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MN Vikings Go Defense in Legendary NFL Mock Draft (1.0)
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- MN Vikings Go Defense in Legendary NFL Mock Draft (1.0)
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
While the NFL playoffs are still raging on, the Minnesota Vikings season ended at 9-8 after a victory over the Green Bay Packers . None of the NFC North remains involved in the pursuit of a 2026 Super Bowl, which means they are all working through offseason proceedings.
Free agency will soon open and provide Minnesota a path to rebuilding a roster for competition. Beyond that though, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah needs to start hitting on some draft picks. Spending as he has only goes so far, and it kicks the can of development down the road.
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There are a multitude of different positions Minnesota could target in April, and mock drafts have already started to pour in . Few are more revered than that of Mel Kiper (ESPN) though.
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Credit: George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Mel Kiper gives Minnesota Vikings a new cornerback
Way back in 1979, at the age of 18, Mel Kiper began his mock drafts as a student at Essex Community College. Fast forward to 2026 and he has become synonymous with the April event as a massive media personality for ESPN. His first mock hit the interwebs on Wednesday, and he has the Minnesota Vikings going defense with Mansoor Delane.
Delane would bring top-end ball skills and some really good coverage technique to Minnesota. The Vikings redid their cornerback room in 2025 free agency, but they still have depth problems behind Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers . Plus, Minnesota managed just eight interceptions this season (tied for sixth fewest). Well, over the past two campaigns, Delane has six picks and 18 pass breakups. That's impact production, and coordinator Brian Flores would love to get a player such as Delane into his unit.
The LSU product is the second cornerback off the board (Jermod McCoy – 13th LAR) in Kiper's first mock. It makes sense that the MN Vikings could target the position after being so thin on depth all season.
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Starting the year it was only Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah on the active roster. Okudah remained a health risk, and Murphy Jr. was ranked well below (71st) Rodgers (17th) per Pro Football Focus .
Mansoor Delane isn't a "hype DB."
He's a toolsy, intelligent, physical corner coming out of the best DB pipeline in college football with a ceiling that hasn't been hit yet.
He also had ideal corner size
6ft with long arms
Fluid at the hips
Smooth transitions
Can flip and… pic.twitter.com/LsqJpoXx2t— Korey 🐅 (@BengalsKorey) January 5, 2026
Delane transferred from Virginia Tech to LSU for his senior season. He posted 45 tackles and picked off a pair of passed while being named an All-American. At 6'0″ and 190 pounds, he also has respectable size for the position.
MN Vikings choice dictated by other decisions
Given the reality that the Minnesota Vikings have multiple positions they could target, it will matter how the board falls when they are on the clock.
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Kiper sees Kenyon Sadiq going 15th to the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, which would remove the target Dane Brugler (The Athletic) had for Minnesota . It seems unlikely that the Vikings will use another first round pick on a quarterback, but Alabama's Ty Simpson could be in their range as QB2. Kiper has him off the board to the New York Jets at 16.
Other talents to watch for the Vikings , that Kiper has all being selected after Minnesota's first pick, include Avieon Terrell (CB – Clemson), Peter Woods (DT – Clemson), Kayden McDonald (DT – Ohio State), and Kadyn Proctor (G/T – Alabama).
It will be fascinating to watch how the draft prospects change in the coming months. Pro days and the NFL Combine will give teams plenty of additional insight.
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