New Vikings 7-round mock draft yields dream haul of rookie studs

The Minnesota Vikings have had a frustrating four-year run during Kevin O'Connell's tenure as head coach. Numerous misfires on draft picks, instability at the quarterback position, and the collision of those two elements with J.J. McCarthy have led to persistent frustration and unmet expectations.

Now that ex-GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is no longer in the building, perhaps the Vikings can turn over a new leaf and bring in a strong 2026 rookie class to get back on track. And the hope is that Minnesota finds a better long-term partnership than the turbulent KAM-KOC dynamic.

If anything close to the following seven-round mock draft haul comes to fruition in a couple of weeks, interim GM Rob Brzezinski would be the toast of Minneapolis and might even secure the full-time gig.

The Minnesota Vikings finally redeem years of poor drafts in a strong 7-round mock 2026 NFL Draft class

Round 1, Pick 18 — Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

For a much deeper dive on why Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is the perfect fit for Brian Flores' defense, check out this recent piece of mine. The long and short of it is that EMW is a hard-hitting, rangy safety who has the versatility to play deep, in the box, or in the slot.

The Vikings have a very real need at safety, regardless of whether franchise legend Harrison Smith retires or comes back for one last ride.

Not many mock drafts have made the connection between McNeil-Warren and Minnesota. However, ESPN's Peter Schrager is as plugged in as anyone on pre-draft buzz. He releases only two mocks per year, both in April, all based on what he's hearing from his sources. Schrager had McNeil-Warren to the Vikings at No. 18 in his initial 2026 mock draft. Just saying!

Round 2, Pick 49 — Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State

The Atlanta Falcons are a prime candidate to trade back from the 48th overall pick, and another wide receiver-needy team could leapfrog Minnesota. If the Vikings see someone they really want at the position, they might want to move up the board several spots to get their guy just to be safe.

In the interest of imagining a best-case scenario and not getting too in the weeds on trades, Minnesota sticks and picks at No. 49 to score a size-speed freak show in North Dakota State's Bryce Lance.

Vikings local scouts should be well-acquainted with this particular prospect. Minneapolis is the closest NFL city to Fargo, and the Bison program is an FCS powerhouse. Lance's athletic profile alone is tantalizing, but his explosiveness translated to the field in spades last season, when he piled up 1,079 yards on only 51 receptions and eight TDs.

Jordan Addison has had too many off-field red flags to count on as a long-term WR2. Other than Justin Jefferson, who can the Vikings really count on in their current wide receiver corps? All the attention drawn by Jefferson would create plenty of favorable matchups that Lance could exploit, and elevate whomever Minnesota's QB is in 2026 and beyond.

Round 3, Pick 82 — Darrell Jackson Jr., DT, Florida State

Minnesota doesn't have a true nose tackle who can play meaningful snaps. Darrell Jackson Jr. is 6'5.5" and 315 pounds, with 34 3/4" arms and a nasty demeanor in the trenches.

Jackson's pass rush production declined last year from his 2024 campaign, when he had 3.5 sacks and 23 hurries. Nevertheless, he posted a strong 81.3 PFF run defense grade amid a transition to more snaps in the A gap, and could contribute to the Vikings' defensive tackle rotation right away.

Round 3, Pick 97 — Logan Jones, C, Iowa

Ryan Kelly retired in March due to mounting injuries and multiple concussions, and Blake Brandel is in line to take his spot. Brandel is entering a contract year, though, and has experience at all five positions on the offensive line. Thus, if a potential long-term upgrade at center like Iowa's Logan Jones is there for the taking in Round 3, the Vikings should let it rip.

Jones was a supreme pass protector for the Hawkeyes over the last two seasons in particular, yielding only one sack and six hurries on 616 pass blocking snaps. He has the athleticism (9.66 RAS) and movement skills to be a good fit in Minnesota's outside zone running scheme, too.

Round 5, Pick 163 — Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, TCU

Two of the Vikings' top three inside linebackers, Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace Jr., are hitting free agency in 2027. Kaleb Elarms-Orr is a magnet for the football who had 130 combined tackles (11 tackles for loss), and four sacks in 2025.

Pace has something of a niche as Minnesota's interior blitzing demon. If he walks next offseason, Elarms-Orr could be in line for that type of role — only with a much higher ceiling in coverage. As a rookie, he'd be a valuable depth piece for the Vikings to kick off Day 3 of the draft with.

Round 6, Pick 196 — Eli Heidenreich, WEAPON, Navy

Although he worked out as a running back at the Combine, Eli Heidenreich had pretty even splits of touches in college as a ball-carrier (169) and pass-catcher (109) as Navy's hybrid "slot back."

Wherever he lines up, O'Connell would have a field day in finding creative ways to get the ball in Heidenreich's capable hands. After running a 4.44 40 at the Combine, Heidenreich posted a transcending-the-mundane, 6.55-second 3-cone drill at his pro day. That absurd change of direction test should translate well to the NFL.

Round 7, Pick 234 — Michael Heldman, EDGE, Central Michigan

In an era of mass player mobility via the transfer portal, Michael Heldman stuck it out for five years at Central Michigan and enjoyed a breakout season to cap off his career. Heldman racked up 16.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. Then, he proceeded to put on a show at the Chippewas' pro day, earning a 9.88 RAS score. Quite an intriguing piece to add to the Vikings' pass rush.

Round 7, Pick 235 — Jadon Canady, NB, Oregon

Incumbent nickelback Byron Murphy's contract runs through 2027, and he's due to be a $24.4 million cap hit. Investing in someone like Jadon Canady is a low-risk, high-reward contingency plan. Canady allowed a 41.8 passer rating in 2025 and missed only 9.8% of his tackle attempts. He'd be a steal this late on Day 3 and a probable core special teamer if nothing else.

Round 7, Pick 244 — Joshua Braun, OL, Kentucky

Can you tell I'm not too bullish on the Vikings' interior o-line depth? If Jones were to start at center and Brendel could function as a utility player backup, that'd be a big boost.

Still, Minnesota could take a late-round flier on Joshua Braun as further insurance behind starting guards Donovan Jackson and Will Fries. Per PFF, Braun played 1,330 snaps at left guard and 1,912 snaps at right guard spots across his six seasons at Florida, Arkansas, and Kentucky.