The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in Pittsburgh next April, a city where the Vikings have had success in the past, but hope to carve out new memories by hitting some homeruns along the Allegheny River with their draft picks. Before next April, though, there will be plenty of speculation and buildup for the team and who they may add to the roster through the draft.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah recently released the latest 2026 NFL mock draft of the cycle. Within it, the Vikings were attached to Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeill-Warren. The MAC safety has long been hyped by draft folks on social media, but seeing him this high should be worth taking note of.
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Jeremiah explains the pick, writing, “I’m higher on McNeil-Warren than some other people around the league, but I love his combination of size and explosive playmaking ability. He could help replace Harrison Smith if the soon-to-be 37-year-old does indeed retire.”
As Daniel Jeremiah points out, the Vikings need to replace Harrison Smith at some point. McNeill-Warren could do that for them and lessen the blow of his departure while working well with Josh Metellus next to him. Not to be forgotten, better to draft someone while Brian Flores is around than not.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings get unique pick in Daniel Jeremiah’s 2026 NFL Mock Draft