Getty
Minnesota Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
The Minnesota Vikings currently hold the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft as it stands. They didn’t do their draft position any favors last Sunday when they beat the Washington Commanders.
That victory virtually guaranteed them to pick no earlier than 9th overall. The 8th overall selection is currently in the hands of the 3-10 New Orleans Saints.
This means the Vikings would have to lose a handful more games on top of a team like the Saints winning a handful for them to get a pick that early.
This is fine, though, because the Vikings victory on Sunday felt needed. There has now been optimism pumped back into the fanbase regarding J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings should they can carry some momentum at the end of 2025 towards a stronger 2026.
Vikings Linked to Exciting Young Prospect
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell
This 2026 could be pivotal for the Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah era Vikings, and they’ll have to show that they know it. They can’t afford to miss on this draft, especially with a likely early-mid round first round selection at their disposal.
They have been heavily linked to Heisman Finalist Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, but a recent PFF Mock Draft by Trevor Sikkema changed things up.
Sikkema let Love fall all the way to 15th overall to the Dallas Cowboys, meaning the Vikings went somewhere else. In fact, Sikkema had Minnesota pick a position on the other side of the ball. This selection at 11th overall was Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
Sikkema explained the thought process behind the selection:
“Downs is one of the best players in this draft class and will likely be a consensus top-five prospect on big boards. But how high do you draft a safety? Kyle Hamilton went No. 14 overall, and Antoine Winfield Jr. was a second-round pick — and both are among the best in the league.
Minnesota could easily covet a player like Downs, especially given how versatile he would be on the back end of a Brian Flores defense.”
PFF’s Trevor Sikkema on the possibilites of Caleb Downs in a Brian Flores scheme in Minnesota
Caleb Downs Provides Exciting Possibilities in Minnesota
GettyCaleb Downs could be a first-round draft target for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The thought of Caleb Downs in purple, especially being coached by Brian Flores, is a very intriguing thought. It makes sense too, because Minnesota seemingly will be in a prime position to take the best player available on the board at their selection.
That best player there will likely either be Caleb Downs or Jeremiyah Love, arguable both top-5 prospects in the class. They just so happen to play two positions that aren’t valued very highly in the draft, lowering their stock just a bit to around the 10th overall pick.
Minnesota needs help at safety, as well. It may sound like a broken record, but this is likely Harrison Smith’s final season in the NFL, and likely 2026 starter at free safety, Theo Jackson, will need a running mate. That is, if the Vikings want Josh Metellus to return to being mostly a Swiss-army knife.
It should be an exciting off-season in the Twin Cities, and it would be amplified if the Vikings landed a top prospect like Downs at the 11th overall selection.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
More Heavy on Vikings
Loading more stories