The 2026 NFL Draft Combine is about one week away, but we asked VikingsTerritory writers to identify one “draft crush” apiece before the party gets started. Our contributors could pick any player from any round — here’s what they came up with.
Vikings draft season is already warming up, and a few early names feel like clean fits based on talent and long-term trajectory.
The Vikings will have at least nine draft picks in 2026, much more than last year when the cupboard was barren.
Eight Names We Want for Minnesota’s 2026 Draft Board
Our dream fits for the purple team.
1. Pat Coogan | Center, Indiana
Crush Holer: Sean Borman
Watch this guy’s playoff tape, then tell me you don’t like watching offensive linemen play football.
2. Malachi Fields | WR, Notre Dame
Crush Holder: Brevan Bane
A mountain of a man at 6’4, Fields could fill a need if the Vikings let Jalen Nailor walk. In a hopeful scenario, Jefferson and Fields could be the boundary receivers with Addison (status on the team TBD) working primarily out of the slot. Fields is a “go up and get it” type of receiver, something the Vikings have been lacking for a while.
3. Dillon Thieneman | S, Oregon
Crush Holder: Tony Schultz
Everyone will be staring down that 1st-Round pick at 18. Will the Vikings stay put? Move up? Move down? There are so many directions the team could go player-wise alone, and then add in being saddled with a new decision-maker (makers?) with the recent firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Rob Brzezinski is a “money” guy and may try to find a young replacement for an aging position at that point. I’m looking at Day 2 at the earliest for a guy I don’t want the team to miss out on. Dillon Thieneman is a guy I hope they have in their sights as a replacement for Harrison Smith.
He comes from a strong program and has decent size for a safety. More importantly, he is smart. Some have described him as an extension of the defensive coordinator on the field, and that’s a guy Brian Flores will covet. If he’s there in the 2nd Round, I hope the Vikings grab him.
If he lasts until their 3rd-Round pick, they should sprint to the podium. Reading the experts’ opinions, he matches Smith in their draft breakdowns in almost every way.
4. Akheem Mesidor | EDGE, Miami
Crush Holder: Kyle Joudry
Once upon a time, I played defensive line myself. I therefore enjoy watching great defensive linemen. Seeing Canadian edge rusher Akheem Mesidor get drafted would be fine by me.
5. Mansoor Delane | CB, LSU
Crush Holder: Ali Siddiqui
The Vikings have multiple needs, and CB is definitely one of them. Delane could be gone by no. 18, but if available, they should definitely take him. Isaiah Rodgers is in the final year of his deal.
6. Jermod McCoy | CB, Tennessee
Crush Holder: Steven Hoikkala
The Vikings need to upgrade their secondary, and McCoy would help solidify the backfield going forward. With Mansoor Delane likely off the board when Minnesota picks, McCoy will be a top CB target in this draft if Minnesota decides to upgrade the defense at No. 18.
7. Nick Singleton | RB, Penn State
How would you feel about a running back who just turned 22, is 6’0″ tall, weighs 220 pounds, has 4.39 speed, marked 23.6 mph in game speed at one point on the field last season, and catches the ball out of the backfield? That’s Singleton. He can also get-got in Round 3 or 4. Sign me the hell up.
t8. Caleb Banks | DT, Florida
Crush Holder: Adam New
The Vikings need help in the secondary, but adding Caleb Banks, an interior defender with the skillset to thrive in both run defense and pass rush, would give them a great young duo in the middle of the DL, along with Jalen Redmond. Already strong on the edge, this formidable defensive front is the stuff of my dreams.
t8. Caleb Banks | DT, Florida
Crush Holder: Janik Eckardt
The Vikings lack a massive human being in the running game. Banks brings that to the table and can be a real difference-maker in the ground game. He pairs that frame with nice short-area quickness, giving him an intriguing ceiling. With Jalen Redmond already in the building, the Vikings could form the interior duo for years to come by picking up the projected 1st-Round talent.
t8. Caleb Banks | DT, Florida
Crush Holder: Wes Johnson
Vikings addressed the trenches last offseason and injected youth into the offensive line via the draft. This year, they focus on youth on the defensive side and double down on the trenches. Banks had a phenomenal Senior Bowl and will be a projected riser come the draft. Pegged as an early 2nd Round pick before the Senior Bowl, he’s now cracked the back end of the 1st round.
t8. Caleb Banks | DT, Florida
Crush Holder: Josh Frey
I want to say Mansoor Delane, but I think he will go sooner. The big spending on DT in free agency last offseason didn’t exactly pan out for the Vikings, so it’s time to get a really disruptive presence on a rookie contract. Banks can be exactly that as a massive player at 6’6″ and 330 pounds. Injury cut his 2025 season short, but when healthy, he’s proven he can impact a defense both as a run stopper and a pass rusher.
