Adding Immediate Contributors With a Vikings Three-Round Mock Draft

The Super Bowl is behind us, which means the NFL is officially on to the 2026 season. And while there are still all kinds of decisions to be made on veteran players in March, a lot of the attention now ramps up on April's NFL draft. The scouting combine is less than two weeks away. It's a fun time of year for those who love the draft.

The Vikings have four picks in the top 100 this year, which is critical as they look to infuse some much-needed young talent into their roster and address immediate needs. If they make all four of those picks, they'll match their total number of top-100 selections in the last three years combined. The franchise hasn't made a pick in the 25-100 range since 2022, which is hard to believe.

We've put together a three-round mock draft that, in some ways, looks to emulate what made the Super Bowl champion Seahawks so successful. We're leaning into defense and addressing the running game on offense in order to make life as easy as possible for J.J. McCarthy or whoever Minnesota's quarterback ends up being in 2026.

Round 1, Pick 18: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

Each of the last two Lombardi Trophy winners, the Seahawks and Eagles, have been able to generate pressure by rushing four, in part due to the presence of dynamic defensive tackles (Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II for Seattle, Jalen Carter and Milton Williams for Philadelphia). With this pick, the Vikings could look to emulate that strength. Jalen Redmond is a stud, but at least one of Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen will likely be a cap casualty this offseason, which will create a need for another interior pressure-creator.

Banks, if he makes it to 18, would be a very fun addition to Brian Flores' defense. He's a wrecking ball at 6'6" and 335 pounds, which was on full display at this year's Senior Bowl. Banks hardly played last season due to an injury, but he had 4.5 sacks, 29 pressures, and a couple forced fumbles in 2024. If his injury history and some inconsistency on tape give teams pause in the top half of the first round, the Vikings could stand to benefit. Banks, who turns 23 next month, has a rare combination of size, power, and burst. He just needs a bit of fine tuning with technique and pad level.

Round 2, Pick 49: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

Defensive back is going to be high on the Vikings' list of needs in April. They could use a young corner to build around after missing on Andrew Booth Jr. and Mekhi Blackmon (and Khyree Jackson, for tragic reasons) under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. They'll also be in the market for a safety if Harrison Smith chooses to retire, as expected. At 49, corners like Colton Hood and Brandon Cisse will probably be off the board, as well as safeties like Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Dillon Thieneman. If any of those four were to fall to this spot, they'd be under strong consideration.

In this scenario, I chose Johnson over Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds, who is talented but notably undersized. Johnson was flat-out incredible in his senior season for the Aztecs. He had nine passes defended, four interceptions (including two pick-sixes) and three tackles for loss. He earned the best PFF grade of any draft-eligible corner in the country, just ahead of projected first-rounder Mansoor Delane from LSU. Per PFF, Johnson was targeted 43 times and allowed only 18 completions (and no touchdowns). He's a technician in coverage who is plenty willing to step up in run support.

Round 3, Pick 82: Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska

As the Vikings look to get their run game going, they could look to add a dynamic young player in their backfield. 31-year-old Aaron Jones has been good over the past two seasons, but he's aging and not particularly explosive. Johnson, who happens to be a former Minnesota Mr. Football at Holy Angels, could be an ideal Jones replacement in a committee with Jordan Mason. He's coming off a season in which he racked up 1,451 rushing yards (on 5.8 YPC), 370 receiving yards, and 15 total touchdowns.

Although Johnson doesn't have elite long speed, he has a lot of tools to like as a runner with his vision, burst, contact balance, and agility. He's also a strong receiver who caught 85 passes over the past two seasons for Nebraska. Pass protection is a bit of a question mark, but he has enough size to develop into an effective player in that area. In this scenario, Notre Dame's Jadarian Price was off the board and I went with Johnson over backs like Jonah Coleman (Washington) and Seth McGowan (Kentucky).

Round 3, Pick 97: Logan Jones, C, Iowa

Another area of need for the Vikings is at center, where they'll almost certainly move on from Ryan Kelly after he suffered three concussions last season. If they don't sign a starting center in free agency, Jones will be one of several intriguing middle-round options in the draft. He won the Rimington Trophy last season as the best center in college football, earned a 90.7 PFF pass blocking grade, and wasn't penalized once. Jones spent six years at Iowa and will turn 25 as an NFL rookie, but that might just help him step into an immediate starting role at the next level.

An offensive line with Jones in the middle of Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Will Fries, and Brian O'Neill would have a chance to be an elite unit, pending some better health in 2026.

Round 1, Pick 18: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

Round 2, Pick 49: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

Round 3, Pick 82: Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska

Round 3, Pick 97: Logan Jones, C, Iowa

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