Vikings need to steer clear of risky players among plentiful options in first round of 2026 NFL Draft

The Vikings can go in just about any direction in the NFL Draft, but these would be risky moves.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Dillon Thieneman meets with the media at the 2026 NFL Combine.
Clark Wade/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings are in an interesting spot when it comes to the NFL Draft.

Through 11 weeks of our mock draft tracker, there have been 271 mock drafts collected with 24 unique players. The top two have accounted for 114 for those selections, with Clemson Tigers cornerback Avieon Terrell having 70 and Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman having 44. What’s interesting about both players is that Terrell has been a constant presence, while Thieneman has had all of his selections over the past four weeks.

Everyone is going to have their own preferences on who the Vikings should make their priority, and players they don’t want to take. These are the five players that I don’t want the Vikings to select at 18th overall.

5. Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

This is a really difficult one for me, as Banks has been a very popular choice for me at 18th overall throughout the process. Unfortunately, that has changed over the last couple of weeks. Banks pulled himself from the NFL Scouting Combine after running the 40-yard dash with what was described as “cleat discomfort.” Ultimately, news broke the following week that he had broken his fourth metatarsal the day before and had surgery to repair it.

Where things get complicated for Banks isn’t the one foot injury; it’s the fact that he suffered two other foot injuries during the season. Having that is brutal for his potential draft stock, because now there is a pattern. At 6-6 and 327 pounds, that’s a big problem and something nearly impossible to project. Will it manifest again in the NFL? That’s not a risk I’m willing to take at No. 18 unless there is more information that I don’t have at this time.

4. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Scouting Report

I have Tyson as a first-round grade. I think he’s a really good player. In a vacuum, I would take him in the first round for multiple teams. I don’t care for his fit with the Vikings. One of the main reasons why is that he tries to play the same way as Justin Jefferson, but doesn’t possess the requisite twitch to maximize his abilities. I would much prefer to take a traditional X-receiver in Denzel Boston or a Z-receiver in KC Concepcion than Tyson.

3. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

Scouting Report

This is strictly an injury concern with McCoy. He is certainly very talented at the position and is the top cornerback for multiple NFL Draft analysts. However, he tore his ACL in December of 2024 and still hasn’t worked out for anyone. He didn’t run at the NFL Scouting Combine, and that’s a problem overall. If he doesn’t work out at his pro day, that is a massive red flag, and something that could drop him significantly, as he’s already 15 months removed from the injury.

2. Vega Ioane, OG, Penn State

This one is solely due to what the Vikings have on the offensive line. Ioane is a mauler of a player and he projects to be a very good pro. However, the Vikings just spent a first-round pick on a guard last season in Donovan Jackson, and Will Fries is signed to a big contract on the other side of the center, a position Ioane likely can’t play. Taking him would feel like a waste of a selection on a team that needs immediate contributors.

1. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

I’m on somewhat of an island here, as I have a third-round grade on Thieneman. He’s a good player who will end up being a good player for a defense, but that doesn’t scream first-round talent. Thieneman has been a very popular player to be sent to the Vikings in recent weeks as well.

For me, his testing didn’t turn up on tape, and he struggled to play as a deep safety. Where he thrived was in the box. The Vikings already have a really good player in the box in Josh Metellus, and having someone who is both versatile and excels as a free safety should be what the Vikings look for. I wish I had seen his athleticism pop on film, but it just didn’t for me.

Related Articles