There are three weeks to go until the Minnesota Vikings fan base sees some heavy activity in the NFL Draft that the team has not seen in a long time.
The Vikings' nine draft picks in 2026 are the most the franchise has had in one draft since 2022. Last year, they only had five to work with, so now Minnesota has a real chance of building some real youth on this roster.
There are some questions about where the Vikings will look in the first round, but the secondary seems to be a popular group, whether that's at cornerback or safety. Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine recently named every team's dream scenario in the NFL Draft, with the Vikings being that they select a stellar player in the secondary with the 18th overall pick.
"Injury concerns push Jermod McCoy to the Vikings at No. 18. Even getting their choice of (Emmanuel) McNeil-Warren or (Dillon) Thieneman would be great. They need to stock up on secondary talent to take on Caleb Williams, Jared Goff, and Jordan Love."
Dream NFL Draft scenario for Minnesota Vikings would be perfect against strong NFC North in 2026
It seems odd to talk about getting some help on defense, especially after the Vikings finished third in the league in total defense and second in pass defense just a season ago. Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers had some nice moments in the regular season, but more consistency is needed on the back end.
The cornerback position isn't the only concern for the Vikings, as the safeties are led by Joshua Metellus, but the depth outside of that is shaky at best. Theo Jackson is a nice depth player, but a new starter is needed at the position.
In reality, the biggest strength of the pass defense is the pass rush and how much they harassed quarterbacks in the backfield. They did more of the heavy lifting by forcing third-and-longs and creating harsh conditions in the pocket.
McCoy comes with some baggage with his injury concerns, but it still appears that he is projected to be somewhere in the top 15. Even though a cornerback would be nice to have for Minnesota, safety might be the bigger concern.
McNeil-Warren and Thieneman are both physical safeties who can make plays in the secondary. They are exactly the type of players that Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores needs to develop and help set the tone on the back end of the defense.
As long as the Vikings add speed, youth, and athleticism to the secondary at some point in the draft, Minnesota will be in a prime position to surprise the NFC North. Imagine the pass rush the Vikings have now, and add some key weapons in the secondary. NFC North opportunities won't be sleeping well knowing Flores is loaded on defense.