Who the Vikings May Draft in 2026 if They Follow Last Year’s Drill

Minneapolis — One year after the Minnesota Vikings bucked the Consensus Big Board and selected Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson 25th overall, decision-makers inside TCO Performance Center are weighing whether to repeat the maneuver in the 2026 NFL Draft. Jackson, who entered draft weekend rated 39th on the consensus list, validated the front office’s conviction by solidifying the interior of the offensive line as a rookie. With the Vikings again holding the 18th overall choice and sitting on nine total selections—four more than they possessed at this point in 2025—interim general manager Rob Brzezinski has both capital and incentive to pounce early if he fears a targeted prospect will not last.

The template is straightforward: identify a trench player who fails to ignite mainstream mock-draft excitement but fits the Vikings’ specific schematic needs, then strike before the rest of the league realizes the value. League sources indicated Houston was prepared to pull the trigger on Jackson at No. 25 last April, nullifying any trade-down fantasy the draft media had floated. A similar dynamic could push Minnesota toward Clemson defensive tackle KJ McDonald in two weeks. Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice this week projected McDonald to the Vikings at 18, noting the 6-foot-3, 315-pound lineman “isn’t the sexiest prospect” yet offers the run-stuffing anchor and lateral quickness Brian Flores covets for twist games and pressure packages. In Tice’s estimation, McDonald is the defensive mirror of Jackson: a fundamentally sound trench talent who frees creative coaches to be creative.

The safety class and a potential long-term replacement for tight end T.J. Hockenson—Kenyon Sadiq’s name surfaced—remain in play, but the Jackson precedent points toward an early, board-bending investment up front. If Minnesota again ignores outside rankings, McDonald tops the short list of logical “reaches.” Should the Vikings deviate from last year’s script, Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman has become the post-Combine media darling linked most frequently to the 18th slot.

Minnesota’s war room has nine chances to get it right; the only question is whether the first will come earlier than most analysts expect.