Best guess for what Minnesota does in round 1?

Think Thieneman goes before 18. Somebody's going to drop, but good luck guessing who. One I like:

CB Jermod McCoy. A borderline top-ten talent coming off a knee. Flores has been holding the secondary together with chewing gum. Time to give him some real talent to work with.

Kentis wrote:

I think they may just blow @MaroonBells mind & draft the TE…🤔

Y'know what? I'm not as opposed to it this year as I've been in the past. The NFL had a woeful record of picking TEs in the 1st round for years. But it's improved the last few years with Warren and Bowers.

Sadiq would not be a bottle popper for me. Painful to blow a precious 1st round pick on a guy who would be a package player his first season. But I wouldn't be throwing the cat at the TV either. Hock's in a contract year.

comet52 wrote:

If we're going lesser known DT I'd like Kayden McDonald. If we're going wideout Carnell Tate if he's there. I don't see them taking Thieneman regardless.

Thieneman has officially jumped the shark. That pick became so trendy people started exploring ways to kill it off. If you mocked Thieneman to the Vikings you were mocked in the halls of your middle school. Bullies stole your lunch money. In peak contrarian form, Tyler Forness calls him a 3rd rounder. Still, mathematically, it's the most likely pick for us.

It's like @purplefaithful has said, same thing happened with Tyler Warren to the Colts last year. Contrarians got sick of Warren to the Colts, so they thought up ways it would not happen. What happened? Warren to the Colts.

MaroonBells wrote:

Thieneman has officially jumped the shark. That pick became so trendy people started exploring ways to kill it off. If you mocked Thieneman to the Vikings you were mocked in the halls of your middle school. Bullies stole your lunch money. In peak contrarian form, Tyler Forness calls him a 3rd rounder. Still, mathematically, it's the most likely pick for us.
It's like @purplefaithful has said, same thing happened with Tyler Warren to the Colts last year. Contrarians got sick of Warren to the Colts, so they thought up ways it would not happen. What happened? Warren to the Colts.

We'll see how motivated they are to take Thieneman. The Vikings are much higher on Jay Ward than the media and like the mid-round safeties. IMO if they plan to continue using Metellus as a 3rd safety/robber, a safety in round 1 doesn't make a ton of sense.

Depending on how the board falls, trading back may be in-play depending on which WRs and OL are available. Teams view 15-19 as the trade range.

If the Vikings do end up sticking and picking I would not be surprised if they took Spencer Fano. He can compete at center. If he doesn't win that job he can fill-in across all 5 spots and is your 2027 starter for Brian O'Neill if not resigned, Fries if he doesn't play up to his deal, or Darrisaw if he can't stay healthy.

NFL Draft Guru wrote:

We'll see how motivated they are to take Thieneman. The Vikings are much higher on Jay Ward than the media and like the mid-round safeties. IMO if they plan to continue using Metellus as a 3rd safety/robber, a safety in round 1 doesn't make a ton of sense.
Depending on how the board falls, trading back may be in-play depending on which WRs and OL are available. Teams view 15-19 as the trade range.
If the Vikings do end up sticking and picking I would not be surprised if they took Spencer Fano. He can compete at center. If he doesn't win that job he can fill-in across all 5 spots and is your 2027 starter for Brian O'Neill if not resigned, Fries if he doesn't play up to his deal, or Darrisaw if he can't stay healthy.

Hey Geoff!

You going to post a mock this year?

OL would shock the s hit out of me Rd1

I think what we most want to do is a small trade up to get Downs if he falls to within reach. Everyone’s got him mocked super high, so that’s unlikely, but if he makes it to 14-15, I think we’ll trade up.

But my best guess as to what we’ll actually do, is that we’re going DT and in particular, we’re looking for a guy who’s effective in the pass game, but holds up in the run game. I don’t think effective in the pass game means sacks, but could also include big guys who collapse the pocket. I think Caleb Banks (from his highlight reel) is the archtype of what we’d be looking for, although from what people say, he hasn’t really been living up to his full potential, so I kind of think he’s going to go in the area between our first and second round picks. I wouldn’t be surprised to see us trade back a little in the first and then trade up in the second and come away with two DT’s. I think Peter Woods, Keldric Faulk, and Caleb Banks are the names that I think fit what we want to do. I’m a little less bullish on the more traditional run stuffing NT body types, as I don’t think that’s what we really want, but I wouldn’t rule out Kayden McDonald.

I think Safety is very much in play, but I think Flores is more of the mindset that pressure up front can cover back end deficiencies. I think DT/DT or DT/S are the two most likely scenarios.

StickierBuns wrote:

I'm waiting on @JustInTime and @supafreak84 to get in here.....and the other Draft aficionados chime in please.

To quote the Eagles “the more I know, the less I understand”.

Thieneman is about as chalk as Bradbury was a few years back. There’s a reason for that. I do think Sadiq or one of the WRs probably makes as much sense as anyone. I’d much rather get the safety filled later.

For once, I really don’t have a super strong opinion I’m willing to fight tooth and nail over.

Mark your calendars.

NFL Draft Guru wrote:

We'll see how motivated they are to take Thieneman. The Vikings are much higher on Jay Ward than the media and like the mid-round safeties. IMO if they plan to continue using Metellus as a 3rd safety/robber, a safety in round 1 doesn't make a ton of sense.
Depending on how the board falls, trading back may be in-play depending on which WRs and OL are available. Teams view 15-19 as the trade range.
If the Vikings do end up sticking and picking I would not be surprised if they took Spencer Fano. He can compete at center. If he doesn't win that job he can fill-in across all 5 spots and is your 2027 starter for Brian O'Neill if not resigned, Fries if he doesn't play up to his deal, or Darrisaw if he can't stay healthy.

Agree with the Ward comment. He played well down the stretch last year. My argument for taking a safety isn't him. It's Harry, who, even if he comes back, is walking on the edge of a cliff. My argument against it is the depth of the safety class on day two.

Fano took snaps at center in Indy, but do you really want two players competing at center with such little experience playing the position? There is definitely an argument to be made that the Vikings could use long-term security at both tackle positions (Van Demark is a rental), as well as RG where Fries did not earn his paycheck. I'm a little surprised we haven't yet extended O'Neill. Might the Vikings be waiting until after the draft to see what they have?

At the end of the day, it would be a bit unsettling for me to see us burn a precious 1st rounder on a player whose path to making an impact is so blurry.

MaroonBells wrote:

Y'know what? I'm not as opposed to it this year as I've been in the past. The NFL had a woeful record of picking TEs in the 1st round for years. But it's improved the last few years with Warren and Bowers.
Sadiq would not be a bottle popper for me. Painful to blow a precious 1st round pick on a guy who would be a package player his first season. But I wouldn't be throwing the cat at the TV either. Hock's in a contract year.

Thinking this season he can be utilized in the slot as our #3 receiver in addition to TE packages, next season he replaces Hock…

supafreak84 wrote:

It's a really tough call because of the amount of needs we have and projected players at positions of need not really matching up with our draft slot. If we stick and pick, I think its going to be a playmaker on offense, probably Sadiq or one of the receivers. If we trade down, then almost anything is in play with defensive line being a high probability. For shits and giggles, I'll say;

Jordyn Tyson (if he slips) or Denzel Boston
Christian Miller, DT Georgia
Jalen Kilgore, S South Carolina and Nic Singleton, RB Penn State

I would love it if we could find a way to get both Singleton and Kilgore, two or my favorite players in the draft.

JR44 wrote:

I would love it if we could find a way to get both Singleton and Kilgore, two or my favorite players in the draft.

I brought up Singleton 2 months ago, I also am a fan.

Kentis wrote:

Thinking this season he can be utilized in the slot as our #3 receiver in addition to TE packages, next season he replaces Hock…

That's how I would imagine he would be used, (with Felton getting time as well) but I'd probably be rotating him and Hock with regards to who's in the slot on any given play, especially if the plays require chipping an edge and then getting out in a route. Hockenson just doesn't have the speed to do that anymore, but I think it's important that Sadiq would be getting inline reps as well as slot reps.

purplefaithful wrote:

Hey Geoff!
You going to post a mock this year?
OL would shock the s hit out of me Rd1

I’d like to! Time is in short supply over here, for all the best reasons, so will see what I can do.

NFL Draft Guru wrote:

I’d like to! Time is in short supply over here, for all the best reasons, so will see what I can do.

Hey Guru hope you are doing well!

I agree with McShay about McDonald's upside: would love this pick for Minnesota:

The Bears need DL, so I gave @McShay13 two choices: Kayden McDonald and TJ Parker.

He went with…. pic.twitter.com/4I2ks1BDPI

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) April 21, 2026

StickierBuns wrote:

I agree with McShay about McDonald's upside: would love this pick for Minnesota:
https://x.com/minakimes/status/2046598626433176041

I think we might be taking your guy McDonald, Sticky. Just a feeling.

comet52 wrote:

I think we might be taking your guy McDonald, Sticky. Just a feeling.

McDonald would be less of a surprise than Sadiq, thats for sure...

Im rolling with BPA and not the safety out of Oregon.

Option 2 is if someone offers more value in a trade down the Vikings take it. Has to be sexy though.

comet52 wrote:

I think we might be taking your guy McDonald, Sticky. Just a feeling.

Yeah, we'll see. I'm not great at slotting the draft prospects for depth, etc. like some other guys on the board, but I'm ok guesstimating and focusing in round 1 what Minnesota might be side-eyeing. Last year had the right spot (OG) when it wasn't trendy, now its just a gut feel on a riser that is going to be a hell of a NFL monster in the middle with some incremental upside as a pass rusher/lateral mover in McDonald. I think the safety position is deep enough for Minnesota to let it slide in round 1 and catch a guy in round 2 or 3. I think it might go DT, RB, S and CB for their first 4 picks. Some thought it was a few picks too early for Donovan Jackson at the time of the selection, I think the same thing happens with Kayden McDonald.

Still Hurtn wrote:

Im rolling with BPA and not the safety out of Oregon.
Option 2 is if someone offers more value in a trade down the Vikings take it. Has to be sexy though.

What if Thieneman IS the BPA?