The Minnesota Vikings were one of the biggest \u2018what-ifs\u2019 of the 2025 NFL season. General Manager Kwasi Adofo-Mensah let the quarterback who led them to a 14-3 record just a year ago walk. Now, Darnold is a Super Bowl champion, and Minnesota will navigate the 2026 draft with an interim GM.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With an injury-prone J.J. McCarthy<\/a> (or newly acquired Kyler Murray<\/a>) under center, the Vikings\u2019 short-term outlook is uncertain at best. After swinging and missing frequently in recent years, Minnesota will look to repair an aging roster with a strong rebound draft.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Vikings Draft Picks:<\/p>\n Round 5: Pick 163\u00a0\u2013 from Eagles<\/p>\n Round 6:\u00a0Pick 196 \u2013 from Colts<\/p>\n Round 7:\u00a0Pick 235 \u2013 from Panthers<\/p>\n Round 7:\u00a0Pick 244 \u2013\u00a0from Texans<\/p>\n Vikings Positions of Need:\u00a0<\/p>\n Cornerback: Byron Murphy<\/a> Jr. is an excellent first option, and Isaiah Rodgers<\/a> is coming off a breakout season. Outside of those two, the Vikings lack the talent to support a consistent room and will likely be looking for a third starter early and additional depth late.\u00a0<\/p>\n Interior Defensive Line: Javon Hargrave<\/a> and Jonathan Allen<\/a> were both veteran signings intended to bolster a major weakness of Brian Flores\u2019 otherwise stout defensive unit. Neither panned out entirely, and Minnesota could afford to get younger along the interior, especially with a high-ceiling three-technique prospect.\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Running Back: Jordan Mason<\/a> has proven to be a capable early-down hammer and plug-in starter. But with Aaron Jones<\/a> on the wrong side of 30, a more explosive, pass-catching rookie will certainly be on the Vikings\u2019 wish list.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vikings Key Draft Targets:\u00a0Avieon Terrell<\/a> \u2013 CB \u2013 Clemson<\/p>\n The brother of Falcons standout A.J. Terrell brings fluid hips and the ability to mirror the receiver, which would instantly boost Minnesota\u2019s inconsistent secondary. At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, his speed and strength in press-man coverage bring additional value. He\u2019s projected<\/a> to go somewhere in the mid- to late-first round, so selecting Terrell at pick No. 18 would make sense.<\/p>\n Christen Miller<\/a> \u2013 IDL \u2013 Georgia\u00a0<\/p>\n In his collegiate career, Miller has sat behind first-rounders like Jalen Carter<\/a>, Jordan Davis<\/a> and Devonte Wyatt<\/a>. As a starter, he\u2019s flashed every-down potential and elite movement skills. ESPN<\/a> has Miller ranked 65th overall.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Mike Washington<\/a> Jr. \u2013 RB \u2013 Arkansas\u00a0<\/p>\n A senior year at a Power 4 program did wonders for Washington, who established himself as an explosive and patient runner with field-threatening 4.33 speed. With 223 receiving yards and a score through the air, he has the versatility to complement Mason as a change-of-pace back when Jones hangs up his boots. He would be a great snag in Round 3 for Minnesota.<\/p>\n The post Minnesota Vikings 2026 NFL Draft Preview<\/a> appeared first on The Lead<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Minnesota Vikings were one of the biggest \u2018what-ifs\u2019 of the 2025 NFL season. General Manager Kwasi Adofo-Mensah…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":565377,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[72535,49,48,13276,23059,112220,32332,1771,32404,25643,164292,32402,27561,13294,1726,514,8821,82,11285,13271,217974],"class_list":["post-565376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-aaron-jones","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-colts","tag-darnold","tag-devonte-wyatt","tag-isaiah-rodgers","tag-j-j-mccarthy","tag-jalen-carter","tag-javon-hargrave","tag-jonathan-allen","tag-jordan-davis","tag-jordan-mason","tag-kyler-murray","tag-minnesota-vikings","tag-nfl","tag-panthers","tag-sports","tag-texans","tag-vikings","tag-vikings-draft-picks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=565376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565376\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/565377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=565376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=565376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=565376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}