The 2026 NFL Draft is almost upon us, and I haven’t spent nearly as much time speculating on which players I would like to see our Minnesota Vikings go after as I would like. Hopefully, I can spend a good chunk of the next couple of weeks attempting to remedy that, starting with a look at a few guys I wouldn’t mind seeing the purple grab with their first selection.
I’m going to attempt to limit myself to guys who, based on what I’m seeing from mocks and big boards around the internet, have a realistic chance of being available with the 18th overall pick. I’m also going to take guys who are not named Dillon Thieneman. It’s nothing personal against the Oregon safety, who would probably be a really solid pick for the Vikings, but honestly. . .it seems like every damn mock draft on the internet has the Vikings taking Thieneman at #18, so I’m going to try to look at some different players instead.
These five players are in no particular order, and this is just one man’s opinion. Your mileage, as always, may vary.
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
I understand that tight end might not be the biggest immediate need for the Vikings. . .at least, not at the moment. But the Vikings re-did T.J. Hockenson’s contract so that he becomes a free agent after this season, and he hasn’t come back from his knee injury quite the way that we may have hoped. The Vikings are going to have to start looking towards the future at the position, and Sadiq is the sort of player who could present real matchup problems for opposing defenses in the future. He had a freakish Combine workout, including the fastest 40-yard dash time ever for a tight end, and has shown himself to be a capable blocker as well as a receiving threat. If the Vikings want to add a different dimension to their offense, Sadiq could be a sneaky pick at #18.
Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
Back when we were still doing the Vikings Report show on YouTube, we always used to say that the Vikings’ defense has never really had the big, butt-kicking type in the middle of the defense who could really open things up for everyone else on that side. There are a lot of those types of players in this year’s class, but McDonald is certainly at the top of the list. His pass-rushing upside may be a bit limited, but if the Vikings are looking for someone in the middle of the defense who can help them consistently get to third-and-long situations, McDonald is someone they should definitely consider.
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
It seems like the Vikings are in the market for cornerbacks in the early rounds every year, even though Brian Flores has done some really good work with some corners who are. . .let’s just say “less than premium.” McCoy is one of the more highly-regarded corners in this year’s class, which is pretty incredible when you consider that he missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL that he suffered during offseason training in January of 2025. He hasn’t played a meaningful football game since Tennessee’s loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs in December of 2024, but he did put together a pretty sensational Pro Day workout a week ago. If the Vikings feel that’s enough, he could be an enticing talent to grab at their spot in the first round.
Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn
An edge guy? Well. . .there are still a lot of rumors surrounding the status of Jonathan Greenard, and we’re to the point where any trade for him likely isn’t going to happen until Draft Day or after, so this might end up being a bit of a delayed need for the Vikings that we’re not considering at the moment. Faulk only registered two sacks in his final season with the Tigers, but that shouldn’t scare Vikings fans off too much. They once drafted a freakishly athletic guy from LSU who only had 1.5 sacks in his final college season, and he turned out okay. I’m not saying he’s going to be Danielle Hunter-esque right away, but guys who are 6’6” and 285 pounds with Faulk’s athleticism aren’t just roaming around out there.
Any Wide Receiver
A wide receiver? Really? I know, it sounds absurd. . .and yet, seemingly, not completely out of the realm of possibility. We know that Justin Jefferson is making a ton of money, and Jordan Addison is, seemingly, about to be in line for a huge extension as well (not Jefferson-level huge, but still significant). After that, after Jalen Nailor’s departure, there isn’t a whole lot on the depth chart. We don’t really know how the team feels about last year’s third-round pick, Tai Felton, and after him, the cupboard is pretty much bare. Would the Vikings really add a third first-round pick to their wide receiver room? I mean, they did add Randy Moss to Cris Carter and Jake Reed once upon a time, but that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, right?
Who are some of the possibilities that you’re potentially thinking of for the Vikings at #18 in this year’s NFL Draft, folks? Share some of them in the comments and let us know what you think of the ones that we’ve put in this post!