Mel Kiper Mock Drafts a Familiar Name for Vikings

Dustin Baker |

Jan 22, 2026

A LSU helmet on display in 2020. — Jan 12, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; An LSU Tigers helmet on display before the head coaches press conference for the CFP with LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron and Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney at the Sheraton New Orleans, Grand Ballroom. LSU CB Mansoor Delane. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings need cornerback help for the long term, and Mel Kiper has provided just that in his first mock draft of the 2026 cycle. According to Kiper, LSU’s Mansoor Delane makes the most sense for Minnesota at Pick No. 18.

Corner keeps showing up for Minnesota in early mocks, and Delane’s profile fits a team still searching for a real top cover corner.

The pick is no surprise whatsoever for the purple team, as Kiper’s mock draft season is off and running.

Kiper Sends Delane to Minnesota

About 75% off all mock drafts so far in 2026 feature a cornerback to Minnesota.

Lane Kiffin speaking with Mansoor Delane on the sideline. Mel Kiper Vikings mock draft — Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin exchanges words with LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane near the sideline as play pauses during a heated SEC matchup. The interaction was captured on September 27, 2025 in Oxford at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, freezing a brief in-game moment where coaching presence and defensive awareness intersected mid-drive. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas–Imagn Images

Kiper Says Delane to Vikings

Kiper absolutely adores mock-drafting corners to Minnesota, and 2026 is no different.

At pick No. 18, he wrote about Delane to the Vikings, “Delane would bring top-end ball skills and some really good coverage technique to Minnesota. The Vikings redid their cornerback room in 2025 free agency, but they still have depth problems behind Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. Plus, Minnesota managed just eight interceptions this season (tied for sixth fewest).”

“Well, over the past two campaigns, Delane has six picks and 18 pass breakups. That’s impact production, and coordinator Brian Flores would love to get a player such as Delane into his unit.”

Linebacker CJ Allen went to the Carolina Panthers in Kiper’s mock after the Vikings with the 19th pick, and guard Olaivavega Ioane became a Detroit Lion at No. 17.

Who’s Mansoor Delane?

Delane checks the boxes teams covet. He’s fast enough to survive isolation, big enough to contest through contact, and flexible enough to function across coverage schemes. That matters in Minnesota, where the defensive future is foggy beyond 2025.

The LSU tape shows more than traits. There’s pizzazz to his game, comfort near the boundary, and enough overlap for Delane to play at safety if needed.

The only problem with Delane to Minnesota as a sure thing? Availability. Delane might be gone by the time Minnesota’s on the clock. Many consider him the best CB in the draft.

The 2026 roster needs a young cornerback in the mix for the long haul. Minnesota hasn’t drafted a true difference-maker at the position in years. Trae Waynes in 2015 was the last example, and even that settled into competence rather than outright Pro Bowl stardom. Since then, the list reads the same way every time: Mike Hughes didn’t stick. Jeff Gladney didn’t stick. Andrew Booth didn’t stick. It’s been 11 years since the Vikings drafted a good cornerback with staying power.

Draft analyst Marcus Mosher on Delane’s scouting report: “Delane is a highly versatile cornerback who can excel in both zone and man coverage. He has an incredible football IQ, and his movement skills will allow him to thrive in the NFL.”

“Delane also has experience playing in the slot, which is where he could start his professional career. There is a lot to like about Delane, and his improvement year-over-year suggests that this is an ascending prospect whose best football is still ahead of him.”

And a few weaknesses: “The negatives for Delane are fairly straightforward. He’s not a supreme athlete at cornerback, and that could be an issue moving forward. Athleticism and size matters a ton at cornerback in the NFL, especially against teams that move their top targets all over the field.”

“Can Delane’s stickiness in coverage make up for the subpar traits? That’s going to be the question that every front office asks itself over the next three months.”

The Vikings’ CBs under Contract in 2026

What would a Vikings cornerback room with Delane look like? Before free agency, where Minnesota could add a CB3 or CB4, for example, here’s a peek at the CB pecking order from a January perspective:

Byron Murphy Jr.
Isaiah Rodgers
Dwight McGlothern
Zemaiah Vaughn

While the offseason is just getting started and the CB room will welcome new faces aplenty, that’s a very weak group compared to the other 31 teams in the NFL right now.