There’s an Ideal Draft for the Vikings
This year’s NFL Draft is only three weeks away and the Minnesota Vikings need some reinforcements to arrive after the limited success in previous drafts. The good news is that the franchise finally has the picks to make some noise. Last year, the Vikings had only four picks at this time of the NFL calendar, five fewer than this time.
Which positions will or should get an infusion of youth remains a topic for discussion, but draft analysts all over the country try to find the perfect fits. Eric Edholm of NFL.com thinks the Vikings draft includes two arriving rookies on Brian Flores’ side of the ball.
In his recent exercise of identifying the ideal picks for each team, Edholm sent the club safety, Dillon Thieneman, and the defensive tackle, Christen Miller.
He explained, “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.”
Pretty much every mock draft has Thieneman as Minnesota’s selection to an annoying extent. Still, it’s not the worst idea. The Vikings lack young talent in the secondary and Thieneman could provide it at a once-loaded position.
Cam Bynum left in free agency a year ago and Harrison Smith will either retire this year or 12 months from now, leaving only Joshua Metellus from the former excellent trio. Jay Ward snagged the starting job later in the season from Theo Jackson and it’s unclear whether defensive coordinator Flores would trust either in the starting unit in the upcoming season.
Back to Thieneman. The safety was the cornerstone of the Purdue defense before transferring to Oregon prior to the 2025 campaign. He played deep safety at Purdue and in the box at Oregon. His versatility automatically puts him on Minnesota’s radar. At the scouting combine, he ran a 4.35 40-yard dash, showing his exciting explosiveness.
NFL draft scout Lance Zierlein wrote, “Savvy three-year starter with NFL size, speed and alignment versatility. Thieneman is an extension of his defensive coordinator, aligning and adjusting the secondary to motion and pre-snap shifts. He’s an instinctive, rangy safety who can roll down into big nickel or robber positioning.”
All of that sounds a lot like Smith, who has quarterbacked Minnesota’s secondary for over a decade.
Zierlein continued, “He’s not a big thumper near the line, but he rushes into the action with a relentless pursuit that should allow him to keep stacking high scores in the tackle columns. Thieneman checks important boxes for teams looking to add versatile playmakers in the secondary.”
Thieneman could be a talented piece for Flores’ defense, but it’s fair to wonder whether the positional value is there with the 18th overall pick. Safety isn’t viewed as a premium position and can generally be found later in the draft.
Defensive tackle is also often addressed in mock drafts, which brings us to Georgia’s defensive lineman Christen Miller.
Edholm noted, “Miller has lined up at multiple techniques inside and is the kind of versatile contributor Minnesota could use after multiple defections up front.”
The interior lineman made 23 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2025. Miller is a run-stopping specialist and the Vikings just parted ways with starters Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Other than Jalen Redmond, the Vikings only have late-round picks Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins next to some undrafted players.
Unless several of those depth players are ready to compete, adding another promising prospect along the defensive line makes sense.
NFL Draft Buzz wrote about him, “Put the tape on and you see a defensive tackle who can absolutely wreck a running game. Miller’s ability to hold the point of attack, absorb double teams, and maintain gap integrity translates immediately to the professional level. He plays the game the way old-school defensive coordinators dream about: low pad level, heavy hands, relentless motor. 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.”
They noted that he’s not ready as a pass-rusher, but has the athleticism to develop in that area. The Vikings could use a run-stuffer along the defensive line and Miller can provide that.
There are countless paths the Vikings could go in the draft; Edholm’s idea of adding a couple of defensive players is certainly not the worst.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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