We are just eight days away from the NFL Draft, and how the Minnesota Vikings will approach it has been the topic of discussion among the fanbase for months.

The debates have mainly focused on how the Vikings will attack the defensive side of the football. Is cornerback the right approach? Would they take a safety who compares to Harrison Smith? Could there be a defensive tackle worth taking at No. 18?

With there being such a short time until the NFL Draft is set to begin, everybody has their own opinions on what will happen. I asked Vikings fans about their biggest bold predictions.

Vikings will trade down

The Vikings will complete trade out the 1st round or trade down to the 30th pick with Miami due to not a lot of high end talent. The depth of this class is pretty good and they want to get younger.

— Cole Larson (@ColeLar44356297) April 14, 2026

This is a really interesting one. This class isn’t loaded with high-end players, but there are a multitude of starting level players throughout day two. Making a big trade down makes a lot of sense for the Vikings. What would they have to get back to be worth it? I wrote about it earlier in March, and the Rich Hill trade chart provides a historical baseline.

Team	Capital Given Up	Value	Capital Received	Value
Panthers	18	287	19, 159	288
Cowboys	18	287	20, 112	298
Steelers	18	287	21, 121, 224	288
Chargers	18	287	22, 86	302
Eagles	18	287	23, 98, 153	293
Browns	18, 234	289	24, 70	307
Bears	18, 234	289	25, 60	308
Bills	18	287	26, 91, 2027 3rd	293
49ers	18	287	27, 139, 2027 2nd	287
Texans	18	287	28, 59, 106	300
Chiefs	18, 82	337	29, 40	351
Dolphins	18, 234	289	30, 75, 94	300
Patriots	18	287	31, 63, 131	290
Seahawks	18, 165	197	32, 64, 96	303

Vikings take a wide receiver early

Vikings draft a WR in 1st round

— Heath Eischens (@HeathEischens) April 14, 2026

This isn’t as crazy of an idea as you might think. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis noted that the Vikings have done a lot of work on this wide receiver class, with wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell putting in a lot of miles. Round one might be a little bit of a stretch for the Vikings considering their needs and already having Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson in the top two spots, but it’s a very important position to have a lot of talent at.

Who could the Vikings take? The best fit is arguably KC Concepcion from Texas A&M. His profile is excellent, with explosive route running and excellent YAC ability. He would give the Vikings another player to maximize across the formation, and someone who can win after the catch, which is something they need.

Minnesota goes offensive line in round one

Vikings go O line 1 st pick. Kayden Proctor

— Gary Pecinovsky (@GaryPecinovsky) April 14, 2026

This would be a fascinating idea for the Vikings, and one that could have merit. Last year, the biggest issue for Kevin O’Connell’s offense wasn’t the quarterback play, it was the injuries on the offensive line. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill both missed multiple games throughout the 2025 season.

They need to have more depth at offensive tackle, and they added Ryan Van Demark as their swing tackle. Even so, Darrisaw has yet to play an entire season in his five years with the team, and O’Neill has been more often injured.

Does that make taking an offensive tackle in round one worth it? On the surface, no it doesn’t. However, there are levels to the entire discussion. The Vikings may have an extension budgeted for O’Neill, but his contract does expire after the season. Selecting one would give the Vikings insurance for the 2026 season, and a long-term answer for 2027 and beyond.

Is Proctor that player? The former five-star recruit is a mammoth of a man. He is 350-plus pounds with decent movement skills, but has struggled to stay consistent. It would be a massive upside play for the Vikings, and one that could pay off. The Vikings might not even have the chance to select him, as there have been discussions about him going as high as sixth overall.

Vikings trade up for a…tight end?

The Vikings trade UP for Sadiq

— Morris&Mestemaker (@ColdW0rld10) April 14, 2026

Now this is a spicy take I can get behind. Trading up would be expensive for a team that needs to build up their depth on both sides of the ball, but for a player you think could transform the offense, it might be worth it.

Just like I did for trading down, I wrote about the bevy of options to trade up.

Team	Capital Given Up	Value	Capital Received	Value
Chiefs	18, 49	405	9	387
Bengals	18, 82, 97	379	10	369
Dolphins	18, 49	405	11, 94	399
Cowboys	18, 82, 163	351	12	347
Rams	18, 82	341	13	336
Ravens	18, 97	325	14	325
Buccaneers	18, 97	325	15, 155	326
Jets	18, 97	325	16, 140	320
Lions	18, 163	297	17	296

Would giving up a day two pick, which was something the Vikings did way too often under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, be the right play to get a player like Kenyon Sadiq? That will be up to interpretation. However, it would be a major signal that the Vikings believe he can transform Kevin O’Connell’s offense.

Production over traits

The Vikings all draft based on college production and not on ras scores like under kwesi

— Graham Power (@GrahamPower3) April 14, 2026

There was a report from Matt Miller of ESPN that stated the Vikings were looking to pick players on day two who had good production profiles. Here’s the misnomer about production: it doesn’t translate like you think it does.

Some of the most productive players in the history of college football didn’t translate at all to the NFL. There has to be a balance between traits and production to project how well someone translates.

Taking a player who has traits that were also productive is a good idea. However, only going based on production is how you end up selecting busts. Will the Vikings do what Miller reported? Time will tell on that, but it shouldn’t be solely based on production.