Vikings Final Mock Draft Tracker: Experts continue strong consensus for Minnesota at 18th overall with one emerging darkhorse

The final NFL mock draft roundup of the 2026 cycle is here, and 107 new mock drafts showcase what experts think the Minnesota Vikings will do.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) reacts after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium.
Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) reacts after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. James Lang-Imagn Images

The NFL Draft is here, and the Minnesota Vikings are going to be a fun team to watch in the first round.

The consensus has been on Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman for quite some time, but a new player has emerged as a realistic candidate at 18th overall.

Historically, this has been a decent predictor for the Vikings’ selection.

YearPlayerSelectionsPercentRanking
2023WR Jordan Addison529.54%2nd
2024QB J.J. McCarthy27332.57%1st
2024EDGE Dallas Turner445.25%7th
2025OG Donovan Jackson91.37%15th

Where are the experts sitting for the Vikings? Here’s our final mock draft roundup of the cycle.

Minnesota Vikings NFL mock draft tracker 15.0

Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

69 selections

“Harrison Smith is nearing the conclusion of his Hall of Fame career and the Minnesota Vikings need to find his replacement. Dillon Thieneman is the perfect answer. He confirmed his elite athleticism at the NFL Combine by running a 4.35-second forty-yard dash and leaping out of the building with a 41-inch vertical jump. That explosion didn’t just show up in Indianapolis either. He shows every bit of that closing speed and burst on the field. Thieneman grabbed eight interceptions in just three seasons of college action. Even more impressive, he became a true enforcer in the run game, tallying over 300 career tackles. This might feel early for a safety in most draft classes, but Thieneman is worth it.” – May

Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

4 selections

“If healthy, McCoy is an elite cover corner with the tools to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber defender on the island. As a featured playmaker in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ aggressive scheme, the ball-hawking cover corner will force quarterbacks into more tight-window throws.” – Brooks

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

5 selections

“As I mentioned earlier, the Vikings would probably roll with McNeil-Warren here and get a couple of later-round picks in the process. He’s actually excellent at punching the ball out, forcing nine fumbles in his college career.” – Klatt

Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

5 selections

“The Vikings whiffed on Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, and while Peter Woods had a down 2025 season at Clemson, his 2024 tape is top-10 worthy. I’d imagine Brian Flores will have no trouble getting the most out of him.” – Wilson

Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

2 selections

“Trade details: Minnesota sends picks No. 18 and 82 for pick No. 14. 

Caleb Downs has a case to be one of the top overall players in this class. The only reason he falls to No. 14 in this mock is because of positional value — NFL teams just haven’t valued safeties as much as other defensive positions in recent years. But the Vikings need to replace a franchise legend in Harrison Smith, who is set to depart the team this offseason after spending 14 years as a key piece in the Minnesota defense. I can’t think of a better successor than Downs, who is regarded as one of the best safety prospects in recent memory.” – Davis

Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

1 selection

“The Vikings desperately need some long-term building blocks at cornerback. Johnson feels like a great fit for Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.” – Crabbs

Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

2 selections

“Minnesota adds a talented prospect to Brian Flores’ secondary. Hood is one of the most consistent players in the draft class.” – Jeremiah

Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

9 selections

“The biggest needs for the Vikings are at defensive tackle (where there aren’t great prospects in round one) and the secondary (where the draft is loaded on day two). Sadiq would give them a better third option at wide receiver than Tai Felton while being developed to take over for T.J. Hockenson in 2027.” – Forness

Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

1 selection

“Terrell has an NFL bloodline with his brother A.J. Terrell Jr., who’s a starting cornerback with the Atlanta Falcons. Like his older sibling, he has smooth footwork and locates the ball in coverage.

At 5’10”, 186 pounds, Terrell is a slender cover defender, but he’s not afraid to play downhill. He recorded four sacks and nine tackles for loss over his last two years at Clemson.” – Moton

Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State

5 selections

“The Vikings could use a big-time talent on the interior of their defensive line, and they get that here with McDonald. He is one of the underrated gems of this draft class, being a bit overshadowed by his teammates who were (mock) drafted prior to this pick. He has a lot of playmaking ability for a nose tackle prospect, notching an absurd 65 tackles (31 solo) with nine of them going for a loss. He also had three sacks and two forced fumbles. That level of production is a bit of an anomaly — he’d be the active run plugger this defense quietly needs in a big way.” – Tice & McDonald

Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn

3 selections

“Minnesota will be upset to see Sadiq come off the board one pick before them, as The Athletic beat reporter Alec Lewis picked Sadiq in his final mock draft and has him atop the realistic options on his Vikings-specific big board (behind Caleb Downs). But Wide Left has also heard that edge rusher Jonathan Greenard will likely be traded on draft weekend, with the Philadelphia Eagles mentioned most often as the team making offers. If that’s the case, Minnesota pivoting to an edge rusher to pair with Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel, who both are smaller edges that can drop into coverage, makes a lot of sense. Faulk is a bigger player who could easily reduce inside on passing downs to accommodate all three players.” – Katson

C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia

1 selection

Overview

We have finally made it, and the final four days have given us a whopping 107 mock drafts. We’ve seen a lot of different trends throughout the cycle, with the biggest one being Thieneman since Daniel Jeremiah sent him to the Vikings on February 24th. This week, we have a new emerging candidate in Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq with nine of his 13 selections. Here is final results from our 17 week project.

PlayerSelections
S Dillon Thieneman238
CB Avieon Terrell75
S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren61
CB Jermod McCoy34
DT Kayden McDonald28
DT Peter Woods26
DT Caleb Banks16
CB Mansoor Delane14
RB Jeremiyah Love13
CB Colton Hood13
TE Kenyon Sadiq13
S Caleb Downs7
CB Brandon Cisse6
WR Denzel Boston6
EDGE Keldric Faulk6
LB C.J. Allen5
OG Olaivavega Ioane3
WR Jordyn Tyson3
CB Chris Johnson3
DT A’Mauri Washington2
WR Makai Lemon2
OL Spencer Fano2
OT Kadyn Proctor2
EDGE Akheem Mesidor2
WR Carnell Tate1
QB Ty Simpson1
EDGE T.J. Parker1
WR Omar Cooper Jr.1
Total584

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