If Peter Woods falls to 18, the Vikings may have to prioritize value over need — even with cornerback looming as their biggest roster hole.
The Minnesota Vikings are in an interesting spot heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. Their roster is flawed, but it isn't without talent. Slated for the 18th overall pick, they won't have their choice of many blue-chip prospects, although they can find value if teams bypass superior players for more pressing needs.
That could put the Vikings in a prime position to take the best player available. Many mock drafts right now have Minnesota set to take a cornerback, but could the board allow them to be less picky about position?
Staff writers for The Athletic came together for their first mock draft of the offseason. Alec Lewis, the Vikings' beat reporter for the publication, selected Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods at pick 18.
Questions persist regarding his overall length, but the athleticism is undeniable. Woods moves laterally like a much smaller player than one who is 6-3, 310 pounds. His hands are violent. Plug him into the Vikings’ defensive system alongside Jalen Redmond, and it’s difficult not to envision some serious havoc.
Woods could provide the Vikings' defensive line with a much-needed influx of youth and talent. Minnesota signed veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave last offseason, but neither player lived up to their contracts.
By the time the draft comes around, the Vikings may have already moved off of one or both veterans. That could make someone like Woods a prime candidate for Minnesota.
He also provides exceptional value at pick 18. Woods is ranked 17th in Austin Mack's Consensus Big Board, matching value with positional need. But on PFF, Woods is ranked as the 13th overall prospect. Lewis also noted that Woods entered the 2025 season as Dane Brugler’s No. 1 overall draftable prospect — a reflection of the pedigree he brings into this cycle.
Of course, drafting Woods would mean the Vikings would be passing on other popular names linked to the 18th overall pick. Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq was taken 23rd overall by the Eagles in the mock. Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood went 29th overall to the Rams. And Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell, projected to be selected by the Vikings in 40% of PFF's mock drafts, went 32nd overall to the Seahawks.
Perhaps the "dream" scenario heading into the draft would be for Minnesota to land Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. But The Athletic's mock has him going 8th overall to the Saints.
If the Vikings wound up with Woods, he could become an instant contributor on one of the NFL's best units. Per PFF, he had an 8% pass rush win rate and a 10.1% run stop rate, both near-elite metrics for an interior lineman.
Woods is also young, set to turn 21 in March. That means there is plenty of time to grow and mature, even after wreaking havoc for Clemson over the past two seasons.
Sometimes teams go into the draft headstrong on addressing a singular need early on. The Vikings have been victims of this, and it has landed them players like wide receiver Laquon Treadwell in 2016 and quarterback Christian Ponder in 2011, among others.
A more open-minded approach could help them address one of many needs in 2026. It's easy to consider adding a player to the secondary, but is it worth bypassing an interior defensive lineman with the potential and value that Woods provides?
Minnesota didn’t have the kind of 2025 season that allows them to be overly picky in this draft. That mindset could help them walk away with a stud player like Peter Woods at pick 18.