We are just days away from arguably the most important event of the entire off-season: the NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings have nine picks in total, including the 18th overall selection. There are a number of routes the Vikings could go down, and in this one, we will take a look at three potential prospects that Minnesota could take at pick 18.

The single most mocked prospect to Minnesota during this entire pre-draft process, Oregon's Dillon Thieneman, would be a seamless transition from Harrison Smith. Thieneman plays the kind of roaming, run-supporting playstyle that would thrive in Brian Flores's defense.

Staying in the Pacific Northwest, Minnesota could look to bolster its weapons by adding the explosive playmaker Kenyon Sadiq. Sadiq would bring an athletic playstyle that has been missing from this offense for years, and could carve out a massive role in this offense in year one.

The final option for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2026 NFL Draft is to replace some huge losses to the interior of the defensive line. Minnesota parted ways with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to carve out some cap space, and McDonald fits a similar playstyle that could disrupt offenses in year one.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: 3 Options for the Vikings in Round 1?