Minnesota Vikings Day 3 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Kevin O’Connell looks to add offensive players after defensive overload
Brian Flores got four additions to his defense to start the NFL Draft, and now it’s Kevin O’Connell’s turn.
The first two days of the NFL Draft are in the books, and the Minnesota Vikings have five players heading to TCO Performance Center.
- 18. Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
- 51. Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
- 82. Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State
- 97. Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
- 98. Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami (FL)
That’s four players for Brian Flores’ defense and just one for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. What will the Vikings end up doing on day three? Let’s look at a potential option with the A to Z Sports mock draft simulator.
159. Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama
This is turning into a heavy meat and potatoes kind of draft, and getting a center could make a lot of sense. One position that many earmarked for the Vikings is center, and they went off the board quickly.
Brailsford is an undersized player without elite athleticism, but he’s a solid technician who has really good processing speed. He can climb to the second level well and does a good job from an intelligence standpoint. It’s not the ideal player, but he’s worth the chance here.
163. Justin Joly, TE, NC State
Tight end had a crazy run on day two with eight players after Kenyon Sadiq went in round one. It was a position the Vikings looked to target early on with Sadiq, but it didn’t happen. After the run, it’s now about finding a player that makes sense.
Joly was a productive player for the Wolfpack, but the biggest issue is his athleticism. We don’t have NFL Scouting Combine testing on him, which makes the evaluation more confusing. He has a strong frame with a plus catch radius up the seam. Joly needs more work when it comes to blocking, but there is plenty to like and worhty of development.
234. Mason Reiger, EDGE, Wisconsin
The Jonathan Greenard trade created an opening on the depth chart and Reiger is a fascinating player to add to the room. He’s got really good explosion skills with a 40″ vertical jump. He was relatively productive in his final two collegiate seasons, with 10 sacks. Reiger is more of a DPR at this point, but you take that in round seven.
235. J. Michael Sturdivant, WR, Florida
Are the Vikings taking a law firm in the seventh round or a wide receiver? Sturdivant hasn’t been the most productive player, but he’s versatile across the line of scrimmage. A former sprinter, Sturdivant will be able to provide some intrigue as a wide receiver while being a core special teamer.