Tony Schultz’s Last-Minute Draft Predictions for the Vikings

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Here we go. Draft Day is upon us, and the months of guessing and banging out mock drafts are coming to an end. Today, there will be a myriad of rumors flying around, and experts will have “steam” about what teams are thinking and possibly planning.

Smoke screens will begin to clear as the day goes on, and there will be shocking trades and picks. I’m more excited for this draft than last year, with more picks available to the Vikings and a new man in charge, GM Rob Brzezinski, working with Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores to find the next stars to launch the team into another winning season. Late-Round Trends and Trade Signals Will Affect the Vikings’ Draft Here are my quick predictions for the Vikings over the next few days, and a few about the overall three days of controlled chaos.

Overall Draft Predictions There will be a bunch of trades, maybe record-breaking numbers. The buzz the last few weeks has been a run on offensive linemen in the middle of round 1, and teams will need to trade up to get the one they covet. Luckily for them, this draft seems very top-heavy, and higher drafting teams are going to be willing to move back.

Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Look at the Cowboys to be the one that makes a huge jump up with two first-rounders in their pocket. That may be where the draft really starts, as the top 3-4 picks seem pretty locked in.