DJ's 2026 Draft Top 50

[MaroonBells]

https://www.nfl.com/news/daniel-jeremiah...nkings-1-0

[supafreak84]

Nothing real surprising on DJ's list. Like I mentioned in another thread, I'll be highly interested in the cornerback competition and how the rankings shake out. I was listening to one of the podcasts the last few days and it was brought up that with Flores back, cornerback might not be the early round need some might think.

[Kentis]

Daniel Jeremiah 2026 NFL mock draft 1.0: Raiders pick QB at No. 1; Jets among 4 teams to go WR


https://www.nfl.com/news/daniel-jeremiah...-draft-1-0

Pick #18 Minnesota Vikings
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Toledo · S · Senior
I’m higher on McNeil-Warren than some other people around the league, but I love his combination of size and explosive playmaking ability. He could help replace Harrison Smith if the soon-to-be 37-year-old does indeed retire.

[purplefaithful]

I'm still smitten with Kenyon Sadiq...

[supafreak84]

Daniel Jeremiah 2026 NFL mock draft 1.0: Raiders pick QB at No. 1; Jets among 4 teams to go WR


https://www.nfl.com/news/daniel-jeremiah...-draft-1-0

Pick #18 Minnesota Vikings
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Toledo · S · Senior
I’m higher on McNeil-Warren than some other people around the league, but I love his combination of size and explosive playmaking ability. He could help replace Harrison Smith if the soon-to-be 37-year-old does indeed retire.

Mock drafters have been trying to project us taking a safety and "replacing Harrison Smith" for what seems like a decade now and they are wrong every time. Unless Caleb Downs inexplicably falls in our laps, I expect that trend to continue.

[MaroonBells]

Nothing real surprising on DJ's list. Like I mentioned in another thread, I'll be highly interested in the cornerback competition and how the rankings shake out. I was listening to one of the podcasts the last few days and it was brought up that with Flores back, cornerback might not be the early round need some might think.

No I'd agree with that. If there's a few things we've learned about Flores in the 3 years he's been in Minnesota, it's that he doesn't like the fatty NTs, preferring penetrators, and he doesn't value cover corners as much as other DCs. He likes versatile DBs who can tackle. I don't think he'd turn down a good corner at 18, but it's got to be the right corner for his defense.

[supafreak84]

No I'd agree with that. If there's a few things we've learned about Flores in the 3 years he's been in Minnesota, it's that he doesn't like the fatty NTs, preferring penetrators, and he doesn't value cover corners as much as other DCs. He likes versatile DBs who can tackle. I don't think he'd turn down a good corner at 18, but it's got to be the right corner for his defense.

Absolutely, although, I think a couple DT's of interest could be in play for us with the expected release of Hargrave; Kayden McDonald and Peter Woods. I think both guys, even though they are large, are more than just space eaters and can get after the quarterback a bit. Maybe it's just me, but if we added a player like McDonald to play the nose, that allows you to move Redmond to the five technique full time where he could just wreck havoc. I know all the guys kind of rotate around the line, but that upgrades two positions with one draft pick. I like LDR, but more as a rotational piece. Ditto on TID who is still a project. Just something to keep an eye on.

[JimmyinSD]

No I'd agree with that. If there's a few things we've learned about Flores in the 3 years he's been in Minnesota, it's that he doesn't like the fatty NTs, preferring penetrators, and he doesn't value cover corners as much as other DCs. He likes versatile DBs who can tackle. I don't think he'd turn down a good corner at 18, but it's got to be the right corner for his defense.

Its not if Flores would turn down a good player,   its would KAM,  and we know that he sure as hell will.

[pattersaur]

Its not if Flores would turn down a good player,   its would KAM,  and we know that he sure as hell will.

Reading through this list I saw there’s a CB ranked in the teens who missed all of 2025 with an injury and my first thought was that’s probably who we’ll draft.

[supafreak84]

For what it's worth, just watched the new Purple Daily podcast with Doogie and he expects, "things to stay the same" as far as the draft with the same braintrust making the picks. He had not heard anything to the contrary. So for anybody else out there who recognizes our failures on draft day under this regime as being the #1 organizational issue...get ready for another heaping helping of dart throwing with the analytics whiz kid.