Analyzing the Vikings' Pick in Several Prominent New NFL Mock Drafts

Even though free agency has been relatively quiet for the Minnesota Vikings, the events of the last week and change have still perhaps shed some light on the team's top needs in next month's NFL draft.

Cornerback could still be the pick at No. 18 overall, but that feels like less of an urgent immediate need after the addition of former Steelers CB James Pierre. Meanwhile, the departures of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave have put the defensive tackle position in the spotlight. Safety is another obvious one, even though the Vikings are still waiting to hear if Harrison Smith is retiring or not. And after Jalen Nailor's departure, getting Kyler Murray another wide receiver could be a sneaky option on the first night of the draft.

Let's take a look at some new mock drafts from prominent analysts to see who the have the Vikings taking and how we feel about each pick.

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: Oregon S Dillon Thieneman

Kiper: "We still don't know whether 37-year-old Harrison Smith will keep playing (and if so, whether he'll return to Minnesota as a free agent). Joshua Metellus, Jay Ward and Theo Jackson are the top safeties on the Vikings' depth chart. In a division with Caleb Williams, Jordan Love and Jared Goff, this has to be a priority at the draft regardless of whether Smith is back for Year 15. I had Thieneman to the Vikings in my last mock draft. He reminds me a lot of Smith in the way he reads the QB and reacts in a flash. I could see defensive coordinator Brian Flores getting creative with Thieneman, lining him up all over the formation and letting him use his great ball skills to pile up takeaways."

Our thoughts: This is probably the most commonly-mocked player to the Vikings at No. 18 across the internet right now. It almost feels too easy to pencil in Thieneman as the Smith replacement in the back end of Minnesota's defense, given their shared need for sunscreen. At the same time, the fit really does make a lot of sense. Thieneman is a proven versatile playmaker who starred at both Purdue and Oregon, then lit up the NFL combine. He'd be a fun fit in Flores' scheme. The main questions I have are about Thieneman's tackling ability and the overall positional value of going safety with the 18th pick.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: Thieneman

Jeremiah: "I wanted to find a different option for the Vikings after slotting Thieneman here in my last mock draft, but every time I do this exercise, the Oregon safety ends up staring me in the face at Pick No. 18. He's a perfect fit."

Connor Rogers, NBC Sports: Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

This mock has the Vikings trading down from 18 to 24, landing pick 70 from the Browns in the process, and then taking McNeil-Warren.

Rogers: "The Vikings accumulate more capital (acquired pick no. 70 overall) and still land a player that significantly helps their defense. McNeil-Warren creates turnovers, is a physical downhill presence and solves a need for Brian Flores."

Our thoughts: I love this. Vikings fans may be jaded when it comes to trading down, but it can be a great tool to add extra value. If you can move down a bit, add some extra draft capital, and still land a player you would've been comfortable taking at the original spot, that's great business. In this scenario, the Vikings get McNeil-Warren — who has an argument as the second-best safety prospect in this draft, ahead of Thieneman — and also add a fifth top-100 pick that they can use to infuse more young talent into their roster. McNeil-Warren is a stud playmaker who might project as a better run defender than Thieneman.

Nate Tice/Charles McDonald, Yahoo Sports: Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald

Tice/McDonald: "The Vikings have a few flavors of prospects they could go after with their first-round pick. There are a couple of interesting safety options, they could look to find the T.J. Hockenson replacement in Kenyon Sadiq, or they could add some tangible beef to their defensive line. Brian Flores is going to scheme pressures and big plays for his defense, but the Vikings could use someone to eat up blocks to let teammates fly to the football. McDonald isn’t the sexiest prospect, but his ability to hold up against the run is his calling card, while also having light enough feet to be used on the twists and stunts that Flores loves so much. McDonald is basically the defensive version of the line of thinking that led to the Donovan Jackson selection last year at offensive guard: a tangible trench talent who can let the creative coaches be creative.

Our thoughts: No, it wouldn't be the most exciting pick in the world, but the authors make the case pretty compellingly in the blurb above, and I like the comparison to last year's Jackson selection (especially with both players coming from Ohio State). Allen and Hargrave may not have been great fits in the Vikings' system as pass rush-inclined defensive tackles. An argument can be made that what Flores needs next to Jalen Redmond is a big-bodied, block-eating run defender. That's McDonald, who graded as the best run-defending DT in college football last season. My only qualm is I'd like this pick more after a trade down to the mid-20s than I would at 18.

Joel Klatt, FOX Sports: Clemson DT Peter Woods

Klatt: "Woods is a talented player, and I thought he was going to be a top-10 pick entering the 2025 season. Still, when you look at his entire college career, he’s worthy of being selected here. He could really help the Vikings."

Our thoughts: Woods is a fascinating prospect. The film from his first two college seasons had many expecting that he'd be a top-ten, maybe even a top-five pick when finally draft eligible in 2026. And then his junior season was a notable step back from the previous two. He played the most snaps of his carer but had the fewest pressures he's ever had. NFL teams will have to dive deep and try to figure out why that happened. If the Vikings are confident Woods can bounce back, there's still plenty of reason to believe he has star potential in the league with his athleticism and power.