Well, that is a curveball to the mock draft community.
Dillon Theineman. Look at any mock draft in the past two months, and his name has been written in pen for the Minnesota Vikings at pick 18. I mean, think about it. His style is comparable to Harrison Smith; he would be his replacement, and the Vikings have a clear need. Even if Smith returns to Minnesota, Theineman is a perfect fit.
Open and shut, right? Unless another team swoops in on the Oregon safety. Not so fast, my friends.
ESPN's Peter Schrager, formerly of NFL Network, has released his first mock draft, which is based on intel gathered at the NFL owners meetings. In the past, Schrager only released mock drafts based on information gathered. This year for ESPN, the insider will release two, but his first is available right now.
Schrager posted this disclaimer ahead of his predictions:
"What follows is my first mock draft for the 2026 class. These 32 projections are based on what I'm hearing, rather than what I would personally do at each slot. Nothing is set in stone quite yet, which is why I'll have a second mock draft in two weeks. But for now, this is my best guess for how things could play out."
18. Minnesota Vikings
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo, Safety
"McNeil-Warren is a tall, rangy safety who plays with high energy and is vocal in the defensive backfield. We're still not sure if Harrison Smith will be back at 37 years old, but McNeil-Warren can be the torchbearer once Smith does choose to call it a career. He had five picks over the past three seasons."
The selection of safety isn't earth-shattering, and McNeil-Warren is going to an excellent pro. Personally, I prefer Theineman over McNeil-Warren. However, the Toledo safety is being overlooked by some because of where he went to school. McNeil-Warren will be a great player.
The head scratcher is Theineman falling to pick 30 for the Miami Dolphins, who sit at that position after the Jaylen Waddle trade. Either way, Schrager's intel can't be ignored, and Vikings fans have prepared for a safety selection with their first-round pick for months.
Fans shouldn't be disappointed if Minnesota selects the Toledo safety. He plays fast, has a nose for the ball, and Brian Flores will have a blast with his versatility. It's just funny how the entire mock draft community landed on Theineman, and this goes directly against it. The plot thickens.