Longtime Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith has yet to decide whether he'll retire this offseason. However, the club may not have the luxury of waiting for him to make a choice, so ESPN's Peter Schrager envisions them taking initiative.
Schrager released his first 2026 NFL mock draft "based on what [he's] hearing," not personal preference. With that in mind, the Vikings are ostensibly operating as if Smith won't be back. Minnesota is projected to select Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren with the No. 18 overall pick.
Of course, things can change quickly, especially around this time of the league's schedule. Nevertheless, Schrager isn't speculating and trying to fill in the blanks. He anticipates the Vikings bracing for life after Smith with the selection of McNeil-Warren:
"McNeil-Warren is a tall, rangy safety who plays with high energy and is vocal in the defensive backfield. We're still not sure if Harrison Smith will be back at 37 years old, but McNeil-Warren can be the torchbearer once Smith does choose to call it a career. He had five picks over the past three seasons."
Minnesota Vikings replace Harrison Smith in new 2026 NFL mock draft
There are valid questions about the level of competition McNeil-Warren faced in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) at Toledo. However, he's a toolsy prospect with the toughness and physicality to show up against the run or pass.
Sound familiar, Vikings fans?
Many of the positive things that can be said about McNeil-Warren were once applied to Smith. They're both bigger, explosive defenders with noses for the football.
The Vikings are essentially trying to replace a franchise legend with a younger version of himself, if Schrager's prognostication is any indication.
Let's compare McNeil-Warren's and Smith's physical profiles from their respective scouting reports:
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren 2026 Prospect Profile | Harrison Smith 2012 Prospect Profile |
|---|---|
6-foot-3 1/2, 201 pounds | 6-foot-2, 213 pounds |
32 1/8-inch arm length | 32 5/8-inch arm length |
9 1/4-inch hand size | 10 1/4-inch hand size |
4.52-second 40-Yard Dash | 4.57-second 40-Yard Dash |
1.58-second 10-Yard Split | 1.56-second 10-Yard Split |
35.5-inch Vertical Jump | 34-inch Vertical Jump |
10-foot-two-inch Broad Jump | 10-foot-two-inch Broad Jump |
It's interesting to see McNeil-Warren forecasted to land in Minnesota instead of standout Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman.
The latter has been heavily tied to the Vikings throughout the evaluation process. Yet, Schrager's intel suggests the former shouldn't be overlooked as a potential successor to Smith.
Across 13 games in his final collegiate campaign, McNeil-Warren amassed 77 tackles (5.5 for loss), two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, a pick-six, and 0.5 sacks.
He finished as Pro Football Focus' second-highest graded safety in the nation out of 914 qualified options (92.1).