Vikings 1st-Round Mock Drafts Have Been Flipped on Their Heads

Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images For about six weeks, 90% — maybe more — of NFL mock drafts said the same thing for the Minnesota Vikings: Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman in Round 1. Now, with draft week here , the script has flipped, as the who’s who of NFL punditry is connecting Thieneman’s teammate, tight end Kenyon Sadiq, to the Vikings. Sadiq, alas, is squarely in the Vikings’ draft spotlight.

The momentum has indeed shifted from defense to offense, which might just make sense for a team run by an offense-first head coach. Sadiq Has Entered the Vikings’ Round 1 Conversation Thieneman or Sadiq . Who you got?

Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq (TE23) participates in drills during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium, on Feb 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana, showcasing his athleticism and pass-catching ability as evaluators from across the league observed his movement skills and potential fit at the next level. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images ESPN’s Jordan Reid Says Sadiq for the Vikings Reid, a Vikings fan as a youngster, said no thanks to the Thieneman angle for the Vikings in his final mock draft, instead connecting him to the Dallas Cowboys at Pick No. 12.

So, he made Sadiq Minnesota’s first pick and explained , “Tight end isn’t the Vikings’ biggest need — those would be safety and defensive tackle — but Thieneman is off the board as a possible Harrison Smith replacement and there isn’t a defensive tackle worth taking at this point of the draft. Sadiq is a speedy (4. 39 seconds in the 40-yard dash) receiving tight end whom Minnesota could use in multiple ways in its offense.