Latest Vikings NFL Draft News and Rumors on Tuesday, April 21

It is finally draft week! After months of buildup, research, interviews and workouts, teams are now just days away from making potentially franchise-altering picks.

Speculation has been plentiful over the past couple weeks about what the Vikings could do at No. 18 overall. Will Minnesota stay put? Trade up? Trade down? If they do stay put, who will they pick? The Vikings have been heavily linked to Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman over the past couple of months, but is that changing as the countdown clock to the opening of Round 1 draws closer?

Below is a live roundup of all the Vikings news and steam throughout the past two days...

2:00 p.m. — Mel Kiper releases positional rankings

ESPN's draft guru Mel Kiper dropped his full draft and positional rankings ahead of Thursday's draft. Here is a list of where he ranks players connected with the Vikings at No. 18.

Jeremiyah Love, No.1 RB (No. 2 overall)
Jordyn Tyson, No. 1 WR (No. 7 overall)
Carnell Tate, No. 2 WR (No. 8 overall)
Makai Lemon, No. 3 WR (No. 11 overall)
Mansoor Delane, No.1 CB (No. 14 overall)
Kenyon Sadiq, No. 1 TE (No. 15 overall)
Dillon Thieneman, No. 2 S (No. 18 overall)
Denzel Boston, No. 4 WR (No. 21 overall)
Jermod McCoy, No. 2 CB (No. 29 overall)
Peter Woods, No. 1 DT (No. 32 overall)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, No. 3 S (No. 33 overall)
Omar Cooper, No. 5 WR (No. 35 overall)
Kayden McDonald, No. 2 DT (No. 37 overall
Colton Hood, No. 4 CB (No. 44 overall)
Avieon Terrell, No. 5 CB (No. 46 overall)
Caleb Banks, No. 5 DT (No. 62 overall)

Vikings linked to two Oregon stars

SI's Albert Breer reported Monday morning that he's heard two names connected with the Vikings as we begin draft week, both of them from Oregon: Thieneman and tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

The link to Thieneman is unsurprising, considering it's reached near-comical levels of mock drafts with the Vikings taking the Oregon safety. However, Sadiq's name is an interesting note this late in the process.

Sadiq is an uber-athletic tight end that wowed at the Combine and has separated himself at the top of the tight end class. According to NFL.com, Sadiq's 'Athleticism Score' is an eye-popping 99 (out of 100). He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the Combine and recorded a 43.5-inch vertical jump. Sadiq lined up often as a slot receiver in Oregon's offense and could be an ideal pick for a Vikings team looking for more receiver depth.

J.J. McCarthy trade value low heading into the draft?

After signing Kyler Murray this offseason and bringing back Carson Wentz, one of the biggest questions about the future of the Vikings has been what the team's plans are for former No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy. The former Michigan QB struggled in 2025 as the Vikings' starter. That led the front office to announce their intention of bringing in a veteran to compete at quarterback in 2026.

In landing Murray, the Vikings got a former No. 1 overall pick who is entering his prime. If he plays well, McCarthy will be out of his starting spot on the team that drafted him in 2024.

Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson recently speculated that a McCarthy trade could still be possible this weekend because his value, while fairly low, will probably only get lower from here.

"If the Vikings are eventually going to deal him, this is the window – either during this draft or afterward – with a team that is looking for a young developmental backup," wrote Robinson.

While the team has been adament in public that they still want to develop McCarthy, if a team calls about the young quarterback, it certainly has to be thought about and considered if the return is suitable.

Pace officially signs his restricted free agent contract

Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. has officially signed his RFA tender as the Vikings open offseason activities on Monday. As an undrafted free agent signing in 2023, Pace drew plenty of attention as he won a starting job out of camp. He impressed in his rookie campaign by tallying 102 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

NFC North updates:

🏈Vikings restricted free agent LB Ivan Pace signed his tender today, per his agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln.

🏈Packers exclusive rights free agent WR Bo Melton also signed his tender today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 20, 2026

However, Pace's playing time has dropped over the last two seasons, from a high of 706 total defensive snaps in 2023 to 414 during a 2024 season in which he battled injuries. His defensive snaps fell off in 2025 to just 323 as his struggles, combined with the emergence of Eric Wilson, saw his usage in Brian Flores' system evaporate. He remains a useful depth piece moving forward.

Vikings release another defensive tackle

Jaylon Hutchings' time with the Vikings has ended before it even got a chance to get going. The former CFL all-star defensive tackle was reportedly cut on Tuesday. Hutchings followed a similar path to Minnesota and the NFL as current Vikings defensive tackle Jaylon Redmond.

#Vikings released defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings today, per a league source. Former @CFL all-star @calstampeders @TexasTechFB
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 21, 2026

According to KSTP's Darren Wolfson, Hutchings' release is due to an injury. Wolfson says the team will re-evaluate Hutchings in a few weeks and see where the teams stands at the position then.

Hutchings' release means the Vikings now even less depth at DT, which was a position that already was thin on talent. The Vikings are likely to add a defensive tackle or two during the draft. They will need to, or target the veteran free agent market after the draft, in order to give Brian Flores an adequete enough front linee.

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