For a team that finished near the bottom of the league in pass defense, the Minnesota Vikings‘ journey back to contention starts with the 18th pick. The Vikings enter the 2026 NFL Draft with a clear mandate: rebuild the defense, and the 18th pick offers them a chance to set the tone for the entire draft.

Round 1, Pick 18: S Dillon Thieneman

This pick came down to two players: Dillon Thieneman and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. It all comes down to who Minnesota prefers at safety, but I’m much higher on Thieneman than I am on McNeil-Warren, so for my mock, I went with the Oregon product.

Thieneman has everything you want in a prospect. He’s super athletic, running a 4.35-second 40-yard dash with a 41-inch vertical. He has loads of production with 302 tackles, eight interceptions, and 13 pass breakups in three seasons. He has a good size at 6 feet, 201 pounds. And he’s young at just 21 years old. What more could you ask for?

Thieneman is coming off the best season of his career, where he gave up a 57.7 percent completion rate and two touchdowns with two picks and four pass breakups. He isn’t Caleb Downs, but he’d be the No. 1 safety in a lot of draft classes.

Round 2, Pick 49: CB Keith Abney II

With Minnesota’s second-round pick, I double-dipped in the secondary and added Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II to the mix. After filling in their need at safety, the Vikings still needed help at corner, and when Brian Flores has a great secondary, his defenses are typically pretty good, so why not add another playmaker to the defensive backfield?

Abney is one of the best pure coverage corners in this draft class. In 2025, he was targeted 72 times, but allowed just 32 catches (44.4 percent) for 321 yards and zero touchdowns while picking off two passes and breaking up nine more. He’s a bit undersized at 5-foot-10, 187 pounds, but he more than makes up for his lack of height with his coverage skills.

There are a lot of good second-round cornerbacks in this draft, and Abney is certainly one of them. He could be a day one starter for Minnesota.

Round 3, Pick 82: DT Gracen Halton

In two seasons as a starter, Gracen Halton has proven to be a really good pass rusher from the defensive tackle position. He has 58 pressures and 8.5 sacks over the last two seasons and is one of the best pass rushers among the interior defensive linemen in this class. On top of that, he earned an 89.6 run defense grade with 19 stops this season. In a weak defensive tackle class, Halton could be a gem at the end of day two.

I like Jalen Redmond, but the Vikings still need a lot of help on the interior of their defensive line. Outside of Redmond, they don’t really have anyone, so pairing him with another really good pass-rushing DT would make a lot of sense for Minnesota.

Round 3, Pick 97: RB Emmett Johnson

Emmett Johnson isn’t the fastest or most explosive running back in this class, but it’s hard to deny his production. Last year at Nebraska, Johnson ran for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns behind a 5.8 average. He was arguably the Cornhuskers’ best offensive player in 2025, and he followed his season up with a solid showing at the combine. Had he run a 4.4, he probably would be the RB2 in this class, but sometimes you have to look past what a player does in his underwear and look at what he actually does with pads on.

The Vikings need a better run game. Minnesota ranked 23rd in rushing yards per game, so adding Johnson to a room that’s led by 31-year-old Aaron Jones would help give them a boost on the ground.

Round 5, Pick 163: WR Cyrus Allen

Cyrus Allen is one of my favorite day three receivers. In his final season at Cincinnati, Allen caught 47 passes for 652 yards and nine touchdowns before running a 4.47-second 40-yard dash with a 36-inch vertical. For teams that need a slot receiver, Allen should be in play in rounds 4-6.

Minnesota is one of those teams that needs a slot receiver. Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson play primarily on the outside, and they let Jalen Nailor, who played around 60 percent of his snaps in the slot last year, walk in free agency. They need someone who can play inside, and Allen did so on 93.9 percent of his snaps last season. He’d fit right in with this offense.

Round 6, Pick 196: C Pat Coogan

I know I’ve neglected the center for way too long, but I really like the day three group of centers in this draft class, so I was content with waiting until the sixth round to take someone like Pat Coogan. The Indiana product gave up 10 pressures and zero sacks in 16 games last season while earning a 75.3 run blocking grade. He helped lead one of the best offensive lines in the country, and ultimately one of the best offenses in the country, to the national championship.

I don’t think Minnesota feels comfortable heading into the summer with Blake Brandel as their No. 1 center. I’m not saying Coogan is guaranteed to beat Brandel out as a rookie, but he’d give him a good fight and could start as a rookie.

Round 7, Pick 234: QB Sawyer Robertson

Sawyer Robertson has been one of college football’s most prolific passers over the past two seasons. In his final two years with the Baylor Bears, Robertson threw for 6,952 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions while adding seven scores as a runner. He’s got a live arm and has ideal size at 6-foot-4, but he struggles with making difficult throws outside the numbers and can get a bit antsy at times. But there are a lot of tools to work with.

We know Minnesota doesn’t feel confident with J.J. McCarthy, given they signed Kyler Murray in free agency, but bringing in someone like Robertson would only fuel the quarterback competition in a good way.

Round 7, Pick 235: WR J. Michael Sturdivant

J. Michael Sturdivant doesn’t have a ton of college production, averaging about 500 yards per season in four years, but he’s 6-foot-3, 207 pounds and runs a 4.40-second 40 with a 39-inch vertical. There are a lot of tools to work with, and in the seventh round, that’s all you’re really looking for.

Round 7, Pick 244: CB Collin Wright

You can never have too many cornerbacks, so with the Vikings’ last pick, I’m selecting Stanford CB Collin Wright. The former Cardinal has held opponents to a sub-60 percent completion rate in each of his last two seasons, but has given up nine touchdowns during that span. If he cuts down on touchdowns allowed, he could be a quality depth player.