The 2026 NFL Draft is finally near, and we'll finally get to see what the Minnesota Vikings actually do. There is certainly buzz about certain players being a better fit than others, but for all intents and purposes, their draft board is now locked in, barring some unforeseen developments.
The Vikings' draft plan will become more predictable, to the extent it can be predicted, based on the direction they go with their first-round pick, No. 18 overall. Doubling up on that position certainly could happen, but it seems unlikely with the need to add cheap young talent across the roster.
With that first-round pick, mock drafters and analysts far and wide have been putting one player in particular in Purple. It's gotten to a point of oversaturation and a lack of imagination, to make Vikings fans yearn for the draft to start.
A Minnesota Vikings insider throws welcome cold water on popular 2026 NFL Draft theory
On the April 16 episode of "The Alec Lewis Show", Alec Lewis of The Athletic said he was going to "have a hard time" putting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman to the Vikings at 18th overall when he did his final mock draft.
“Until I hear the smoke from internal, it just feels like it’s way too convenient for everybody to see the safety as a need, and just throw the guy who looks and sounds like Harrison Smith in that spot...just kinda how I feel about it, for better or for worse."
Hallelujah.
Mock drafters continue to blindly put Thieneman to the Vikings at No. 18 overall. It could be some level of exhaustion as mock draft season for this year winds down, but it's also rooted in convenience based on perceived need and Harrison Smith being year-to-year at this stage of his career.
Lewis is a plugged-in Vikings beat writer, so he has some unique knowledge. While he would never fully reveal publicly what he's been told about the team's draft plans beforehand, his hesitation to follow the less plugged-in crowd on the Oregon safety lands meaningfully.
Maybe Lewis is just not hearing anything that would push him toward Thieneman being the pick for the Vikings at No. 18. If he ends up being wrong in this case, that's perfectly fine. For Vikings fans who've become exhausted by seeing Thieneman over and over in mock drafts, the contrary sentiment from someone who would know more than most others do is refreshing.
Add us as a preferred source on Google