A few developments late in the draft cycle have clarified the conversation surrounding the Minnesota Vikings, though they haven’t drastically changed it. Bill Barnwell’s all-trades mock draft suggested the Vikings might move up to select a top defensive back.
Meanwhile, Matt Miller’s recent ESPN report indicated that Dillon Thieneman has become the most frequently mocked player to Minnesota, with the front office viewing him as a natural successor to Harrison Smith.
Combining these insights provides an image that while the Vikings still have flexibility, the focus of the draft discussions is now tightening primarily around bolstering the secondary. The attention is also shifting towards what the team might do with their next two selections on Day 2 of the draft. Minnesota enters the draft with picks at 18, 49, 82, 97, 163, and 196.
This specificity is important because the Vikings’ roster does not require one dramatic fix in a single position, as they have already addressed quarterback needs in free agency, so their current focus is more nuanced.
Safety is a pressing issue due to Harrison Smith’s uncertain future, and beyond that, other questions begin to emerge: Does Brian Flores prefer an edge rusher in the top 50? Would the Vikings consider trading their first pick to target a different tier of talent?
The strongest mock drafts are valuable now because they begin answering these complex questions in a more organized manner than a month ago.
S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
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Tim Crean provides a notable projection, as he is one of the most commonly associated names for the Vikings. In his post-free-agency mock draft, he predicts Thieneman will be selected by Minnesota at pick 18, highlighting the safety’s rise during the combine.
Crean argues that the safety position no longer appears to be dominated by Caleb Downs, followed by a significant drop-off, and he reasons that Minnesota needs a long-term solution at safety. Thieneman’s combination of range, ball production, and athletic performance makes him the best fit expected to be available in the middle of the first round.
This selection makes sense as it aligns with both the team’s needs and the draft position, and with the Vikings selecting a safety with real starter potential, it would address a clear need in a division with strong quarterback play.
Thieneman has also stabilized in the market, transitioning from being viewed as a possible late first or early second-round pick earlier in the draft cycle to multiple national mocks now treating him as a safe first-round selection, and this usually indicates that teams are more confident in both his floor and athletic profile.
S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
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Peter Schrager offers a different safety in his latest first-round mock, projecting Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren to Minnesota.
Schrager describes McNeil-Warren as tall, rangy, and vocal in the secondary, framing the selection around the essential roster concern that someone must eventually take Harrison Smith’s place, and the Vikings need to be prepared for that transition, whether it happens immediately or not.
McNeil-Warren’s inclusion is significant because it shows that the Vikings’ draft board isn’t locked to one specific name, and while many within the league associate Thieneman with Minnesota, the underlying story is more complex because it highlights that safety has become a top priority in the first round for the team.
Schrager’s mock simply opts for a different physique and approach to fulfilling the same need, and while Thieneman is often seen as the most polished candidate, McNeil-Warren is characterized as the taller, more vocal, and physically imposing alternative.
This distinction indicates that the Vikings are still perceived as a team choosing between variations of the same fundamental need, instead of unrelated positions.
S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
Bill Barnwell’s all-trades mock draft shifted the Minnesota Vikings out of their usual positioning, and instead of remaining at the 18th pick, he suggested the Vikings trade up to the 9th overall pick to secure one of the draft’s premier defensive backs.
Barnwell mentioned that this move would enable Brian Flores to enhance the team with an elite secondary talent, with Caleb Downs being the clear candidate for this role, and although the specifics of Barnwell’s angle may matter less, as fans should anticipate a trade-up, it highlights how some evaluators perceive the Vikings’ motivations.
If Minnesota believes that one of the top defensive backs is significantly better than the safeties likely to be available at 18, they have sufficient roster stability to warrant a bold move.
This does not imply that such a trade is likely, but it suggests that the scenario is credible enough to consider. Trade-ups are easier to justify when the target is a player who can transform the defense instead of merely filling a vacancy, and Downs fits that bill.
He has been widely recognized nationally as a top-tier defensive back, and Barnwell’s proposal raises the question of whether Minnesota is willing to pay to enter that upper tier or wait for safeties that will be available later, and this is why this hypothetical scenario is worth including in the discussion, because it alters the draft dynamics instead of simply exchanging one mid-first-round pick for another.
RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
Credit: MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE
Mel Kiper Jr.’s three-round mock draft didn’t alter the first-round possibilities for Minnesota significantly, but did provide a clear signal for the second round, and at pick 49, he projected the Vikings selecting Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price.
He noted that Aaron Jones Sr. is already 31, Jordan Mason hasn’t established himself as the clear RB1, and neither player is under contract beyond 2026. This is a practical assessment of the offense, especially for a team with enough stability to consider future needs before they become urgent.
Price is an important name in this draft cycle as he adds depth to the strategy without creating randomness, and Minnesota is not being seen as a team in dire need of a first-round running back, but it could use a second-round pick to address the next offensive priority after securing safety.
This kind of sequencing is characteristic of proficient draft rooms: the first pick addresses the secondary, while the second meaningful pick introduces a younger back with greater upside and less contractual uncertainty.
Kiper’s projection may not dominate the Vikings’ overall mock landscape, but it remains one of the more right non-defensive suggestions currently associated with them.
EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
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Field Yates utilized the same 49th pick for a different position, selecting Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton for Minnesota.
He connected this choice to uncertainty surrounding Jonathan Greenard’s future, and Yates pointed out that the Vikings must prepare for possible changes at outside linebacker and that Dennis-Sutton possesses the size, power, and collegiate production desirable in a pass rusher entering the NFL from Penn State.
This draft option provides a clean alternative to Kiper’s running back selection, as it addresses a different future need while coming from the same area of the draft board, and Minnesota’s first selection is largely recognized as addressing a defensive back issue.
However, Dennis-Sutton serves as a reminder that the front seven remains a significant concern, especially in a defense that demands much from its pressure tactics. If the Vikings choose a safety at 18, the second round will be crucial for deciding whether to focus on replacing the aging offense or reinforcing the pass-rush infrastructure before it becomes deficient, and Yates’ mock supports the latter option, which is a reasonable strategy.
At this stage in the draft cycle, the landscape around Minnesota has become clear that the first-round conversation now primarily revolves around safety options, including Thieneman, McNeil-Warren, or potentially a more aggressive move upward in the draft.
Following that, the second round will present an opportunity for the Vikings to allocate resources between offense and defense.
Some analysts anticipate a running back selection there, while others foresee an edge rusher, and this presents a much narrower and more useful picture than earlier in the mock draft season when various premium positions seemed feasible, and patterns were less stable.
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