{"id":864531,"date":"2026-04-12T05:03:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T05:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/864531\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T05:03:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T05:03:33","slug":"the-vikings-complete-draft-shopping-list-for-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/864531\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vikings\u2019 Complete Draft Shopping List for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Minnesota Vikings aren\u2019t far from the NFL Draft<\/a> \u2014 12 days \u2014 where they have nine picks on the menu and a new general manager, interim boss Rob Brzezinski, running the show. So, it\u2019s time to look at the Vikings\u2019 shopping list.<\/p>\n

Minnesota\u2019s 2026 draft menu is wide, with multiple roster spots in play.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what the club needs roster-wise and who\u2019s available.<\/p>\n

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Six Positions Stand Out on Minnesota\u2019s Pre-Draft To-Do List<\/p>\n

Familiarize yourself with the men most likely to turn purple<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Connor<\/p>\n

Auburn Tigers offensive lineman Connor Lew (75) lines up and prepares the snap on Sep 27, 2025, at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, during a matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies. Lew anchored the offensive front, helping Auburn manage pressure in a challenging road environment against a physical SEC defense. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Center<\/p>\n

Minnesota lost 2025 starter Ryan Kelly<\/a> to retirement last month after the poor guy sustained three concussions in one season alone.<\/p>\n

Now they need a new center, assuming Blake Brandel<\/a> isn\u2019t the long-term solution. Rounds 2 through 4 are likely the sweet spot.<\/p>\n

The Options:
Jake Slaughter (Florida)
Logan Jones (Iowa)
Connor Lew (Auburn)
Sam Hecht (Kansas State)<\/p>\n

Cornerback<\/p>\n

The Vikings didn\u2019t particularly \u201ccare\u201d about cornerback depth last year, and they got away with it, as Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers stayed upright and healthy for all 17 games. That may not happen again.<\/p>\n

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Needing a credible youth fix at CB, Brzezinski probably needs a corner before the end of Round 4<\/a> to avoid a lottery ticket from Round 5, 6, or 7.<\/p>\n

The Options:
Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
Avieon Terrell (Clemson)
Colton Hood (Tennessee)
Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)
Chris Johnson (San Diego State)
D\u2019Angelo Ponds (Indiana)
Keith Abney II (Arizona State)
Keionte Scott (Miami)
Treyden Stukes (Arizona)
Davison Igbinosun (Ohio State)
Julian Neal (Arkansas)
Malik Muhammad (Texas)
Chandler Rivers (Duke)
Devin Moore (Florida)
Will Lee III (Texas A&M)
Daylen Everette (Georgia)
Tacario Davis (Washington)
Ephesians Prysock (Washington)
Hezekiah Masses (California)<\/p>\n

Defensive Tackle<\/p>\n

Minnesota said goodbye to starting defensive tackles in March: Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave<\/a>. That\u2019s a smoking-gun sign that they plan to draft a rookie.<\/p>\n

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The Vikings haven\u2019t used 1st-Round draft capital on a DT in 13 years<\/a>. For this section, they likely need one before the end of Round 3 for that man to trend as a promising starter.<\/p>\n

The Options:
Peter Woods (Clemson)
Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
Caleb Banks (Florida)
Christen Miller (Georgia)
Lee Hunter (Texas Tech)
Domonique Orange (Iowa State)
Gracen Halton (Oklahoma)
Darrell Jackson Jr. (Florida State)<\/p>\n

Running Back<\/p>\n

Speaking of draft droughts, Minnesota hasn\u2019t drafted a productive running back early since 2019, when Alexander Mattison was selected. Before that, Dalvin Cook worked out pretty damn well.<\/p>\n

\"Jadarian<\/p>\n

Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price (24) carries the ball on Nov 8, 2025, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, during the second half against the Navy Midshipmen. Price showed burst and vision as he pushed through defenders, contributing to the Fighting Irish ground attack in a key late-season contest. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

This go-round, the Vikings need a running back who can perhaps watch and learn in 2026 behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason but be ready for the RB1 job in 2027. That leaves about a half-dozen options.<\/p>\n

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The Options:
Jadarian Price (Notre Dame)
Mike Washington Jr. (Arkansas)
Jonah Coleman (Washington)
Emmett Johnson (Nebraska)
Nick Singleton (Penn State)
Kaytron Allen (Penn State)
Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest)<\/p>\n

Safety<\/p>\n

The safety spot is different than many positions. Startable safeties can be easier to find. That is \u2014 if the Vikings draft one in Round 4, well, that guy could be the starter before too long. It\u2019s a long way of saying safety isn\u2019t considered a premium position.<\/p>\n

For example, in free agency, a team can sign a good safety for $8 million. The same caliber EDGE rusher might cost $20 million.<\/p>\n

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Before the end of Round 4, these are Minnesota\u2019s rookie safety avenues.<\/p>\n

The Options:
Dillon Thieneman (Oregon)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo)
A.J. Haulcy (LSU)
Kamari Ramsey (USC)
Bud Clark (TCU)
Zakee Wheatley (Penn State)
Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina)
Genesis Smith (Arizona)
VJ Payne (Kansas State)<\/p>\n

Wide Receiver<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no more Jalen Nailor on the Vikings\u2019 depth chart; he\u2019s a Las Vegas Raider, who might even hold the WR1 job on Klint Kubiak\u2019s team.<\/p>\n

Without Nailor, Minnesota will be forced to turn to Tai Felton, a 2025 rookie, who played about as much on offense as a house cat takes baths in the tub. It\u2019s unclear if the Vikings trust Felton as the WR3 in 2026. If they do, this section of the article may be moot.<\/p>\n

\"Ted<\/p>\n

Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst (16) secures a touchdown catch on Nov 1, 2024, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut, during the second quarter against the UConn Huskies. Hurst\u2019s play highlighted his scoring ability, finishing the drive with a clean reception in the end zone during the Panthers\u2019 road matchup. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Still, O\u2019Connell and Co. are doing their homework on WRs, meeting with several that possess Round 2 and 3 draft stock. A new receiver is probably on the way.<\/p>\n

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The Options:
Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State)
Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana)
Kevin Concepcion (Texas A&M)
Denzel Boston (Washington)
Chris Bell (Louisville)
Chris Brazzell (Tennessee)
Germie Bernard (Alabama)
Zachariah Branch (Georgia)
Malachi Fields (Notre Dame)
Antonio Williams (Clemson)
Ted Hurst (Georgia State)
Elijah Sarratt (Indiana)
Skyler Bell (UConn)
Bryce Lance (North Dakota State)
Deion Burks (Oklahoma)
Ja\u2019Kobi Lane (USC)
Brenen Thompson (Mississippi State)
De\u2019Zhaun Stribling (Mississippi)
Jeff Caldwell (Cincinnati)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that Minnesota hasn\u2019t drafted a wide receiver in Round 2 since Sidney Rice<\/a> in 2007. Maybe it\u2019s time to take the plunge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Minnesota Vikings aren\u2019t far from the NFL Draft \u2014 12 days \u2014 where they have nine picks…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":864532,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2073],"tags":[6912,6619,6959,7210,3971,95586,12782,29019,227,34195,45432,8001,48922,2184,32201,44549,49569,28343,37457,380,6504,7,26718,932,9714,27001,3973,1824,33925,9085,3974,34747,16855,53909,27002,9737,216,109560,233,259,2529,4712,6,617,1401,453,1446,236,948,103805,8316,942,102193,3620,1221,526,51,7212,234,855,7485],"class_list":{"0":"post-864531","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-minnesota-vikings","8":"tag-aaron-jones","9":"tag-alexander-mattison","10":"tag-antonio-williams","11":"tag-auburn-tigers","12":"tag-blake-brandel","13":"tag-bud-clark","14":"tag-byron-murphy-jr","15":"tag-chris-johnson","16":"tag-cincinnati","17":"tag-college-station","18":"tag-connor-lew","19":"tag-dalvin-cook","20":"tag-darrell-jackson-jr","21":"tag-davison-igbinosun","22":"tag-daylen-everette","23":"tag-deion-burks","24":"tag-domonique-orange","25":"tag-emmett-johnson","26":"tag-ephesians-prysock","27":"tag-florida","28":"tag-florida-state","29":"tag-football","30":"tag-germie-bernard","31":"tag-indiana","32":"tag-isaiah-rodgers","33":"tag-jadarian-price","34":"tag-jalen-nailor","35":"tag-javon-hargrave","36":"tag-jonah-coleman","37":"tag-jonathan-allen","38":"tag-jordan-mason","39":"tag-kamari-ramsey","40":"tag-kaytron-allen","41":"tag-logan-jones","42":"tag-malachi-fields","43":"tag-mandatory-credit","44":"tag-miami","45":"tag-mike-washington-jr","46":"tag-minnesota","47":"tag-minnesota-vikings","48":"tag-minnesotavikings","49":"tag-navy-midshipmen","50":"tag-nfl","51":"tag-nick-singleton","52":"tag-notre-dame","53":"tag-offensive-lineman","54":"tag-ohio-state","55":"tag-panthers","56":"tag-penn-state","57":"tag-rob-brzezinski","58":"tag-ryan-kelly","59":"tag-san-diego-state","60":"tag-sidney-rice","61":"tag-tacario-davis","62":"tag-tai-felton","63":"tag-tennessee","64":"tag-texas","65":"tag-texas-am-aggies","66":"tag-vikings","67":"tag-washington","68":"tag-will-lee-iii"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=864531"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/864531\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/864532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=864531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=864531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=864531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}