Mar 31, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesThe Minnesota Vikings will make some explosive moves throughout the NFL Draft, and some of them will surprise you.
The Minnesota Vikings have a bevy of directions at their disposal going into the NFL Draft. With needs at seemingly every position, they can do just about anything, and it will make sense.
What is the optimal path forward for the Vikings? That will depend on who you talk to. It’s one of the more interesting elements going into the NFL Draft, because there are so many paths forward. Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski has a lot of pressure on him, as this draft class is critical for the future.
What will the Vikings end up doing? Our bold predictions highlight what they are likely to do during draft weekend.
Vikings don't take a trench player with their first three picks
Vikings will trade down with one of their first two picks
The Vikings may have the likes of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson on the roster, but it wasn’t nearly enough to field a talented offense. They were the 26th-ranked scoring offense in 2025, playing poorly consistently. Part of that was the quarterback position and the offensive line injuries, but head coach Kevin O’Connell will want to attack his group of weapons.
With the uncertain futures of both Addison and Hockenson, a pass catcher is high on the list. Kenyon Sadiq has been at the top of the list for me over the last six weeks, and he’s someone they have shown interest in. If that doesn’t happen, wide receiver in round one isn’t out of the question, same with round two.
This is an interesting one for many reasons. It likely will manifest with a Jonathan Greenard trade, as that will give the Vikings extra capital on day two. In order to get him, the Vikings will likely have to trade up to get Stukes. That extra capital will work well in making that happen.
Stukes feels built in a lab for Brian Flores. He has plenty of size, has a lot of experience after six years at Arizona, and can play everywhere on the back end. Having sub 4.4 speed is huge to explosiveness, and his change of direction is really good. Don’t be surprised if he goes earlier than expected.
Treydan Stukes#4 safety/#1 nickel/#38 overall (would be #26 without injuries)Defensive chess piece with top-tier movement skills & versatility. Injury history hurts his grade, but he's worth a top 50 pick if the medicals clear.– 2,674 career snaps between safety (503), slot… pic.twitter.com/lsMrs7aTxu
This isn’t something that I want to happen, but it’s very plausible with how the draft is structured. There is a lot of offensive line talent in the first round, but it’s not a priority position for the Vikings. That, paired with a lack of defensive line talent high up in the draft and you can start to see how it could happen.
This center class is deep, but there isn’t anyone worthy of a top 64 pick. With all of the needs the Vikings have, the first one will come at either pick 97 or whatever the fourth pick will be.
Even though the Vikings have nine picks and four in the top 97, trading down is going to be on the mind of Brzezinski. They would love to have another pick on day two or get one in the fourth round. Expect them to make a move to get one of those picks separate from a possible Greenard trade.