twins26'S MOCK DRAFT
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twins26'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 14, 2026

the beast

  • twins26 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Vikings
Draft Selections
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 14 RND: 1 (MIN)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 39 RND: 2 (MIN)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Connor Lew Head Shot
PICK: 47 RND: 2 (MIN)
Connor Lew
C Auburn
Eli Stowers Head Shot
PICK: 78 RND: 3 (MIN)
Eli Stowers
TE Vanderbilt
Chris Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (MIN)
Chris Johnson
CB San Diego State
Nicholas Singleton Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Nicholas Singleton
RB Penn State
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 102 RND: 4 (MIN)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 117 RND: 4 (MIN)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Tacario Davis Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (MIN)
Tacario Davis
CB Washington
Niki Prongos Head Shot
PICK: 130 RND: 4 (MIN)
Niki Prongos
OT Stanford
J.C. Davis Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (MIN)
J.C. Davis
OT Illinois
Draft Picks Received
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 14 RND: 1 (BAL)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 39 RND: 2 (CLE)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Connor Lew Head Shot
PICK: 47 RND: 2 (IND)
Connor Lew
C Auburn
Eli Stowers Head Shot
PICK: 78 RND: 3 (IND)
Eli Stowers
TE Vanderbilt
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 102 RND: 4 (LV)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 117 RND: 4 (LV)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Tacario Davis Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (NE)
Tacario Davis
CB Washington
Niki Prongos Head Shot
PICK: 130 RND: 4 (NE)
Niki Prongos
OT Stanford
J.C. Davis Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (LV)
J.C. Davis
OT Illinois
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Gennings Dunker Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (BAL)
Gennings Dunker
OT Iowa
John Mateer Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (CLE)
John Mateer
QB Oklahoma
Terion Stewart Head Shot
PICK: 162 RND: 5 (NE)
Terion Stewart
RB Virginia Tech
Princewill Umanmielen Head Shot
PICK: 195 RND: 6 (NE)
Princewill Umanmielen
LB-EDGE Ole Miss
Fernando Carmona Head Shot
PICK: 234 RND: 7 (NE)
Fernando Carmona
OT Arkansas
London Humphreys Head Shot
PICK: 240 RND: 7 (NE)
London Humphreys
WR Georgia
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Players traded away
Head Shot
Aaron Jones
RB
Head Shot
Jalen Nailor
WR
Head Shot
Jonathan Greenard
DE
Head Shot
T.J. Hockenson
TE
Head Shot
Ty Chandler
RB
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall D-
ValueB NeedB+ TradesF FutureD+
Johnson should have been long gone. The Vikings pounced, and earned a D-.

The phones were a trap the Vikings kept walking into, shipping out surplus on nearly every deal.

Spending an early pick on cornerback with quarterback and interior defensive lineman open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to. The quarterback hole is the one line item this class does not answer.

They banked enough surplus on Johnson to cover a lot of smaller sins. They are betting the present roster is worth a lighter draft next spring.

Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and quarterback is still a hole.

Pick Analysis
Pick14 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
In No. 14 they get a centerfielder for the defense at a price that makes it sweeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick39 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
Dillon Thieneman at the Round 2 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick47 Rnd2 Connor Lew
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Connor Lew. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick78 Rnd3 Eli Stowers
Eli Stowers slid further than he should have, and pick No. 78 is lovely value for the tight end. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick82 Rnd3 Chris Johnson
Taking Chris Johnson in pick 82 is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick97 Rnd3 Nicholas Singleton
Fair-plus on Nicholas Singleton, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It fills a real need, too.
Pick102 Rnd4 Jake Golday
Jake Golday in slot 102 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick117 Rnd4 Zachariah Branch
Zachariah Branch at the 117th pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick125 Rnd4 Tacario Davis
A want over a need in the 125th overall pick: Tacario Davis adds a cornerback while quarterback and interior defensive lineman keeps waiting.
Pick130 Rnd4 Niki Prongos
A clean, defensible pick in Round 4, Pick 30 with a little surplus value in Niki Prongos. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick135 Rnd4 J.C. Davis
J.C. Davis at No. 135 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.