Peter Schrager Has the Vikings Doing Something Different in New Mock Draft
Sick of Minnesota Vikings-themed mock drafts that say Dillon Thieneman every single time? So is ESPN’s Peter Schrager. He posted his first mock draft of the 2026 cycle this week, and instead of towing the industry line of selecting Thieneman, Schrager rolled with a different safety, Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
The latest projection moved Minnesota away from the usual first-round names.
McNeil-Warren is basically the Thieneman alternative for those who think the Vikings will draft a safety in Round 1 or ought to.
McNeil-Warren Shows Up in the Vikings’ Round 1 Mix
Cancel those Thieneman mock-draft takes … for a day.
Schrager: EMW to MIN
Sandwiched between guard Olaivavega Ioane from Penn State to the Detroit Lions and Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling to the Dallas Cowboys, Schrager connected McNeil-Warren to Minnesota in his mock draft.
He wrote, “McNeil-Warren is a tall, rangy safety who plays with high energy and is vocal in the defensive backfield. We’re still not sure if Harrison Smith will be back at 37 years old, but McNeil-Warren can be the torchbearer once Smith does choose to call it a career. He had five picks over the past three seasons.”
Thieneman, the worldwide Vikings mock-draft darling, landed with the Miami Dolphins at pick No. 30.
McNeill-Warren’s Scouting Report
McNeil-Warren’s playmaking ability is immediately apparent, especially his knack for generating turnovers — a skill that would obviously benefit Minnesota’s defense.
He also boasts ideal physical attributes. At 6’2″ and 202 pounds, with a 4.52 40-yard dash, he possesses the size and speed teams seek in a safety. While safeties are not typically valued as highly as cornerbacks in the draft, McNeil-Warren’s length and explosiveness are reminiscent of traits commonly found in early-round defensive backs.
Bleacher Report‘s Daniel Harms on McNeil-Warren: “A willing and effective run supporting safety who can set the tone with big hits; McNeil-Warren plays with sound tackling technique and attacks the football with regularity; Zone eyes show up in identifying route concepts underneath and matching that with quarterback eyes.”
“Can man-up on tight ends and athletically stay with them in routes. Throwing off the timing and not backing down to bigger receivers gives him versatility; He is always around the football and uses his instincts to sniff out underneath plays.”
On EMW’s weaknesses: “Learn to better use his length to take on blocks in the run game. Extending and peaking to locate the football will give him more impact; Recovery top-end speed is limited, and his backpedal can be choppy, contributing to recovery time; Impact as a true single high defender will be determined on continued growth of instincts.
Trade Back and Get Him?
One key aspect of the McNeil-Warren pick — not mentioned by Schrager — is that the Vikings might be able to trade down on draft and still get him. He ranks No. 26 on the Consensus Big Board on April 8th, and if that placement holds, Minnesota, in theory, could trade down about eight spots and bring him to the Twin Cities while stockpiling another draft pick in the Top 100.
The Vikings could swing a trade, move down eight spots, and probably add an early-to-mid 3rd-Rounder or a late-3rd-Rounder and a 4th-Rounder. First-round draft capital is incredibly valuable, and even moving down a handful of spots can accumulate quickly.
Then, equipped with an 3rd-Rounder, for example, the Vikings could draft a center of the future or perhaps a young running back like Jonah Coleman from Washington for the 2026 roster behind Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones.
The Other Safety Options
If one pretends that Minnesota has no interest in McNeil-Warren, this draft is not a one-trick pony at safety. The Vikings could investigate these safeties before the end of Round 4, if Caleb Downs flies off the board in the Top 12 as expected:
- Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)
- A.J. Haulcy (LSU)
- Kamari Ramsey (USC)
- Genesis Smith (Arizona)
- Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina)
- Bud Clark (TCU)
- Zakee Wheatley (Penn State)
- VJ Payne (Kansas State)
Kilgore has gained steam in Vikings fans’ circles in recent days, with NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein describing his skill set: “Kilgore is a big, long defensive back with nickelback or down safety value depending on scheme fit. He’s played an overhang “Star” role, covering slot receivers and supporting the run, but he’ll be at his best in the pros covering tight ends and containing run games near the box.”
“He could see split-field safety snaps if a staff trusts him on the back end, but he will be better off paired with a rangy single-high safety. Kilgore has the traits, ball production and versatility to counter the burgeoning tight end craze, making him a likely Day 2 pick with early starting potential.”
The Vikings tried to draft a long-term safety in 2022 with the Lewis Cine pick in Round 1, but that failed — and here we are accordingly.
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