treej'S MOCK DRAFT

treej'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON FEB 26, 2026

Mock 12.0

  • treej DRAFTING FOR THE
    Vikings
Draft Selections
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 26 RND: 1 (MIN)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Keith Abney II Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (MIN)
Keith Abney II
CB Arizona State
Domonique Orange Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (MIN)
Domonique Orange
DL Iowa State
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (MIN)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Emmett Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Emmett Johnson
RB Nebraska
Kyle Louis Head Shot
PICK: 119 RND: 4 (MIN)
Kyle Louis
LB Pittsburgh
Michael Trigg Head Shot
PICK: 123 RND: 4 (MIN)
Michael Trigg
TE Baylor
Tyren Montgomery Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (MIN)
Tyren Montgomery
WR Nicholls
Trey Zuhn III Head Shot
PICK: 194 RND: 6 (MIN)
Trey Zuhn III
OT Texas A&M
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 234 RND: 7 (MIN)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Draft Picks Received
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 26 RND: 1 (BUF)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Domonique Orange Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (BUF)
Domonique Orange
DL Iowa State
Kyle Louis Head Shot
PICK: 119 RND: 4 (CAR)
Kyle Louis
LB Pittsburgh
Michael Trigg Head Shot
PICK: 123 RND: 4 (LAC)
Michael Trigg
TE Baylor
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (BUF)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Carnell Tate Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (BUF)
Carnell Tate
WR Ohio State
DJ Harvey Head Shot
PICK: 240 RND: 7 (LAC)
DJ Harvey
CB USC
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Players traded away
Head Shot
Javon Hargrave
DT
Head Shot
T.J. Hockenson
TE
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall C-
ValueC+ NeedB TradesF FutureB-
The Vikings got the worse of every deal, and it shows in the C-.

The Vikings went off the board in a big way for Trey Zuhn III, 52 picks early. Conviction is one thing; this is another.

The Slaughter pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close.

They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. On the needs board they went 7 of 8, with quarterback the one that mattered most.

If Dillon Thieneman and a couple of the gambles land, hindsight will be kinder than this grade.

Pick Analysis
Pick26 Rnd1 Dillon Thieneman
By-the-book stuff, Dillon Thieneman at slot 26 squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick49 Rnd2 Keith Abney II
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Keith Abney II at Round 2, Pick 17. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick60 Rnd2 Domonique Orange
Domonique Orange in No. 60 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick82 Rnd3 Jake Slaughter
Jake Slaughter in the 82nd overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick97 Rnd3 Emmett Johnson
Emmett Johnson at pick 97 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the running back. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick119 Rnd4 Kyle Louis
They left a pile of value on the table to take Kyle Louis this early at the Round 4 slot. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick123 Rnd4 Michael Trigg
Nothing to complain about; Michael Trigg went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It fills a real need, too.
Pick161 Rnd5 Tyren Montgomery
Tyren Montgomery at Round 5, Pick 23 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick194 Rnd6 Trey Zuhn III
Trey Zuhn III at No. 194 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick234 Rnd7 Cole Payton
A market-rate quarterback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Cole Payton. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.