{"id":867850,"date":"2026-04-16T17:54:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T17:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/867850\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T17:54:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T17:54:23","slug":"former-vikings-gm-reveals-how-he-would-handle-this-years-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/867850\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Vikings GM Reveals How He Would Handle This Year\u2019s NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Dillon\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Dillon Thieneman is a top option for the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL Draft. <\/p>\n

Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski will handle the drafting duties for the Minnesota Vikings<\/a> in 2026. It\u2019s hard to know what his plans for next week will be, but another former GM has some ideas on how the Vikings should approach the draft.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jeff Diamond, who like Brzezinski, rose through the ranks of the organization, and eventually became the GM in 1991. He held the position until 1998, when the Tennessee Titans<\/a> hired him to be their President. He offered up his thoughts on what Minnesota should do in his latest post <\/a>for Vikings Territory.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I think center is the Vikings\u2019 biggest need, it appears there won\u2019t be a center rated high enough to take at No. 18 overall in the first round, so a second-round center is the more likely path for the Vikings,\u201d wrote Diamond.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBrian Flores needs an athletic, astute young safety to become an immediate starter\u2026In this case, I think Thieneman makes sense as one of the fastest-rising players over the past few months of the Combine, Pro Day, and team visits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Former GM Jeff Diamond Goes Defense and then Offense in Rounds 1 and 2<\/p>\n

Diamond agrees with the masses<\/a> that Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman makes the most sense for the Vikings at No. 18. He\u2019s a pro-ready player at a position of need, but Diamond does think that Minnesota\u2019s actual biggest need is center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Blake Brandel is currently slated to start at center for the Vikings, but there are still some question marks. To address those, Diamond thinks Minnesota should get aggressive and use their second round pick on a center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a decent chance the Vikings look to grab a defensive tackle in the second round, but center seems to be the bigger need after the retirement of Ryan Kelly,\u201d wrote Diamond.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA solid young center who can be a capable starter in his rookie season would make the Vikings\u2019 offensive line one of the league\u2019s better units.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minnesota hasn\u2019t met with many centers during the draft process, however, and do have a capable veteran already ready to go. It\u2019s certainly possible the Vikings address center higher than expected, though, as Kyler Murray will need all the help he can get up front.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Vikings May Avoid Safety Entirely in the First Round<\/p>\n

With several needs in the draft, the Vikings have pledged to work under a \u2018best player available\u2019 strategy. If Thieneman is still on the board at No. 18, he checks off both boxes of need and talent. But if safety isn\u2019t in play, NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay has another route<\/a> Minnesota could go.\u00a0<\/p>\n

McShay has the Vikings selecting Washington receiver Denzel Boston in his latest mock in a surprising twist from the norm, believing that he fits with Minnesota better than most other options at eighteen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBoston fits that mold perfectly,\u201d he wrote. \u201cHis ball skills\u2014including a 77 percent contested catch rate\u2014stand out, and he brings the size and physicality this offense is missing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether the Vikings follow Diamond\u2019s path, McShay\u2019s, or a new one altogether will be something to watch as the draft opens up next Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Vikings\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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