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The draft countdown is hitting single digits tomorrow, and we're only a week away from Vikings players reporting to Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, making next week one of the most anticipated of the offseason.

The opening of free agency (which could hit another wave after the draft), the annual player selection meeting with its full complement of fanfare and the schedule release (usually in May), which has featured some extremely creative unveilings over the years, are three major hallmarks.

As you may have seen, we began rolling out our position-by-position previews of draft prospects.

We started with running back, receiver and tight end last week.

Here's the remaining schedule:

April 13: Offensive line

April 14: Defensive line

April 15: Outside linebacker

April 16: Inside linebacker

April 17: Cornerback

April 20: Safety

I'm finishing this edition of the Mailbag on Friday, one day ahead of the Vikings hosting dozens of girls high school flag football teams at TCO Performance Center for a media production day. The Vikings organization is so excited about the rapid growth of the sport, and I'll look forward to relaying coverage of the event at a future time.

Let's go ahead and get to some questions…

We are halfway between free agency and the draft, so why not kill two birds with one stone here?

Free agency was mostly disappointing. I would've liked the team to do more, but financial constraints were what they were. Tyler Linderbaum would've looked great in our Purple. Players of his caliber don't hit free agency at the age of 26 very often. Kyler Murray could be a good signing, but K.O. must let him play his style and not try to convert him to a pocket passer. If that's the plan, it won't work. I would've preferred they brought back Kirk Cousins as well, rather than Carson Wentz. Both of them for less than $3 million total would've provided the best-case situation for J.J. McCarthy to get the development season he didn't get as a rookie.

I hope the organization, and I'm talking directly to the Wilfs, will commit to no longer kicking the can down the road with extensions and stay on the right side of the salary cap going forward. Filling out a roster requires cap space. Time to learn from past mistakes!!

As for the draft, I'm very excited this year. They have some holes that need to be filled. There are quality players across the draft board that can help them right away. Safety and center must be addressed early. Running back and receiver need depth, as does linebacker.

I'm hopeful that their draft process will be more successful than in recent years. Most of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's picks did not pan out, especially the later-round picks. His trades were abysmal as well.

New year, new hope!

— Roman in Grand Forks, North Dakota

As the player that many viewed as the top center to hit the market in free agency this year, Linderbaum secured a massive contract reported at three years and $81 million. We're all old enough to remember Kirk Cousins signing a three-year, $84 million contract to join the Vikings in 2018. While there have been larger deals for QBs, Cousins' was fully guaranteed, which is a rarity in the NFL.

But just in terms of AAV, the contract for Linderbaum, to borrow from Monopoly, was a "Boardwalk" price in a year that salary cap constraints implemented "Baltic Avenue" budgeting for Minnesota.

Now Linderbaum and Cousins will be teammates in Las Vegas after the latter inked a multi-year deal with the Raiders, who have the No. 1 overall pick (many believe it will be used to select QB Fernando Mendoza).

The opportunity to operate within this year's cap economics while bringing in Murray and bringing back Wentz, who each offer great depths of some success and setbacks should position McCarthy to learn from their NFL experiences as he continues to develop and compete.

The Vikings have utilized a combination of extensions and acquisitions in free agency, but Minnesota needs to put together a good string of success in the draft. Kansas City (Super Bowls LVII and LVIII), Philadelphia (LIX) and Seattle (LX) each fueled much of their title runs by hitting on a bevy of draft picks.

An overwhelming number of mock draft projections we've compiled through six versions of our Mock Draft Tracker (the seventh and final one is scheduled for April 21) have forecasted a defensive back joining the Vikings via the No. 18 overall pick.

Trade up and grab Jeremiyah Love. We always make it happen with our defensive line.

— Alphonsus B.

I've seen this notion floated a couple of times by prognosticators during the pre-draft conversations.

As noted in the preview of running backs, Love is widely considered crème de la crème of this year's group. Averaging 6.9 yards per carry in back-to-back seasons and scoring an FBS-best 40 touchdowns since 2024 checks off the production wish list, and he's noted for acceleration on perimeter runs and his ability to cut through close quarters.

In the past 10 drafts, there have been 14 running backs drafted in the first round and only six (Ezekiel Elliott in 2016, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey in 2017, Saquon Barkley in 2018, Bijan Robinson in 2023 and Ashton Jeanty in 2025) have been tapped in the top 10, a group that could increase to seven if forecasts for Love's stock come to fruition.

There have also been some major finds outside the top 10, including Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12 in 2023), Jonathan Taylor (No. 41 in 2020), Dalvin Cook (No. 41 in 2017) and Derrick Henry (No. 45 in 2016).

Minnesota's ability to bring back Aaron Jones, Sr., to join with Jordan Mason for a second consecutive season may have lowered the urgency with utilizing a high pick at the position when there are other needs, but the Vikings are trying to be a bit more explosive in the run game after a couple of seasons of emphasizing trying to remain on schedule.

That could mean emphasizing breakaway speed, or the team could prioritize completeness in a player, even if the speed isn't as good as another player.

Jones was tabbed at 182 overall in 2017, and Mason joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent with San Francisco in 2022, so teams can find impact backs later in the draft.

As for defensive line, the Vikings expect Jalen Redmond and other young teammates will continue to ascend, but with four picks in the top 100 (as of now), the team also could be enticed depending on how the board is tracking.

Just want to express my opinion regarding the QB issue for this season. I think Kyler will be a good fit for the Vikings. He did well at the Cardinals, even without being as tall as some QBs. He can make plays using his feet and in the passing game. He will have great offensive players to support him. This could be a lift for Vikings and Kyler.

K.O. and Kyler will come together on a plan that will play to Kyler's strengths and to K.O.'s vision for the offense. I would like to see J.J. improve his game and hopefully be a starter for the Vikings in the future. Vikings have drafted him with that in mind.

J.J got off to a bad start with the injury in the first season and setbacks during the second season. He is still a "rookie" and needs to work on his game.

With Kyler coming in, he will be the starter, Wentz No. 2 backup, J.J. No. 3. When Brett Favre was the starter, Aaron Rodgers sat behind him for years before Rodgers played. I think J.J. should sit this season to learn and develop his game. Depending on what Kyler does this year, he may play for Vikings next year or go to another team. If he goes, J.J. should be ready to play. If Kyler stays, J.J. will have to sit for a while. Don't let him go. He has promise — just needs to develop.

Hoping for playoffs and possible Super Bowl this season. Have to think positive, been waiting for a long time. Purple People Eaters have risen!!

— William in Florida (fan since 1968)

While the voluntary offseason program will open on April 20, it will still be quite some time before organized team activity practices fire up (after the Memorial Day charcoals cool).

I probably should have included first day of OTA practices in my list of highly anticipated days, but those sessions, along with a mandatory minicamp will generate considerable intrigue for how the on-field plans begin being unfurled.

Between now and then, there will be opportunities for great dialogue between O'Connell, assistant coaches and all Vikings quarterbacks. McCarthy's start to his career is not how anyone would intentionally design development at a very tough position, but he will have the opportunity to write additional chapters of his story.

Were the Vikings snakebitten after betting so heavily on free agency the last few years, especially on remaking both the O & D lines, only to have plans go awry due to repeated injuries? How else to explain the relative peace and quiet this year?

Getting back under the cap is vital, though I wish it weren't such an extreme up & down roller-coaster ride. Obviously the trenches will need to be reevaluated between now and the start of training camp and definitely before the draft. I just hope they don't use their first- and second-round draft picks for that.

The secondary is a high(er) priority. Several mock drafts pegged Dillon Thieneman as a potential replacement if Harrison Smith retires. So hopefully Rob Brzezinski and the scouting staff concentrate on corner and safety. Wide receiver and running back should wait for Day 3 and UDFAs. And speaking of WR, I noticed that all the chatter about DeAndre Hopkins wanting to rejoin Kyler Murray in Purple died off within a few days.

And speaking of free agents, I found it amusing that Kirk Cousins managed once again to spin straw into gold in Sin City, further cushioning his eventual retirement. He could buy a small country. Even if he never wins a Super Bowl his bust will have a place in Canton as the savviest negotiator, and I wouldn't begrudge him any of it when teams throw caution & money to the wind (Wilfs' overly generous contract versus his history). At least Kyler won't cost the Vikings too much (this season), but who knows about next year.

Sincerely,

— David A. (from the North Shore but stuck in the South)

Anyone who has had a chance to read our Mock Draft Tracker series has read a steady dose of Thieneman descriptions.

Smith's status as a free agent on the heels of his 14^th season, along with what Thieneman was able to do at Purdue and Oregon (and "Back Home Again in Indiana" at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine) have enabled prognosticators to avoid jumping through hoops to project that outcome. Even if Smith returns for a 15^th season and the Vikings opted to add a safety in the first round, that would position the former with an awesome tutoring opportunity to ease the eventual transition of Vikings games without the bona fide Hall of Fame candidate.

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