Vikings land star SEC defender in new 2026 NFL Mock Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in Pittsburgh this month, a city that could be where the Vikings select the next star they add to their roster in hopes of righting the proverbial ship. Before then, though, there will be plenty of speculation and buildup for the team and who they may add to the roster through the draft. Thankfully, we now have some added context for players now that the scouting combine has come and gone.

PFF's Daire Carragher recently released the latest 2026 NFL mock draft of the cycle, which has the team going in a different direction after the Eagles traded up one spot ahead of the Vikings in this mock to select Dillon Thieneman. Instead, they stick with the secondary but end up with Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy. Carragher explains the McCoy pick, writing, "After checking every box at his highly anticipated pro day, some reports suggest McCoy may not make it this far down the draft board, as he looks like the same athlete he was before tearing his ACL and missing the entire 2025 season.

Turn on any of his tape from a year ago, and you will see a cornerback who plays with unmatched tenacity. He is a perfect culture fit under Brian Flores. " McCoy was projected to be in the first round, but his performance at the Tennessee Pro Day seemingly cemented them.

As such, we are seeing him in more and more spots in the top half of the first round. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: NFL Mock Draft: Vikings land Jermod McCoy coming off injury