An expert reveals three players the Vikings could target with an aggressive trade up in the 2026 NFL Draft, building a contender.
We're within a week of the Minnesota Vikings' first pick in the NFL draft. The Vikings are set to select with the No. 18 pick in the first round barring a trade.
Some believe a trade is actually a strong possibility. As for how for the team could trade and whether or not various players would be worth the draft capital that the Vikings would give up, that will be on Minnesota to decide.
Will Ragatz of Minnesota Vikings on SI discussed the possibility of three different players being a trade up choice for the team in the first round. He wrote on it with his take on each of the three players.
"I am 100 percent on board with the idea of taking Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq at 18 if he's there and he's the highest-ranked player on the Vikings' board. It's not a true immediate need, with T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver both still on the roster. But it's also not a pure BPA (best player available) pick, given that Hockenson will be a free agent after the season. Sadiq is a big-time athlete who can get open with his explosiveness in the passing game and use his strength to win as a blocker. He'd play in various packages as a rookie and could then step into a featured role in 2027.
Jeremiyah Love would be an incredibly fun addition to the Vikings’ offense, but I’m not sure he’ll even fall far enough to be a realistic trade-up candidate for Minnesota. The one that stands out as a possibility is Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. He could potentially slide a bit because of the positional value of safeties and the fact that he didn’t run at the combine or OSU’s pro day."
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (33) runs with the ball against the Baltimore Ravens in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Brad Rempel-Imagn ImagesThe Vikings have had a successful offseason thus far after adding starting quarterback Kyler Murray through free agency. Yet while that move led to a collective exhale for the Minnesota fanbase, it does not take all pressure away from the Vikings entering the draft. Some would suggest it adds to it, with the team needing to ensure it makes the right selections to adequately build a contender around its star quarterback.
If Minnesota is to trade up for a player, moving up for Downs at safety makes the most sense especially given that they would address a need despite likely losing another draft pick. We'll see if a trade is in the cards for the Vikings when they begin their draft on April 23.