The Minnesota Vikings are in a really interesting spot when it comes to the NFL Draft. So far during free agency, they have added just two players in cornerback James Pierre and quarterback Kyler Murray.

With less than $10 million in salary cap space, they aren’t going to be big players throughout the rest of free agency, which means the NFL Draft is going to be the spot where they add talent again. Through 11 weeks of the 2026 year, there have been two players that mock drafts have focused on: Clemson Tigers CB Avieon Terrell and Oregon Ducks S Dillon Thieneman.

Two biggest mock drafters send the Vikings Dillon Thieneman

Over the past two weeks, Thieneman has been the most popular option for the Vikings in mock drafts with 37 selections. He is now second in selections overall with 44 in 271 mock drafts. Terrell is at first with 70 selections, but only six in the last two weeks. The momentum has clearly shifted toward Thieneman, and both Mel Kiper Jr. and Daniel Jeremiah are on board.

Mel Kiper Jr. still believes Thieneman is the right choice for Minnesota

“We still don’t know whether 37-year-old Harrison Smith will keep playing (and if so, whether he’ll return to Minnesota as a free agent). Joshua Metellus, Jay Ward and Theo Jackson are the top safeties on the Vikings’ depth chart. In a division with Caleb Williams, Jordan Love and Jared Goff, this has to be a priority at the draft regardless of whether Smith is back for Year 15.

I had Thieneman to the Vikings in my last mock draft. He reminds me a lot of Smith in the way he reads the QB and reacts in a flash. I could see defensive coordinator Brian Flores getting creative with Thieneman, lining him up all over the formation and letting him use his great ball skills to pile up takeaways.”

Daniel Jeremiah is in the same boat

“I wanted to find a different option for the Vikings after slotting Thieneman here in my last mock draft, but every time I do this exercise, the Oregon safety ends up staring me in the face at Pick No. 18. He’s a perfect fit.”

Why Dillon Thieneman does and doesn’t make sense

Let’s not beat around the bush. Everyone linking Thieneman to Vikings legend Smith is obvious. Now, is he worthy of the 18th overall pick? That is up to interpretation.

He did test like an athletic freak at the combine by jumping out of the gym and running a 4.35 40-yard dash, something impressive for a player at the safety position. Where the struggles lie is that speed didn’t often translate for me on tape. It was especially evident in coverage where Thieneman struggled to recover when he got beat.

That’s not the popular opinion across NFL Draft media, which makes this decision to select Thieneman very interesting across the board. What will the Vikings opinion of Thieneman be? Will they even want to prioritize safety early on, which is a position that needs a high level of football IQ, which is necessary for a Brian Flores defense?

April’s NFL Draft will be an interesting one, and how the Vikings handle it will be fascinating.