New Intel Suggests Vikings Could Pass on Key Positions in Round 1

The NFL Draft is just 10 days away, and a clearer picture is emerging about what the Minnesota Vikings might do with the 18th overall pick in the first round.

It's probably more accurate to say there's more intel suggesting what the Vikings might NOT do in the first round, and if it's accurate, it could mean Minnesota avoids drafting a cornerback or defensive tackle in Round 1. Maybe that's why safeties Dillon Thieneman (Oregon) and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo) are so frequently linked to Minnesota in mock drafts.

The latest buzz comes from Alec Lewis of The Athletic: “The Vikings haven’t used a first- or second-round pick on a cornerback since (Brian) Flores arrived, and I don’t expect them to start now, especially after signing free agent James Pierre.”

Minnesota has a solid top three at cornerback with Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Pierre, but they lack depth behind them with unproven players like Dwight McGlothern, Zemaiah Vaughn, and Kahlef Hailassie. Still, going cornerback in Round 1 when they have other glaring needs isn't a recipe for success for a team that wants to win big in 2026 with Kyler Murray at quarterback.

Defensive tackle is a position of need, but ESPN's Jordan Reid reported last week that "it is possible that no defensive tackles could be selected in Round 1" for the first time since 2021. If true, cross it off the list.

"I haven't found a team that has a true first-round grade on any defensive tackle," Reid said. "With Caleb Banks (Florida) recently having foot surgery, he's likely to be a Day 2 pick. The inconsistencies of Peter Woods (Clemson) throughout the season and during the predraft process have caused most teams I have spoken with to put an early-to-mid second-round mark on him. Kayden McDonald (Ohio State) has mixed reviews because of his lack of pass-rushing ability; many teams wouldn't use a first-round pick on a two-down interior defender."

If we take cornerback and defensive tackle out of Minnesota's picture, it literally eliminates three of the five most-mocked-to-Minnesota players out there: cornerbacks Jermod McCoy (Tennessee) and Avieon Terrell (Clemson), and Woods.

Is it really down to the best safety on the board, whether it's Thieneman, McNeill-Warren, or Ohio State's Caleb Downs, on the off chance that he slides all the way to 18?

In reality, Minnesota probably has big eyes for a handful of players who might be available at 18. What if a wide receiver like Jordan Tyson or Makai Lemon is on the board when the Vikings go on the clock? Or Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq? Are they really going to pass on another weapon for Murray and Kevin O'Connell?

Sure, the Vikings need a safety, and they should probably take Thieneman or McNeill-Warren if Harrison Smith is going to retire and they're convinced that one of them can be a cornerstone player for the next 5-10 years. If not, the best path in the draft might be trading down to acquire more Day 2 picks.

Minnesota has to address D-tackle, cornerback, safety, wide receiver, running back, and offensive line at some point in the draft, and if the best value in 2026 comes in Rounds 2 and 3, as has been widely reported, then getting as many picks as possible is a wise move.

With four top-100 picks (18, 49, 82, and 97), the Vikings have to hit home runs to infuse the roster with talented youth. Would they rather have a stud safety and then hope to hit on a couple of other positions on Day 2, or trade back, acquire an extra second- or third-round pick, and hope to hit on all of their positions of need in the first three rounds?

Who says Minnesota can't get Thieneman or McNeill-Warren in the late-20s while adding an extra Day 2 pick in the process? That's the best-case scenario if the Vikings are truly convinced that one of those two safeties can be a difference-maker for years to come.

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