Andrew Harbaugh and I will be alternating the mock drafts leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft. The picks are mostly the same, as the first few rounds are owned by the Minnesota Vikings, before the later rounds, where they own other teams’ picks. In this one, we invested in the new but took a flier on a player who may not be ready for the start of next season.

Let’s talk about it:

Advertisement

Round One, Pick 18: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

We won’t spend too much time, per usual, on picks we repeat. But the board was not kind to us, as we just missed out on Rueben Bain Jr., Cashius Howell, and David Bailey. But any time you can land a shutdown cornerback like Mansoor Delane, you don’t complain.

Round Two, Pick 49: Connor Lew, C, Auburn

If the medicals check out, this could be one of the steals of the 2026 NFL Draft for the Minnesota Vikings. Connor Lew tore his ACL in October, causing his readiness for the start of next season to be in question. But with questions surrounding Ryan Kelly, taking a flier on a long-term solution at the center position was easy. Lew won’t overpower anyone, but is so fluid with his footwork and nasty hands that land firm, paired with great ability to anchor down in pass protection, make him an easy eval.

Advertisement

Round Three, Pick 82: Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State

Regarded as one of the best EDGE prospects in the class back in August, Dani Dennis-Sutton has seen his stock take quite a hit this season. However, his explosiveness and genuine strength still pop on tape. 17 sacks combined in the last two seasons is a great performance. His ability to drop into coverage really intrigues me, and if he can get even better in zone coverage, he could be a nice building block alongside Dallas Turner.

Round Three, Pick 97: Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia

For my money, one of the three best wide receivers in this class somehow falls to round three, and we will capitalize on it. Zachariah Branch is one of the fastest players in this class and will immediately bring a change of pace to this offense. With the lack of production and brutal drops from Jordan Addison, Branch could easily take over the WR2 spot on the depth chart in year one.

Advertisement

Round Five, Pick 158: Jermaine Matthews Jr., CB, Ohio State

Jermaine Matthews Jr. can play outside corner, nickel corner, and even drop back and be support. This level of versatility would be massive for this defense. His clean footwork, backpedal with even pad level, and in-breaking awareness allow him to be multifaceted, but he tends to be overpowered off the line of scrimmage. Natural feel in zone coverage also needs work, but his IQ makes up for it.

Round Seven, Pick 232: Diego Pounds, OT, Ole Miss

Diego Pounds is a mountain of a man, standing 6-foot-6 and weighing in at roughly 340 pounds. His massive wingspan allows him to land early and keep his rusher at bay. Hand placement needs cleaning up, and his kick stride is inconsistent, but he has raw tools that intrigue me enough to bring him in as a late-round flier.

Advertisement

Round Seven, Pick 233: Izavion Miller, OT, Auburn

Investing in depth along the offensive line was not something I planned on heading into this mock, but I don’t hate the pieces the Minnesota Vikings landed. The idea is to bring in pieces of moldable clay that could turn into quality depth pieces in case of an emergency.

Round Seven, Pick 238: Gracen Halton, DT, Oklahoma

Gracen Halton is the definition of potential. Halton is an athletic freak of nature, jumping around 33″ in the vertical jump, and is both quick and fast. I don’t love that he’s never really seen full-time starter work, as he is severely inconsistent in both run defense and rushing the passer. However, he did log 8.5 sacks over the last two seasons, which is impressive for a defensive tackle.

Advertisement

Round Seven, Pick 239: Shyheim Brown, S, Florida State

An injury caused him to miss the beginning of the season, making his debut in late September. Shyheim Brown is a rangy safety with nice length who has shown the ability to be your center fielder in the secondary. He bites too often on late, double moves, and needs to have a better feel for when to crash in run support. But Brown is a sure tackler, which I will always take.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Could the Vikings steal a top receiver?