The Minnesota Vikings already have a really talented roster, and now they might have a winning QB, too, with Kyler Murray potentially taking over for J.J. McCarthy.
That doesn’t mean the 2026 NFL Draft isn’t important. On the contrary — getting young, talented players on affordable contracts is exactly the boost the Vikings need to get back to the playoffs.
If Murray has at least (temporarily) solved the QB worries, the Vikings can focus on filling their needs elsewhere to make sure that a superstar like Justin Jefferson isn’t sitting at home again during the postseason.
With the first round on Thursday, second and third rounds on Friday and fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, we’ll be keeping track below of everything the Vikings do during the draft.
Minnesota Vikings draft picks 2026
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Who did the Vikings draft?
The Vikings enter the 2026 NFL Draft with 9 picks to make:
- Round 1, Pick 18: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
- Round 2, Pick 51: Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
- Round 3, Pick 82: Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State
- Round 3, Pick 97: Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
- Round 3, Pick 98: Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami
- Round 5, Pick 159:
- Round 5, Pick 163:
- Round 7, Pick 234:
- Round 7, Pick 235:
- Round 7, Pick 244:
Note: The Vikings draft changed dramatically by changing Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Vikings NFL Draft needs
- Safety: The Vikings need an heir to Harrison Smith, and there are two quality safeties potentially on the board with the 18th pick — Dillon Thieneman from Oregon and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren from Toledo.
- Cornerback: You can’t have too many corners in the modern NFL, and it’s clear the Vikings have to upgrade the secondary to keep up with the NFC North’s talented passing attacks.
- Interior defensive line: The most recent Yahoo mock draft has the Vikings taking Ohio State’s DT Kayden McDonald at pick 18. They could use the bulking up inside. Update: The Vikings made this happen with Caleb Banks in round one.
Track more drafts here: Ravens | Colts | Titans | Cardinals | Buccaneers | Jaguars | Panthers
Vikings mock draft 2026
Here’s how the Vikings’ draft could look, based on the seven-round mock draft from SN’s Vinnie Iyer.
| Round | Pick | Selection | Position | College |
| 1 | 18 | Dillon Thieneman | S | Oregon |
| 2 | 49 | Chris Johnson | CB | San Diego State |
| 3 | 82 | Kyle Louis | LB | Pittsburgh |
| 3 | 97 | Jake Slaughter | G/C | Florida |
| 5 | 163 | Reggie Virgil | WR | Texas Tech |
| 6 | 196 | Oscar Delp | TE | Georgia |
| 7 | 234 | Barion Brown | WR | LSU |
| 7 | 235 | Travis Burke | OT | Memphis |
| 7 | 244 | Roman Hemby | RB | Indiana |
Note: Johnson went off the board in the first round.
Best names in the draft: Ephesians Prysock | R Mason Thomas | DeVonta Smith | Zxavian Harris
When is the NFL Draft?
The NFL Draft’s first round is on Thursday, April 23.
The second and third rounds are on Friday, April 24.
The fourth through seventh rounds are on Saturday, April 25.
