Vikings Need a Backup Plan for the Draft

” Famous last words of everyone on the Internet banging out mock drafts, trying to either just have some fun speculating or trying to be a “Temu” Mel Kiper Jr. I go with the first option for myself, but I’m not going to stay quiet if I’m right! Hey, even the experts get it wrong from time to time, so why not brag a little when someone like me guesses right?

Kevin O’Connell and the entire Vikings staff are going to take their best stab at players in just a few days. Contingency Paths Could Tilt Minnesota’s Draft Strategy No matter how sure many of us and the experts are that the Vikings are going to draft Dillon Thieneman if he’s there, it doesn’t mean they will or even have the opportunity to if a team ahead of them thinks highly of him or another team jumps ahead of them for the same reason. What do the Vikings do if the player they covet in a position they’re looking to fill is gone?

Just like last year’s offensive line and quarterback, they’re going to have to go to the backup. That doesn’t necessarily mean a different position at their pick, but a hole they need to plug somewhere in the draft with the next guy in line that they can snag. Sep 13, 2025; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive safety Cole Wisniewski (5) looks to the sideline in the first half during the game against the Oregon State Beavers at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images Last year, many people thought the team might get a chance at Grey Zabel until the Seahawks took him as he moved up draft boards for every team. The Vikings did take a guard, Donovan Jackson, at 24, who is a solid starter and most fans are happy with.