Minnesota Vikings fans and pundits are hyperfixated on the club drafting a safety, cornerback, or defensive tackle on Thursday night, as the roster calls for it. But what if they don’t? What if the Vikings get funky? The following is a look at the Vikings’ dark horse draft outcomes, even if they’re somewhat unrealistic.
Always remember: a team like the Atlanta Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. two years ago after handing Kirk Cousins a $180 million contract.
.. and the stuff on Thursday that would make you scratch your head.
1. A Splashy Trade Up the Draftboard for Love, Styles, or Downs
The premise of this article is dark-horse draft outcomes that could unfold: strange, unprecedented, unexpected, and thrilling.
Here, the Vikings would bet it all on Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame), Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State), or Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State). All three play non-premium positions, but Minnesota disregards “smart person” logic to obtain the best football player.
For example, if Love is available between pick 6 and 10, the Vikings could send a basket of draft picks to a a team in Top 10 and secure the draft’s top playmaker. Love would then cook in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, likely forcing him to run the football at a normal NFL clip.
This option will be expensive and probably won’t happen because Minnesota needs all of its draft picks to onboard young talent. Still, this would be the ultimate “all in” move.
SI.com‘s Will Ragatz wrote about the notion of trading up this week, “Jeremiyah Love would be an incredibly fun addition to the Vikings’ offense, but I’m not sure he’ll even fall far enough to be a realistic trade-up candidate for Minnesota. The one that stands out as a possibility is Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.”
“He could potentially slide a bit because of the positional value of safeties and the fact that he didn’t run at the combine or OSU’s pro day. It’s possible Brian Flores loves Downs and thinks he has a chance to be an All-Pro in the Vikings’ scheme.”
It’s worth noting that Minnesota would likely have to donate a fortune to land Love or Downs, including next year’s 1st-Rounder.
Ragatz continued, “With that said, I don’t think the Vikings will want to part with the draft capital required to move up from 18 to, say, the Chiefs’ pick at No. 9. But if Downs falls out of the top 10, it might be worth making some calls to see about the price on moving up 5-7 spots.”
“Ultimately, I don’t think it’s particularly likely they go up or land Downs.”
Christian Darrisaw’s torn ACL recovery has concerned Vikings fans, Brian O’Neill is on deck for 2027 free agency, Will Fries’s guaranteed money runs out after the 2026 season, and Minnesota doesn’t have a starting center.
Those concerns are perhaps easily fixable, but what if the Vikings’ offensive line situation is causing distress behind closed doors? They could pick offensive tackle Spencer Fano from Utah or the best interior offensive lineman in the draft, Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane.
Minnesota proved in the last draft that it was serious about the trenches with Donovan Jackson. What if they make it two years in a row?
Sadly, an offensive tackle selection would signal significant fears about Darrisaw’s future, whether that’s accurate or not.
3. Drafting an EDGE with Greenard, Van Ginkel, and Turner on the Roster
Do the Vikings need an EDGE rusher? They do not. Is EDGE one of the most important spots in the NFL? It is.
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski has vowed to select the best player available on Thursday night, and that might just be an outside linebacker like Keldric Faulk (Auburn) or T.J. Parker (Clemson). Think of it this way: Jonathan Greenard has been the subject of trade rumors; he wants a new contract. The upcoming season is scheduled to be Andrew Van Ginkel’s last in Minnesota.