Minnesota Vikings NFL Mock Draft Tracker: One defender is a commanding favorite, while Jeremiyah Love makes his debut
The Minnesota Vikings have a crucial offseason coming up, and the NFL Draft has a leader at cornerback.
The Minnesota Vikings are entering a crucial offseason.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell are getting close to being on the hot seat, and they need to nail the offseason. A second season where they didn’t make the playoffs in their first four with the franchise is brutal, especially with the lack of success with starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
This April is going to prove pivotal for the Vikings to get the NFL Draft right, and they have nine projected picks to work with. One player has taken the lead in being sent to the Vikings in my fifth-annual mock draft tracker.
Minnesota Vikings NFL mock draft tracker 2.0
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson: 9
- The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer
- Pro Football Network’s Jacob Infante
- USA Today’s Ayrton Ostly
- Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick
- SB Nation’s Mark Schofield
- Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy
- Sports Illustrated’s Nick Merriam
- A to Z Sports’ Ryan Roberts
- New York Post’s Steve Serby
“The younger brother of Falcons star A.J. Terrell would help the Vikings shore up coverage nicely all over the field to increase support for Byron Murphy Jr.”-Iyer
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee: 3
“Kwesi Adofo-Mensah showed in free agency last year that he’s willing to buy low on players with injury risks for the potential value they present. That describes no one in this draft class better than McCoy. His sophomore tape was top-10 worthy, but he didn’t play all fall with an ACL tear suffered last January.”-Renner
C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia: 1
“A lot of Vikings fans would rather see Minnesota take a quarterback over any defensive player with their first-round pick. But it would be a bold reversal if the club admitted this much doubt this early in JJ McCarthy’s career, even if Alabama’s Ty Simpson is a fun fit in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Maintaining the defense is another concern, with current defensive coordinator Brian Flores a popular head coaching candidate and free agency looming for linebackers Eric Wilson and Ivan Pace and Blake Cashman’s deal up a year later. Allen is a modern-day three-down linebacker, as good in coverage as he is stuffing the run.”-Rang
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame: 4
- Dolphins Wire’s Adam Stites
- Bleacher Report’s Scouting Staff
- USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
- DNVR’s Fran Duffy
“Love is by far the best running back in the 2026 class,” Damian Parson said. “He offers explosive homerun/breakaway speed to generate big plays with the football. Love is patient, with good vision for finding vulnerable running lanes. Add his pass-catching ability into the equation and a potential star NFL running back emerges. Love can split out of the backfield and run routes creating mismatches for his QB to exploit. He is a high-ceiling, high-floor prospect.”-Bleacher Report
Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina: 1
“We’ll see if Brian Flores gets a head coaching job this offseason. Either way, Cisse’s physical style of play fits the Vikings’ ethos.”-Gray
Caleb Banks, DT, Florida: 1
“The Vikings brought in both Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to shore up their defensive line, and the results were mixed. Plus, Hargrave (33 years old next season) and Allen (31) are also on the wrong side of 30. Banks surprised everyone by returning to Gainesville for his senior season. The Louisville transfer features the size (6-6, 325), length and explosive traits NFL defensive coordinators covet and QBs usually lose sleep over. He tends to rely on athleticism over technique, so coaching will be required to unlock his full potential in the pros. Banks missed nine games with a foot injury that required surgery in September, but was able to return and play against Tennessee and Florida State. That’s impressive considering the Gators’ season was over long ago.”-Brown
A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon: 2
“The Vikings could add to any part of their defense and I would understand. After signing veterans Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to add some juice to their defensive line for 2025 (both are under contract for 2026, but also now north of 30 years old), the Vikings add a player in Washington who can be a literal and figurative building block for them. Washington has emerged as another defensive tackle in this class who can hold the point of attack in the run game and bring some dynamic ability to get into the opponent’s backfield. Pairing him with Jalen Redmond could create a fun interior duo that can be the tip of the spear for the Vikings’ defense for years to come.”-Tice & McDonald
Note: These selections were made before Washington chose to return to the Oregon Ducks for the 2024 season.
Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU: 4
- ESPN’s Jordan Reid
- The Casual NFL Draft Analyst’s Dante Collinelli
- Dazn’s Jason Abbey
- The Draft Network’s Justin Melo
“Minnesota lacks young, high-upside players in the secondary, which drafting Delane would solve. He is technically sound with a savvy skill set, which would fit nicely into Brian Flores’ diverse scheme. Delane has the speed to turn and run with targets in man coverage, but his eyes in zone coverage are among the best of any corner in this year’s class. His 27.8% completion percentage allowed was the third-lowest rate in the FBS, and he had 11 pass breakups and two interceptions this season.”-Reid
Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State: 1
“The Vikings add some muscle to their defensive line, grabbing a powerhouse in McDonald. The Buckeyes stalwart has a rotund build and plays with immense strength and physicality. He has quick feet and excellent agility for his size, and he uses his hands to rip and swipe away at blocks as he collapses the pocket or finds his way into it. “-Kelly
Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee: 1
“The Vikings could use an infusion of talent at cornerback, particularly one with Hood’s aggressiveness at the catch point. He has recorded 16 forced incompletions over the past two seasons and thrives in off-coverage looks, a staple of Brian Flores’ defensive scheme. If retained, Hood has the tools to become an impact contributor in a secondary that values anticipation and ball disruption.”-Sikkema
Overview
When you take a look at the data this early, it’s fun to look at. It also doesn’t mean it will translate by April. Donovan Jackson was selected just once in the second week of the mock draft tracker last year and finished 15th with just nine selections. His second selection came in Week 7 of the tracker, two weeks after the Senior Bowl.
Through the first 11 days of the tracker, there have been 32 mock drafts, which is six fewer than last year. One player has already taken a big jump ahead of the rest.
| Player | Selection |
| CB Avieon Terrell | 13 |
| CB Mansoor Delane | 5 |
| RB Jeremiyah Love | 4 |
| CB Jermod McCoy | 3 |
| DT A’Mauri Washington | 2 |
| LB C.J. Allen | 1 |
| CB Brandon Cisse | 1 |
| DT Caleb Banks | 1 |
| DT Kayden McDonald | 1 |
| CB Colton Hood | 1 |
| Total | 32 |
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