Just one game away from finishing the season, the Minnesota Vikings find themselves on the outside of the playoffs despite a strong comeback in December with four straight wins.
There are some teams focused on closing out the season strong, but the Vikings are all set to get the offseason started. They will have a lot of work to get the roster back into proper shape after a massive drop-off from the team that won 14 games in 2024.
All eyes will be on Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who will have more options in the draft than the five picks he had in the 2025 NFL Draft. There will be opportunities for Adofo-Mensah to find great talent in the middle of the draft, but two of them are having an NFL writer urging them to move up to select them.
Two prospects could have the Minnesota Vikings testing the trade market early in the 2026 NFL Draft
Bleacher Report writer Brent Sobleski recently went through different scenarios for NFL teams to trade up in the 2026 NFL Draft. Sobleski's first trade-up option for the Vikings is with Ohio State star safety Caleb Downs.
"Some team is going to see extreme value in the addition of Downs if/when slides to some degree. The Washington Commanders could be first in line with the seventh overall pick.
However, the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings should definitely be in play as potential trade-up possibilities to land the class' best talent at a discounted price."
The Vikings would love to have a talent like Downs as an eventual replacement for Harrison Smith and a versatile weapon that defensive coordinator Brian Flores can move around on the defense.
Still, it's going to cost them a lot of picks to get that trade done. Downs finished the 2025 season with his second straight All-American selection, racking up 68 tackles, five tackles for loss, two pass deflections, two interceptions, and one sack in 14 games.
Minnesota's next potential option could be at running back with the top projected back in the NFL Draft, Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love. This is one where Love might drop in the middle of the draft, but it is still an option for the Vikings to move up a couple of spots to get him.
"No specific landing spots jump out where Love should be a lock to hear his name called. However, a window between picks 17 and 26 based on the current draft order is a fascinating spot for a team to make a move and acquire Love.
Three specific franchises—the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans—sit within that range.
The Vikings, meanwhile, can take pressure of their young quarterback, JJ McCarthy, by giving him a younger, more dynamic running back than Aaron Jones."
After a stellar sophomore year with the Fighting Irish, Love just added to his greatness with another fantastic season. Love was named as an All-American, rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging a staggering 6.9 yards per carry.
There are questions about whether Aaron Jones will stick around after the season, given that he missed part of the year due to injuries. With Jordan Mason in the backfield, the Vikings might be able to have Love as an alternative option for the one-two punch they want back there.
Last year, Adofo-Mensah was limited in the options that he had with trades in the draft. 2026 will be a different story for him as he could make a bold move to make the Vikings a playoff team again.