Vikings get a Big Ten DB in latest Mel Kiper Jr. mock draft
· Yahoo Sports
The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in Pittsburgh next April, a city that could be where the Vikings select the next star they add to their roster in hopes of righting the proverbial ship. Before next April, though, there will be plenty of speculation and buildup for the team and who they may add to the roster through the draft. Thankfully, we now have some added context for players now that the scouting combine has come and gone.
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ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. recently released the latest 2026 NFL mock draft of the cycle, which has the team focusing on defense once again. He has the Vikings finding their replacement for Harrison Smith in Oregon's Dillon Thieneman. The Big Ten defender has made a name for himself since starting the draft process, including most recently dominating the testing at the combine.
Kiper explains the Thieneman pick, writing, "We still don't know whether 37-year-old Harrison Smith will keep playing (and if so, whether he'll return to Minnesota as a free agent). Joshua Metellus, Jay Ward and Theo Jackson are the top safeties on the Vikings' depth chart. In a division with Caleb Williams, Jordan Love and Jared Goff, this has to be a priority at the draft regardless of whether Smith is back for Year 15. I had Thieneman to the Vikings in my last mock draft. He reminds me a lot of Smith in the way he reads the QB and reacts in a flash. I could see defensive coordinator Brian Flores getting creative with Thieneman, lining him up all over the formation and letting him use his great ball skills to pile up takeaways."
It is a pick we have seen time and again and it is one we may even see on draft night. If it unfolds that way, Vikings fans should be happy as he and Smith have similar styles and approach to defense.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: NFL Mock Draft: Vikings get some help from the Big Ten