Assessing the Minnesota Vikings’ biggest needs entering the 2026 NFL Draft is a perplexing one. Unlike many teams, they have talented frontline starters but lack depth at almost every position. Further complicating matters is the less-than-stellar draft crop available to them at various positions. In many cases, the need is not met by the availability of talent.

Case in point: the quarterback position. The Vikings pursued and eventually signed veteran Kyler Murray because of the shallow quarterback talent in the 2026 draft. They have pronounced needs on their interior defensive line, but most of the prime targets fit the nose-tackle mold rather than the inside pass-rusher they are seeking. And Minnesota needs a long-term solution at the center position, but many of the available talents are smaller and do not fit their pass-blocking schemes.

Vikings’ 3 Biggest Draft Needs

Secondary

I’m cheating a little bit here because I am combining the team’s draft needs at both cornerback and safety. But with good reason. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores often uses safeties in place of nickelbacks and frequently moves people to untraditional spots in his defensive formations.

Safety Josh Martellus is more of a monster back playing near the line of scrimmage to stop the run, and he is frequently used to rush the passer. This often means Flores has to deploy two traditional safeties, in addition to Metellus, to provide proper pass coverage.

At cornerback, Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, and newly acquired James Pierre form a good, not great unit. The Vikings will certainly need to use draft capital to provide more depth at this position. Maybe not with the 18th pick, but at some point, on the draft’s second or third day. At safety, Harrison Smith’s possible retirement hangs heavily over the team’s plans for this unit.

Mettellus is a star performer at his position, but Theo Jackson had a disappointing season as the free safety after Cam Bynum left in free agency. Jay Ward has shown promise, but the sample size is small. Ohio State standout safety Caleb Downs will almost certainly be gone when the Vikings’ No. 18 draft number is called. Lately, there has been speculation about safeties such as Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman and, to a lesser extent, Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.

Defensive Line

The Vikings found a gem in undrafted free agent Jalen Redmond, who excelled at both stopping the run and creating disruption on interior pass rushes. The team has other young talent at the position, such as Levi Drake Rodriguez and Taki Taimani, but a stronger interior pass rush was woefully lacking in 2025. The choices in the draft raise questions because so many of the best choices project as nose tackles at the next level, and there are red flags surrounding some of the more favorable prospects.

If they take a plunge for defensive tackle with the 18th pick in the draft, the names to remember are Peter Woods out of Clemson and Caleb Banks from the University of Florida. As mentioned, question marks surround both players: Woods’ production slipped last season, and Banks has suffered a slew of injuries that have slowed his development.

Leading the pack of possible Day 2 draftees is Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter, whose pass-rushing skills have improved throughout his college career, and Christen Miller (Georgia), who must elevate his pass-rushing techniques.

Center

There will be some debate about this third-draft priority need for the Vikings. Many would say that with the departure of Jalen Nailor through free agency, that receiver should be slotted in this position. I would not argue with that opinion, but I selected center instead due to the long-term deficiencies at the position. The Vikings drafted Garrett Bradbury in the 2021 NFL Draft, and over his five years with Minnesota, he developed into an effective run blocker in the middle of the Vikings’ offensive line.

The problem was that he was a sieve as a pass blocker, constantly getting flattened by opponents’ nose tackles. He lacked the lower-body stability and overall strength to protect the quarterback effectively. So, they brought in Ryan Kelly last season from Indianapolis to upgrade this position, but unfortunately, he suffered multiple concussions, which forced him into retirement at the end of the 2025 season.

The Vikings seem comfortable giving the versatile Blake Brandel an extended shot at holding the position after a short but successful stint there. But the team would be foolish not to plan for contingencies, injuries, and the future. As I mentioned earlier, many of the best prospects at center in this draft are undersized. This will be a second or third-day priority, so in the initial rounds, they can prioritize strengthening their interior defensive line and secondary.

Out of the possible picks, Jake Slaughter of Florida rises to the top. He does not possess one outstanding trait, but his overall game is proficient. He has good size, a solid base, moves laterally well, and uses his hands well to ward off would-be defenders. Slaughter is football smart, plays with passion, and is a natural-born leader. Kansas State’s Sam Hecht (long-arm nose tackles give him fits) and converted tackle Trey Zuhn III, who will need time to develop after his position change, remain additional options.

Wrap-up

We’re getting down to it. One day before the NFL Draft. I’ll follow this up with my final mock draft of the season.