Defensively, the Minnesota Vikings could use a piece or two make the unit truly elite.
It feels like an odd thing to read, especially after the kind of season the Vikings had on defense in 2025, thanks to defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Despite getting no help on offense, Minnesota ranked third in total defense, allowing 282.6 yards per game, second in pass defense with 158.5 yards allowed per game, and seventh in scoring defense with 19.6 points allowed per game.
Going into the offseason, the Vikings will have more focus on the secondary as they look for a replacement for Harrison Smith and get some depth pieces for the next few years. There is one prospect in the secondary that could help the Vikings if they select him in the NFL Draft.
Minnesota Vikings could land dream NFL Draft target in the second round
Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport recently shared one dream draft prospect for each of the 32 NFL teams. Davenport named the Vikings' to be Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad.
"The Vikings were stout defensively in 2025, allowing fewer passing yards per game (158.5) than any team in the NFC. But the team has a potential issue on the back end—outside of Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers, the team's depth at the cornerback position is essentially non-existent.
That should lead the Vikes to look to add a cornerback relatively early in this year's draft, and Malik Muhammad of Texas could be an intriguing target on Day 2. A 6'0" 188-pounder who spent the 2025 season matched up with opponents' No. 1 receivers, Muhammad has it all—size, speed, athleticism, fluidity in coverage…you name it.
He also has a background in track and basketball, which can't hurt at a position that involves a fair amount of running, jumping and whatnot."
Cornerback was a concern last year for the Vikings, as they needed depth at the position. Rodgers ended up stepping up as a nice starter on the team with Murphy.
Still, despite how good the Vikings were against the pass, more of that work was done by the pressure the defensive front caused, so that still leaves much to be desired at cornerback.
Muhammad had a solid season for the Longhorns last year as he racked up 30 tackles, four pass deflections, 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and one sack in 11 games. He was named as a second-team All-SEC selection in 2025.
Adding a good-sized corner in the secondary would certainly give the Vikings the one thing they have been missing. Muhammad would elevate the defense's play even further and give Flores his physical and lengthy corner.