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PFF Names the Perfect Vikings Draft Pick
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- PFF Names the Perfect Vikings Draft Pick
Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Most of the league is already looking ahead to the 2026 NFL draft, including the Minnesota Vikings . This week, Pro Football Focus put out an article naming each team's perfect draft pick for this year's draft. For the Vikings, it was a cornerback.
Avieon Terrell would give the Vikings a shot at finally ending their poor CB-drafting tendencies.
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Before free agency, when things can change quickly with new signings, and before any notable players are released or traded to make savings against the salary cap , the favored positions that Minnesota is expected to address in the draft are cornerback, safety, running back, and center. There is also a case to be made for the linebacker and tight end positions.
Why PFF's Draft Pick Fits the Vikings' Bigger Plan
What you determine to be the best options will be determined by things like positional value, the potential of the player, and of course, how likely they are to be on the board at 18 when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah makes his draft pick.
Nov 29, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers cornerback Avieon Terrell (8) celebrates a play against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
There is a fair argument to be made that CB is the team's biggest need and also the highest positional value of the positions Minnesota is likely to be looking at. So it is no surprise that the early mock drafts are dominated by CB's making their way to Kevin O'Connell's team in the first round this year.
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Clemson CB Is the Apparent Perfect Pick
PFF's Max Chadwick named Clemson's Avieon Terrell as the Vikings' perfect draft pick. Following in the footsteps of his brother, AJ Terrell, who played at Clemson and was drafted 16th overallby the Atlanta Falcons back in 2021. Avieon is tipped to do the same with Minnesota, a popular landing spot in a similar range to where his brother was taken. AJ was named second-team All-Pro back in 2021.
Here is what PFF's article had to say about their choice of Terrell to the Vikings.
The Vikings need help in their secondary, particularly at cornerback. Terrell, who posted 80.0-plus PFF overall grades in each of the past two seasons at Clemson, is a potential answer. He's the younger brother of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell , who ranked second among all NFL cornerbacks in PFF overall grade back in the 2021 season.
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The scouting report on Terrell is that he's not quite the prospect his brother was going into the draft. He's on the smaller side for a CB and doesn't have top-end speed. What he does have is the ability to play on the outside or in the slot. Versatility is a key component of a player in the Brian Flores defense – though we don't currently know if Flores will still be running the Vikings defense in 2026.
The Perfect Pick?
Terrell is a feisty, fleet-footed cover man with clear playmaking ability, to the point that he is considered a first-round prospect. Does that make him the perfect draft pick for the Vikings? I would be reasonably happy if the Vikings landed Terrell in April, but I don't think I'd go as far as calling it perfect. Some players might be expected to be drafted higher, but could slide to 18 in a perfect scenario.
Clemson corner back Avieon Terrell (20) during the first practice at Clemson, S.C. Friday, August 4, 2023. © Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
Either way, we will have to wait and see what actually happens on the field before we know if it's a successful pick. As we've seen with Dallas Turner over the last couple of seasons, it might also take time. What is for sure is that the Vikings need help in the secondary, and the front office should explore all avenues to do that.
