The 2026 NFL Draft is months away, but the start of college football season is upon us. With that comes prospects getting their eyes on them, and for fans, it means they get to start learning who their team may draft.
The Vikings are coming off a draft with limited picks, but they’re now heading into 2026 reloaded. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has shown he can build a roster through free agency, but the draft remains a work in progress. He has improved significantly since his first class in 2022, but 2026 is expected to be a pivotal year.
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The latest mock draft we get to see before the start of the college season comes from draft analyst Todd McShay. He has the Vikings picking at 18 overall, not by his choice but by Super Bowl odds, and he has them going with defense. The team gets Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, who is one of the best players in this class, but is coming off a torn ACL from a workout in January.
Mcshay writes, “McCoy is the most gifted cornerback prospect in the 2026 class—if he returns to full health. His return to practice this week for the first time since tearing his ACL in January is highly encouraging. The Vikings have a bit of a patchwork group at cornerback and will likely be in the market for a young difference maker next offseason.”
If the Vikings could add McCoy to play opposite Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers, this secondary quickly goes from a questionable piece to a major asset. It speaks to how close so many groups on this roster are, and what the power of one pick can do to get this team over the top.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings land CB coming off torn ACL in latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft