ruled out.
Jonathan Greenard’s Future Could Shape the Draft Board
The case for an EDGE in Round 1.
Jonathan Greenard + Andrew Van Ginkel’s Future
The Vikings have one main player in their trade rumor mill right now, and that’s Greenard. He’s lived there for one month. Greenard wants a sizable contract extension, or so goes the working theory, earning $19 million per season at the moment, when his NFC North peers, like Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson, make over $45 million annually. If Minnesota cannot bend to Greenard’s asking price, he may be traded during the draft.
Meanwhile, Van Ginkel has one year left on his contract, and he’ll turn 31 at the start of July. He is not young. Perhaps Minnesota will re-up with Van Ginkel beyond 2026, and his upper-echelon production will continue into his 30s.
But those are two huge maybes: maybe Greenard won’t be traded, and maybe Van Ginkel will be around to produce at a high level after 2026.
The draft, especially in Round 1, should be about preparing for 2028 and 2029. If that’s the case, the Vikings probably need an EDGE defender.
Dallas Turner Is Rising, but …
Meanwhile, Minnesota has Turner marinating, picked in Round 1 two years ago after an expensive trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Turner didn’t play too much as a rookie in 2024, about 30% of the time on defense, but he made a few noteworthy plays, along with showcasing a promising trajectory for the future. That assessment checked out in 2025 when Turner experienced increased playing time due to injuries that affected Greenard and Van Ginkel.
The speedy young EDGE rusher played about two-thirds of defensive snaps last season, tallying 8 sacks for his troubles and hitting his groove late in the season. Turner is also still 23 years old.
If Greenard were traded or Van Ginkel left next offseason, there’s a temptation to think, “Just play Dallas Turner,” and that opinion may be spot-on. However, Turner has yet to prove he can handle the grind as a full-time starter. Fans and some pundits think he’s ready for it; he just has to prove it. Leaving the starting OLB spot up to the mercy of Turner’s development could be risky business.
The Round 1 EDGEs
Suppose the Vikings swerve and pick an outside linebacker with the 18th overall pick. These are the realistic options:
- Akheem Mesidor (Miami)
- Keldric Faulk (Auburn)
- T.J. Parker (Clemson)
- Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)
- Zion Young (Missouri)
Mesidor will be a 25-year-old rookie in 2026, so Faulk might be the safest bet for the EDGE plan.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein on Faulk: “Faulk has a long, developing frame, good movement skills and the potential for odd or even fronts once he gains more muscle mass. He’s a culture player with high character who earns a grade bump based on his age (turns 21 in September), traits and advanced foundation. A fluid athlete with good movement skills, he works around blocks with finesse but needs more assertive initial strikes to set firmer edges in gap control.”
“His toughness and mentality suggest he’ll play through blocks more consistently in an NFL environment. Faulk’s rush is diverse. However, with average upfield burst, he might require a move inside on passing downs, where his long levers, quickness and agility can overmatch guards. Faulk needs polish but offers a high ceiling that should reveal itself within a couple of years.”
The Meaningful Ones after Round 1
If the Vikings are not in the mood to spend their 1st-Rounder on an EDGE, well, they have eight more picks on the menu. Before the end of Round 4 — everything after Round 5 in the draft is a crapshoot that doesn’t typically amount to much — these are the EDGE names to know:
- Malachi Lawrence (UCF)
- R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma)
- Gabe Jacas (Illinois)
- Derrick Moore (Michigan)
- Dani Dennis-Sutton (Penn State)
- Romello Height (Texas Tech)
- Joshua Josephs (Tennessee)
- Keyron Crawford (Auburn)
- L.T. Overton (Alabama)
- Anthony Lucas (USC)
Stylistically, Jacas from Illinois would fit well within Brian Flores’s system.
Minnesota has drafted just one EDGE rusher in Round 1 in the last 20 years, the aforementioned Turner.
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