Dustin Baker’s 2026 Vikings Mock Draft 1.0
Many more will follow — ’tis the season — but a first mock draft is on the menu, as the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason has arrived after a 9-8 finish in 2026. The Vikings will pick 18th in April’s draft, so long as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn’t trade the pick.
Version 1.0 starts with corners and trench help, then shifts to a young RB.
Minnesota will have eight or nine picks when the NFL sets the final draft order, up from five in 2025 when the club had so few because of the trade that landed outside linebacker Dallas Turner in 2024.
Round-By-Round Picks in Vikings Mock Draft 1.0
Mock draft season is here.
Round 1 (Pick 18)
Mansoor Delane, CB (LSU)
The Vikings have two dependable cornerbacks on the roster for 2026: Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. They somehow got away with wickedly skinny cornerback depth in 2025; that probably won’t happen again in 2026.
It’s time for Minnesota to draft a cornerback worth a damn. Minnesota has attempted to pick rookie corners multiple times in the last decade and almost wholly has struck out:
- Mackensie Alexander
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Andrew Booth
- Kris Boyd
- Cameron Dantzler
- Akayleb Evans
- Jeff Gladney
- Harrison Hand
- Mike Hughes
- Khyree Jackson
Jackson obviously never had a chance, killed in a car accident before his life really got started.
Round 2 (Pick 49)
Anthony Hill Jr., ILB (Texas)
Minnesota will probably re-sign Eric Wilson in 2026, and if Brian Flores doesn’t return, the world will get a verdict on his staying power. Is he suddenly a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker, or is he a Flores merchant? Nobody knows.
In addition to Wilson on the depth chart, the Vikings have Blake Cashman, who is phenomenal, and Ivan Pace Jr., who might leave this offseason.
It’s time for an impact inside linebacker, and Hill is that.
NFL Draft Buzz on Hill Jr.: “Hill is a day one starter who should land in the top dozen picks. His speed at 235 pounds gives him a truly elite athletic profile that defensive coaches will weaponize from multiple alignments. While he could stand to add a bit more mass to his frame, his vicious tackling technique and natural leverage help him play bigger than his size.”
“Any defense looking to inject immediate playmaking ability and swagger into their linebacker corps should sprint to the podium if Hill is available. He’s a culture-changer who plays with the kind of edge and killer instinct that elevates an entire defensive unit. Don’t overthink this one – Hill has future Pro Bowler written all over him.”
Round 3 (Pick 82)
Connor Lew, C (Auburn)
Ryan Kelly will probably retire — he should retire — after sustaining three concussions in 2025 alone. Kelly played wonderfully when healthy, but for his sake, it’s time to move on and protect ya neck.
Minnesota has Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens in the roster orbit to play center, but no fan would feel great about either under center in Week 1.
Insert Lew, described by Bleacher Report in this way: “A quick, accurate and independent striker in pass protection allows him to latch and control reps early in the down,” with “solid athletic ability and movement skills allow him to timely negotiate combo blocks and intersect backers on climbs.”
Round 3 (Pick 97)
Nick Singleton, RB (Penn State)
At long last, the Vikings need a young running back. They just do. No more washed versions of Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattisons, or hobbled Aaron Joneses. Adofo-Mensah must get with the times and draft a rookie running back, a selection that might force Kevin O’Connell to run the football.
Singleton fits the Vikings. He’s 6’0″ and 225 pounds with 4.39 speed. The man can catch the ball out of the backfield. And from Round 3 or 4, he’s gettable.
End the rookie running back drought at all costs.
Bleacher Report‘s Damian Parson on Singleton: “Big playmaker with the football. Singleton has great burst/acceleration to reach top speed and outrun pursuit angles to the perimeter. He puts pressure on second-level defenders to close or fill running lanes quickly before he explodes through into the open field.”
Round 5 (Pick 161)
Jamari Johnson, TE (Oregon)
T.J. Hockenson may move on this offseason as a salary cap casualty, and if so, the tight end room will look bleak. Johnson could give Minnesota its chance at an Oronde Gadsden-style breakout.
Round 6 (Pick 196)
Bray Hubbard, S (Alabama)
Safeties are “easy” to find in the draft sans spending 1st- or 2nd-Round capital. The Vikings will hope that Hubbard is their example from Round 6.
Round 7 (Pick 234)
Boubacar Traoré, EDGE (Notre Dame)
Every draft for every team should have at least one pass rusher, so Minnesota gets Traoré here from Notre Dame. Seventh-rounders rarely pan out, but let’s give this guy a chance alongside Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner.
Round 7 (Pick 244)
Niki Prongos, OT (Stanford)
Rounding out the draft with one final late-round lottery ticket, Minnesota grabs a lineman in Prongos from Stanford to increase roster depth after Christian Darrisaw’s rocky ACL recovery in 2024 and 2025.
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