The Vikings Evidently Have a Dream Draft Scenario
In 20 days, longtime Vikings executive Rob Brzezinski will select the newest group of Minnesota Vikings players in the draft. As always, the draft remains a mystery, although analysts all over the country seemingly want to make it official with mock draft darling Dillon Thieneman joining the club.
There are other scenarios that don’t include the safety and Alex Ballentine from Bleacher Report has a different idea for Minnesota’s first-round pick in a perfect world.
He wrote, “Injury concerns push Jermod McCoy to the Vikings at No. 18. Even getting their choice of McNeil-Warren or Thieneman would be great. They need to stock up on secondary talent to take on Caleb Williams, Jared Goff and Jordan Love.”
Minnesota’s second could certainly use an infusion of youth, as the youngest member of that group who’s expected to play a significant role is Jay Ward, who’s set to turn 26 in the summer. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has made it work with veterans and patchwork one-year solutions. The Vikings featured an outstanding pass defense in 2025.
At some point, however, developing some in-house talent certainly makes sense and McCoy or the safety duo could fit his unit.
McCoy is in the conversation to be the first corner taken this year despite missing the entire season due to a torn ACL suffered in January 2025. He then skipped the combine workouts, which raised some alarms.
This week, however, he posted a 4.38 40-yard dash with test scores in the jumping department that confirm his athleticism. In 13 games at Tennessee, McCoy registered 44 tackles and four interceptions.
ESPN’s Matt Miller noted on Friday, “The feedback I received from teams was that McCoy is back in the running for CB1. There were some questions even from the morning of the workout about what drills he would participate in. But he did everything, including positional drills.
“Teams love McCoy’s size (6-foot, 193 pounds) and his over 1-inch advantage in terms of arm length over Delane — 31¼ inches compared to 30 inches. And while Delane’s elite final season might keep him in the top spot, both players feel like top-12 locks.”
Mansoor Delane (LSU) is the other cornerback in the mix for CB1. He also sent strong signals at his pro day and he played in the final season of his collegiate career. In most mock drafts, both are drafted before the Vikings are on the clock at 18.
It should be noted that cornerbacks tend to fall on draft day unless they are elite prospects like Sauce Gardner or Derek Stingley in 2022 and Devon Witherspoon in 2023. The top true corner (Travis Hunter went second overall) last year was Jahdae Barron at 20. In 2024, Quinyon Mitchell was selected 22nd.
That recent history lesson, paired with McCoy’s injury, could put him in range for the Vikings. At cornerback, the club employs Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers from last year and James Pierre was signed in free agency. Only Murphy is under contract beyond the 2026 campaign.
More secondary help could arrive in the form of a safety, as Ballentine alluded to. McNeil-Warren and Thieneman could both add talent to a room that is set to lose Harrison Smith either this year or in 2027. They have the versatility to be used in the box and deep, which is crucial in a Flores defense.
Thieneman turned heads at the scouting combine and his draft stock exploded that day with a 4.35 40-yard dash. He was the backbone of Oregon*s defense last year after starting his career at Purdue.
McNeil-Warren is the next player from Toledo’s DB school after Mitchell has established himself as one of the league’s top cornerbacks. He ran a 4.52, which is still good for a safety and he brings a bigger frame into the NFL.
The Vikings didn’t add a safety in free agency. Josh Metellus could step into an even bigger leadership role depending on Smith’s future, while rotational guys Theo Jackson and Jay Ward could also earn a promotion.
McCoy, Thieneman, and McNeil-Warren would be investments for the future but would likely still play meaningful roles in their rookie seasons.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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