After a chaotic free agency period, the Minnesota Vikings turn their focus to the 2026 NFL Draft, where they will begin the night with nine picks to work with. Minnesota remains without a general manager since firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January, and vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski is set to lead the charge in the next month.
While the Vikings did not make too many moves in free agency, they stole headlines with their few signings. They most notably signed Kyler Murray, who is the favorite to win the Week 1 starting job over J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer.
However, the Vikings only signed three offensive players in free agency, including Murray and Wentz. They are expected to address that side of the ball more in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Let's take a look at the Vikings' 2026 NFL Draft, according to the PFF mock draft simulator.
Round 1, Pick 18: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Despite already owning one of the best receiving corps in the league, the PFF mock draft simulator expects the Vikings to begin the 2026 NFL Draft by taking Arizona State star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. It will take a small miracle for Tyson to fall all the way down to No. 18, but Minnesota fans can dream.
Receiver is not the Vikings' top position of need, but after the way their offense performed in 2025, the front office might not be willing to cut any corners. Minnesota did lose starter Jalen Nailor to the Las Vegas Raiders, opening the door for a player like Tyson to potentially replace him in the draft.
Fans might want to see the Vikings address defense early in the draft, but Tyson's numbers speak for themselves. The Allen, Texas, native amassed 1,812 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns in two seasons at Arizona State to make him a clear top-three receiver prospect of the class.
Round 2, Pick 49: OG Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
The Vikings' offensive line took an unexpected blow just before free agency began when center Ryan Kelly announced his retirement. The team appears content to begin the year with Michael Jurgens taking over, but the PFF mock draft simulator still expects it to further address the situation by using its second-round pick on Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis.
Bisontis endured an up-and-down career at Texas A&M that saw him start out as a tackle before moving to guard ahead of his sophomore season. After allowing 16 pressures as a tackle in 2023, Bisontis has allowed only 17 in the two years since switching to guard.
However, the Vikings' spending a second-round pick on a guard would be a misuse of draft capital. Minnesota has incumbent starters Will Fries and Donovan Jackson each under contract through the 2026 season, making the position one of its least concerning in the 2026 offseason. Bisonits began his collegiate career as a tackle, giving him the flexibility to potentially play inside and out. But with more profound prospects at either position available in the second round, it would still be a bad investment.
Round 3, Pick 82: C Connor Lew, Auburn
The Vikings drafting a center makes much more sense than them selecting a guard on Day Two. The PFF mock draft simulator has them investing in a potential Ryan Kelly replacement in the third round with Auburn's Connor Lew.
Lew was a fringe first-round prospect entering the 2025 season, but was limited to just seven games before tearing his ACL in October 2025. Lew's injury status is now a clear concern scouts have with his pro potential, but his talent and physicality keep him pegged as a late-Day Two prospect.
The 20-year-old will likely begin his NFL career on the bench as he continues to rehab his ACL. The Vikings can afford to wait while Jurgens buys them time to determine how high his ceiling will be once he makes a full recovery. Lew is a risky pick, but one that most scouts still feel confident in, particularly in a weak center class.
Round 3, Pick 97: RB Jonah Coleman, Washington
The Vikings re-signed Aaron Jones in free agency to retain their backfield tandem with Jordan Mason. Both veterans are entering contract years, which the PFF mock draft simulator expects the team to respond by selecting Washington's Jonah Coleman in round three.
Coleman emerged as a 2024 All-Big Ten running back before taking a slight step back in 2025. His rushing yard total decreased from 1,053 to 758, but his touchdown count increased from 10 to 15, tied for second-most in the conference. He added a career-high 354 receiving yards and returned three kickoffs for 54 yards, leading to him becoming a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, given to the nation's most versatile player.
Despite being just 5-foot-9, Coleman's physicality troubled many elite defenses in the trenches. His lack of elite athleticism and high-end speed limits his NFL potential, but after seeing what Cam Skattebo did as a 2025 fourth-rounder, he is well worth the investment with a mid-round selection.
Round 5, Pick 163: OT J.C. Davis, Illinois
The PFF mock draft simulator has the Vikings selecting their third offensive lineman within their first five picks by taking Illinois tackle J.C. Davis in the fifth round. Davis was PFF's third-highest-rated offensive tackle in the FBS after neutralizing the penalty issues that plagued his first season in Champaign-Urbana.
Davis still has some pass-blocking concerns, allowing a team-high 18 pressures in 2025, but his frame and athleticism are already at an elite NFL level. Inconsistent reps prevented him from rising higher on the draft board, but Davis would be a superb Day Three pick.
While left tackle Christian Darrisaw recently inked a four-year extension that keeps him in Minnesota through 2029, right tackle Brian O'Neill is entering a contract season. With the right guidance, Davis could become his successor by 2027.
Round 6, Pick 196: DL Zane Durant, Penn State
Zane Durant never produced big numbers in his four years at Penn State, but his athleticism continues to keep him on scouts' radars. Durant turned heads at the 2026 NFL Draft Combine, where he ran a 4.76-second 40-yard dash — leading all interior defensive linemen — and recorded a 33.5-inch vertical jump.
Still, Durant never exceeded four sacks in a single season with the Nittany Lions, thus resulting in him being pegged as a Day Three prospect. He would still be an intriguing addition to a Vikings team that released veteran defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave just before 2026 free agency began.
While unlikely any team takes a shot on Durant on Day Two, his combine performance might have turned him into a fourth- or fifth-round prospect. Minnesota snagging him in the sixth round would make training camp and the preseason much more interesting.
Round 7, Pick 234: RB Roman Hemby, Indiana
Four rounds after taking Jonah Coleman, the PFF mock draft simulator expects the Vikings to double down on running backs with Indiana's Roman Hemby. The 23-year-old Hemby comes with many concerns, but he did enough in his lone season in Bloomington to warrant late-round draft consideration.
While Hemby's age is his biggest concern, his inconsistent production at Maryland adds to the list of worries scouts have with him ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. The former high school track star was seemingly on the road to a big breakout season after an efficient 989-yard campaign in 2022, but he managed only 1,287 in his next two seasons with the Terrapins before transferring to Indiana.
Adding another running back in the later rounds would put Zavier Scott's roster spot in even more danger than it would be with the Coleman pick. Hemby has potential special teams appeal that could give him a path to the 53-man roster after returning nine kickoffs for the Hoosiers in 2025.
Round 7: Pick 235: RB Terion Stewart, Virginia Tech
The PFF mock draft simulator fully expects Rob Brzezinski to have a concerted focus on Day Three running backs. With back-to-back picks in the sixth round, the simulator has the Vikings pairing Roman Hemby with Virginia Tech prospect Terion Stewart.
After four years at Bowling Green, Stewart transferred to the Hokies in 2025, where he spent most of the year as the latter half of a 1A-1B split with Marcellous Hawkins. He ended the year with 469 rushing yards on an efficient 5.7 yards per carry but failed to reach the end zone for the first time in his five-year collegiate career.
Stewart lacks the elite speed that would make up for his 5-foot-9 frame, but he is a powerful runner with an above-average broken tackle rate. Without much special teams appeal, he would have to really impress in the preseason to make the final roster.
Round 7, Pick 244: LB Eric Gentry, USC
Eric Gentry does not look like a typical NFL linebacker — he is long and lanky instead of compact and muscular. Gentry's frame likely contributed to the injuries that plagued him at USC and will be a concern for any team that potentially drafts him, even if he ended his college football tenure with a career-high 76 tackles and five forced fumbles.
Gentry's length gives him the potential to wreak havoc as an edge-rushing blitzer or over the middle, but he struggles with his footwork in pass coverage. His aggressive style of attacking the ball can also compromise his tackling form at times, resulting in 15 missed tackles in 2025.
Gentry has intriguing potential as a Day Three prospect, even if it will take at least a few years to reap any benefits. The 22-year-old needs to spend the majority of his rookie season in the weight room before beginning his development as a defensive playmaker, which the Vikings desperately need.
