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Credit: Ethan Morrison \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Ethan Morrison \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s Minnesota Vikings season ended with a 9-8 record<\/a>. After knocking off a watered-down Green Bay Packers<\/a> team in Week 18, Matt LaFleur\u2019s group went on to collapse with a 21-3 lead in the Wild Card round against the Chicago Bears.<\/p>\n Only Ben Johnson\u2019s squad still remains in the playoffs among NFC North foes, and that means it\u2019s full on draft focus for everyone else. Minnesota is locked in to the 18th overall pick.<\/p>\n Last season they landed Donovan Jackson<\/a> (guard) in the first round. 2024 saw them pick J.J. McCarthy<\/a> (quarterback) and Dallas Turner (edge) in day one. The roster has plenty of holes, so there is a handful of directions they could go in April.<\/p>\n Mock drafts will continue to be all over the board as the evaluation process plays out. Here are some names to watch for the Minnesota Vikings<\/p>\n Kenyon Sadiq \u2013 Tight End (Oregon)<\/p>\n With cap issues galore this offseason, the Minnesota Vikings will need to make some difficult decisions. Among them is a potential cut of tight end T.J. Hockenson<\/a>. He hasn\u2019t been nearly as good as expected, is expensive, and has been injured.<\/p>\n That would leave just Josh Oliver and Gavin Bartholomew as future talents at tight end. Kevin O\u2019Connell adding Kenyon Sadiq would give the Vikings another offensive wrinkle.<\/p>\n #Oregon<\/a> TE Kenyon Sadiq’s value as a blocker, working the seams, and red zone value are all super valuable to the Oregon offense and are skill sets that should translate at the NFL level. Incredible athlete that consistently showcases the ability to catch the ball among chaos. pic.twitter.com\/DGN6UzQrYX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) December 16, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n Projected as TE1, he could go anywhere from a fringe top-10 pick, to somewhere in the early 20\u2019s. He\u2019s an athletic freak with speed and athleticism galore (don\u2019t worry, he can block too<\/a>). He turned in 560 yards and eight touchdowns<\/a> this season for the Ducks. Sadiq would be a matchup problem for linebackers, and draw eyes off of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in Minnesota\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n Avieon Terrell \u2013 Cornerback (Clemson)<\/p>\n Last offseason the Minnesota Vikings had to take big swings at the cornerback position. They brought back Byron Murphy Jr. and he ranked as just the 71st cornerback<\/a> per Pro Football Focus. Isaiah Rodgers shined in Week 1<\/a>, and finished 17th per Pro Football Focus<\/a>.<\/p>\n Beyond that tandem though, the room is barren. Brian Flores had just three cornerbacks on the Week 1 roster, and Jeff Okudah was every bit the flop and injury concern he always has been.<\/p>\n I know it’s a different level of competition on Saturday than Sunday, but give me a CB who is psychotic about fitting\/containing the run<\/p>\n Everyone has a different definition of what makes a good CB<\/p>\n To me? Tackling & fitting the run is essential<\/p>\n Aveion Terrell, you’re a “My Guy” pic.twitter.com\/IthVamvZqw<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jordan Silveira (@JordanTSilveira) November 7, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n Avieon Terrell had 48 total tackles this season for Clemson. In 12 games he had 4.5 tackles<\/a> for loss and three sacks. He picked off three passes over the course of his college career, and his brother A.J. Terrell<\/a> has shown well for the Atlanta Falcons.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a possibility that LSU\u2019s Mansoor Delane could be available to the Minnesota Vikings. He would be another cornerback option in this range.<\/p>\n Kayden McDonald \u2013 Defensive Tackle (Ohio State)<\/p>\n In free agency the MN Vikings addressed their interior defensive line by adding both Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen. The former was Minnesota\u2019s best interior lineman not named Jalen Redmond. The latter was not good and finished ranked 84th<\/a> by Pro Football Focus.<\/p>\n Hargrave is a cut candidate though, as he carries a cap hit over $21 million<\/a> and has just under $10.5 million in dead cap. There\u2019s only $4 million in cap savings<\/a> to cut Allen, so he\u2019ll likely be back, and the Vikings need more from him.<\/p>\n Kayden McDonald declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. My DT3 with an 86.26 grade \u2014 well within Rd1 territory.<\/p>\n \u2013 3 sacks, 9 TFLs, unanimous All-American Explosive linear power, infallible leverage profile, block stacking & gap control. pic.twitter.com\/9rVQJOCXb9<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) January 9, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Kayden McDonald would bring youth to the Vikings defensive front. The Ohio State product had three sacks and nine tackles for loss from the interior this season. His 65 total tackles<\/a> were impressive and he is considered as one of the best interior defenders in this class.<\/p>\n What Harrison Smith decides to do next season could put a need for safety in play during the first round. Minnesota should always be seeking offensive line help, and they could take a swing on another quarterback if the veteran stopgap option<\/a> isn\u2019t where they want to go.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article: Aveion Terrell<\/a> Kayden McDonald<\/a> Kenyon Sadiq<\/a> NFL Draft<\/a> <\/p>\n More About: Minnesota Vikings<\/a><\/p>\n Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google. \t\t\t![\"NFL](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Syndication-Beaver-County-Times-27953461-scaled-e1768236295418-788x444.jpg\")
Credit: Ethan Morrison \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n
\u2013 Allowed just 1.58 yds per run stop (TruMedia)<\/p>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/google_preferred_source_badge.png\"){kind=icon}
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