Minnesota Vikings will have a significant advantage at the Senior Bowl, and it could pay major dividends in April’s NFL Draft
Two Minnesota Vikings assistants will be coaching in the Senior Bowl, and it could give the Vikings a leg up.
The 2026 NFL Draft is fast approaching, as the All-Star circuit is upon us. The day after the NFC and AFC Championship Games, NFL media will be heading to Mobile, Alabama, to look at the top senior NFL Draft prospects.
The majority of NFL teams will be scouting and interviewing prospects all week, and those relationships will end up seeing many players land with certain organizations. The Minnesota Vikings are no strangers to the Senior Bowl, as they’ve selected multiple players from the event under head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Two Minnesota Vikings assistants to coach Senior Bowl
When the entire football world descends on Mobile, the Vikings will be well represented, including on both teams. Assistant outside linebackers coach Pat Hill will coach the defensive line of the American team, and game management coordinator/passing game specialist Ryan Cordell will coach the quarterbacks of the national team.
Hill joined the Vikings in 2023 when he left the LSU Tigers to join Brian Flores’ staff. He initially joined the Vikings as an assistant defensive line coach before becoming the assistant outside linebackers coach. Hill played a role in the development of Jalen Redmond, who has emerged in a major way for the Vikings.
The American team’s defensive line features some fascinating players.
- LSU Tigers’ Jack Pyburn
- Michigan Wolverines’ Derrick Moore
- Michigan Wolverines’ Rayshaun Benny
- Missouri Tigers’ Zion Young
- Missouri Tigers’ Chris McClellan
- Boston College Golden Eagles’ Quintayvious Hutchins
- Clemson Tigers’ T.J. Parker
- Alabama Crimson Tide’s LT Overton
- Alabama Crimson Tide’s Tim Keenan III
- Miami Hurricanes’ Akheem Mesidor
- Illinois Fighting Illini’s Gabe Jacas
- Arkansas Razorbacks’ Cameron Ball
- Florida Gators’ Caleb Banks
- South Carolina Gamecocks’ Nick Barrett
Cordell joined the Vikings staff going into the 2022 season. His job title means that he’s responsible for situational play. Going into his first season, O’Connell talked about being “situational masters,” and it helped them win 13 games in 2022, including an undefeated 11-0 record in one-score games. They continued that in 2024, when they went 9-1, with the only loss coming to the Detroit Lions 31-29.
He will be coaching three intriguing quarterbacks:
- Baylor Bears’ Sawyer Robinson
- North Dakota State Bison’s Cole Payton
- Vanderbilt Commodores’ Diego Pavia
Keep an eye on these players for the Vikings in the NFL Draft, as they will have close eyes on all of them.
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