The Vikings don't need a linebacker in 2026. They still have Blake Cashman entering the third year of his three-year, $22.5 million contract. They also just re-signed Eric Wilson to a near-identical deal.
But that doesn't mean they shouldn't try to take advantage of a draft class oozing with talent at the position.
And while Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, C.J. Allen, and Jacob Rodriguez are getting tons of love rounding the draft circuit, it's a less heralded linebacker that I think could be a perfect fit for Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores' creative and chaotic scheme.
Keyshaun Elliott could be perfect for the Minnesota Vikings in 2026
Meet Keyshaun Elliott. He's a true senior who played two years at New Mexico State before transferring to Arizona State for his final two years of collegiate ball.
Over that time, he totaled 301 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and one interception.
2025 was by far his best season as he accumulated 14 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks while facing tougher competition than his time at NMSU.
Elliott has a profile that Flores should love. Starting with his physical profile, his 6'2, 231-pound frame is a near identical match to Wilson's 6-foot-1, 231-pound listing.
And his explosive testing at the combine - a 38" vertical jump and 125" broad jump - was eerily similar to what Cashman posted during his pre-draft testing workouts.
But it's his play on the field that really strikes me as a fit for what Flores likes to do schematically.
He works downhill both naturally and violently, diagnosing and keying quickly to close on ball carriers.
The violence and reckless abandon that he plays with are everything I want Jeremiah Trotter to be.
He is a pure tone-setter who can stack and shed at a level beyond what his frame would lead you to believe he is capable of. And he pairs that with good sift and find skills.
Beyond his abilities as a run defender, he works from mugged-up alignments well, moving both forwards as a pass rusher and bailing to coverage with plus athleticism stemming from his strong lower half.
His pass-rushing skills are what are really intriguing, as his 7.0 sacks will peak almost every scout, coach, and analyst's ears.
But what's funny is most of those were cleanups where a quarterback broke containment and got outside the pocket, and Elliott had to close from flat coverage to clean up the play.
The closing speed on those plays is a fun trait that should translate to the NFL well. But it's the non-sacks that show he can be a force as a pass rusher, which is such a necessary skill for a linebacker in Flores' defense.
Last year, Wilson ranked third and Cashman sixth among all off-ball linebackers in pass rushes, per Pro Football Focus.
It's a necessary skill for a defense that attacks quarterbacks with almost every player on the field from almost any direction.
Elliott ranked in the 99th percentile of all off-ball linebackers in pressure rate last year, totaling 15 on just 24 pass rushes.
He can win from a mugged-up position, off the edge as a walked-down fifth man on the line, or from depth (which is where he is at his best).
He pairs great feel and timing with a quick burst to find and exploit gaps that would work well in Minnesota.
Flores' defense requires such a high IQ to execute properly. Players are asked to do things on a consistent basis that other defensive coordinators just aren't requiring.
And that's the final place where this pairing just makes sense.
The feel and timing I mentioned just above are parts of his high-intelligence play style.
And with Cashman and Wilson ahead of him on the depth chart, he would get an entire year to absorb the defense before having to start in 2027.
NFL Mock Draft Database's consensus big board currently has Elliott as the 209th player on their board, which could mean Minnesota could pick him up with their sixth-round selection.
Getting a player who is both a scheme fit and a potential starter in year two while allowing a team to move on from Cashman, who will be 31 in 2027, just seems like good business.