The 2026 NFL Draft is months away, but with college football in full swing, it may be time to start looking ahead. On top of that, the Vikings‘ season kicked off yesterday, which means we are launching our weekly Mock Draft Monday series here on Vikings Wire.

The team’s positional needs heading into the season include cornerbacks, safety, linebacker, defensive line, and running back. The Vikings should easily find playmakers at those positions in this draft class. On defense, especially, this could prove to be a very special class with the amount of playmakers on that side of the ball.

In this mock draft, we won’t be starting with any trades. Rather, we will sit wherever the PFF mock draft simulator has us. After seeing how the team performed in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it has become clear that the run defense needs some work.

However, there are still some needs for the team to address. Here is how things shaped up following Week 4 of the regular season.

Round 1, Pick 17: Monsoor Delane, CB, LSU

The Vikings secondary has some playmakers in Bryon Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers, but they need some youthful infusions. Monsoor Delane has played exceptionally well all year for the Tigers’ defense and has himself in contention of being the top cornerback drafted come April.

TRADE: Vikings send the 49th and 81st overall picks in the 2026 NFL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft to the Buffalo Bills for the 29th overall pickRound 1, Pick 29: C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can be aggressive in trading up in round one, so we took a chance at doing that. The team has shown that they struggle to stop the run when Blake Cashman is out, so they need some depth, as well as a tag partner, for him. Allen is a rangy, physical linebacker who would thrive in the Vikings system.

Round 3, Pick 98: C.J. Fite, DL, Arizona State

The defensive line has some strong showings from the likes of Jalen Redmond and veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Fite is someone who has a similar style to them and allows them to have a deeper rotation of playmakers on the defensive line to keep everyone fresh in the process.

Round 4, Pick 117: Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston

Sadly, T.J. Hockenson hasn’t gotten back to his usual self since tearing his ACL in 2023. Tanner Koziol would be a developmental piece behind him to give the offense a playmaker while also allowing Hockenson to be used in more areas that suit his playstyle at this point.

Round 5, Pick 156: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

Jacob Rodriguez is a junkyard dog in every sense of the word. He flies around the field finding ball carriers and can even flash some blitzing potential as well. He would be a depth piece for a group that has dealt with injuries and needs the backups in place for when disaster strikes.

Round 5, Pick 167: Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia

Zachariah Branch is one of the more dynamic playmakers in college football. He could give the Vikings a jolt in the return game, as well as being someone Kevin O’Connell could scheme with on offense. That versatility makes him a valuable asset for this team, which has shown itself to be so close to a Super Bowl in 2025.

Round 5, Pick 174: Bud Clark, S, TCU

Bud Clark is a physical, rangy safety for the TCU defense who has shown he can make plays in 2025. He is a bit undersized, but he punches above his weight and could be someone to develop in the Vikings’ secondary. Their track record of that in recent years shows they can do that, so I like Clark’s chances if he lands here.

Round 6, Pick 188: Bryce Foster, iOL, Kansas

Foster is being drafted here as a depth piece on the interior of the offensive line. He could fill in at center or guard and the Vikings need that versatility given how volatile the offensive line has proven to be.

Round 6, Pick 195: Bear Alexander, DL, Oregon

Bear Alexander is a solid run defender who doesn’t offer much pass-rush ability. The team needs to have more options when opponents get into the redzone and Alexander is someone they could install and trust to fill running lanes towards the goal line while working on other skills.

TRADE: Vikings send the 206th and 230th overall picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft