Five Players I Wouldn’t Hate Seeing at #18 For the Vikings

EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 14: Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) reacts after scoring a touchdown during a college football game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Oregon Ducks on November 14, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The 2026 NFL Draft is almost upon us, and I haven’t spent nearly as much time speculating on which players I would like to see our Minnesota Vikings go after as I would like. Hopefully, I can spend a good chunk of the next couple of weeks attempting to remedy that, starting with a look at a few guys I wouldn’t mind seeing the purple grab with their first selection.

I’m going to attempt to limit myself to guys who, based on what I’m seeing from mocks and big boards around the internet, have a realistic chance of being available with the 18th overall pick. I’m also going to take guys who are not named Dillon Thieneman. It’s nothing personal against the Oregon safety, who would probably be a really solid pick for the Vikings, but honestly.

. . it seems like every damn mock draft on the internet has the Vikings taking Thieneman at #18, so I’m going to try to look at some different players instead.

These five players are in no particular order, and this is just one man’s opinion. Your mileage, as always, may vary. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon I understand that tight end might not be the biggest immediate need for the Vikings.