{"id":867908,"date":"2026-04-16T20:13:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T20:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/867908\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T20:13:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T20:13:02","slug":"7-vikings-draft-things-to-know-with-7-days-to-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/867908\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Vikings Draft Things to Know with 7 Days to Go"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"JordanUSC wide receiver Jordan Addison stands on stage after being selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, Apr. 27, 2023, at Union Station in Kansas City, celebrating the moment as he joins Minnesota\u2019s offense as a first-round selection. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

It\u2019s almost here. In seven days, the Minnesota Vikings will begin to reveal their 2026 draft class<\/a>, hoping to pick more productive players than in the last four drafts, which have been disappointing, on the whole. And to get you ready for the event, we have seven things to know.<\/p>\n

Minnesota enters draft week with nine picks, several roster needs, and a few clues about what could happen early.<\/p>\n

For starters, the Vikings have nine picks this time, four more than last year on the menu at this time.<\/p>\n

The Biggest Draft Clues Are Already Starting to Surface<\/p>\n

Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski<\/a> takes his first swing at a draft as the boss.<\/p>\n

\"EdMinnesota Vikings guard Ed Ingram (67) sets his stance along the interior offensive line as the team faces the Los Angeles Rams, with Jan 13, 2025 marking the NFC Wild Card showdown at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Ingram handled protection duties during the high-pressure playoff environment. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

1. A 2nd-Rounder for the First Time in 4 Years<\/p>\n

Do you remember Ed Ingram? The guard drafted by former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah<\/a>, who didn\u2019t pan out with the Vikings but is apparently a stud in Houston with the Texans? Yeah \u2014 that guy. He was the last man drafted by Minnesota in Round 2 of the draft.<\/p>\n

That was four years ago.<\/p>\n

Since the Ingram pick, the Vikings have traded every 2nd-Rounder. For now, such deals are over. Minnesota will pick a rookie in Round 2 for the first time since 2022, barring another trade. The options are limitless. The Vikings could reasonably draft a cornerback, defensive tackle, safety, running back, wide receiver, linebacker, or center in Round 2.<\/p>\n

Friday night will be fun again for Vikings fans. <\/p>\n

2. Vikings Haven\u2019t Drafted a Good CB in a Decade<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been a Vikings fan long enough to remember Trae Waynes<\/a> and Mackensie Alexander, know that was the last time Minnesota connected on a rookie cornerback of any kind.<\/p>\n

Since 2017, the team has swung and missed on these CBs for various (and sad, with Jackson and Gladney both passing away) reasons:<\/p>\n

Mekhi Blackmon<\/p>\n

Andrew Booth<\/p>\n

Kris Boyd<\/p>\n

Cameron Dantzler<\/p>\n

Akayleb Evans<\/p>\n

Jeff Gladney<\/p>\n

Mike Hughes<\/p>\n

Khyree Jackson<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear if Minnesota will draft a cornerback in Round 1, such as Jermod McCoy<\/a> (Tennessee) or Avieon Terrell (Clemson), but it\u2019s a safe bet that the Brzezinski will pick one sometime between Thursday and Saturday. By the numbers, that guy is due to be good. It defies the odds that the Vikings could be that bad at this.<\/p>\n

3. You\u2019ll Probably See a New RB and WR<\/p>\n

Minnesota has plenty of playmakers on the existing roster, but they\u2019ve done pre-draft homework \u2014 as in, visits \u2014 with Jonah Coleman (RB, Washington), Emmett Johnson (Nebraska), Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest), Ted Hurst (Georgia State), Antonio Williams (Clemson), and De\u2019Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss), to name a few.<\/p>\n

The Vikings have no young running backs in the pipeline, and the prospective WR3 is Tai Felton. Expect Brzezinski to leave the draft with a new halfback and wideout.<\/p>\n

4. Kenyon Sadiq Would Make Vikings History<\/p>\n

No Vikings general manager has ever drafted a tight end in Round 1. Sixty-five years, zero 1st-Round tight end. <\/p>\n

This go-round, Oregon\u2019s Kenyon Sadiq<\/a> gives the Vikings a chance to end the streak. If he slips past the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota will get an opportunity to select Sadiq and get off the schneid for Round 1 tight ends.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, T.J. Hockenson is scheduled to test free agency in 2027. Picking Sadiq makes sense. <\/p>\n

5. There\u2019s a DT Drought Ongoing<\/p>\n

Rick Spielman and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah haven\u2019t drafted a defensive tackle in Round 1, 2, or 3 of the draft since 2014, when Spielman made Sharrif Floyd his 1st-Round selection.<\/p>\n

\"PeterClemson Tigers defensive tackle Peter Woods (11) reacts after bringing down Duke quarterback Darian Mensah (10), with Nov. 1, 2025 marking the ACC matchup at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. Woods energized the defense with a key sack during the competitive conference clash. Mandatory Credit: Alex Martin-Greenville News \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Next week, Brzezinski will ponder Clemson\u2019s Peter Woods or perhaps a trade down the board, leading to the eventual selection of Ohio State\u2019s Kayden McDonald. And this all after cutting Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave last month.<\/p>\n

Sooner or later, Minnesota will spend Round 1 through 3 draft capital on an interior defensive lineman.<\/p>\n

6. Expect a New Center<\/p>\n

Ryan Kelly retired, and Blake Brandel, a jack-of-all-trades lineman, is on deck to start at center. That might work just fine in 2026, but Brandel isn\u2019t young; he\u2019s also not a center by trade.<\/p>\n

Therefore, the draft has a \u201cBig Four\u201d at center \u2014 Sam Hecht, Logan Jones, Connor Lew, and Jake Slaughter \u2014 and the Vikings will likely leave Pittsburgh with one of those men. Lew makes a lot of sense because he\u2019s 20 years old and could watch and learn from Brandel for a year.<\/p>\n

7. UDFA Majesty Could Be Dead<\/p>\n

Whether the Vikings sign the best undrafted free agents and heavily invest in the process remains up in the air. Every year under Adofo-Mensah, fans could trust him to leave draft weekend with the most coveted UDFAs<\/a>, usually meeting with them before the draft and later dangling more money in front of them than other suitors.<\/p>\n

\"IvanCincinnati linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (LB23) addresses reporters during media availability, with Mar 1, 2023 marking the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Pace spoke about his collegiate career and draft outlook while meeting with media ahead of the evaluation process. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports.<\/p>\n

The UDFA process<\/a> didn\u2019t operate that way prior to Adofo-Mensah\u2019s tenure. If he personally were the special sauce, the Vikings could be back to the old days of \u201cboring\u201d undrafted free agents.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"avatar\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"USC wide receiver Jordan Addison stands on stage after being selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 23rd…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":867909,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2073],"tags":[7,233,259,2529,6,234],"class_list":{"0":"post-867908","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-minnesota-vikings","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-minnesota","10":"tag-minnesota-vikings","11":"tag-minnesotavikings","12":"tag-nfl","13":"tag-vikings"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116416216623826289","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867908","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=867908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/867908\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/867909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=867908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=867908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=867908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}