Even if you didn't tune in to the NFL Scouting Combine, you might have heard about …
The Styles brothers crushing; 6-foot-5 linebacker Sonny, whose real name is Alex and whose nickname originated from his fiery temper as a child, and pays homage to the character "Sonny" Corleone in The Godfather, posting incredible vertical (43.5 inches) and broad (11 feet, 2 inches) jumps; and his older brother Lorenzo Styles, Jr., scorching the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium with a sub-4.3-second 40-yard dash. …
Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson challenging the all-time record in the 40 set by Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy (4.21 seconds); Thompson didn't quiver under immense pressure, running a 4.26. …
Other notable performances in the "Underwear Olympics" belonged to Arkansas QB Taylen Green, who leaped out of the gym, with jumps equal to Sonny Styles that shattered the previous combine records by a QB; Razorbacks teammate Mike Washington, Jr., shed tears of gratitude on the broadcast after clocking the 40 in 4.33 seconds at 223 pounds, which led all running backs this year and tied the fastest time by a player weighing at least 220 pounds over the past 20 combines, according to ESPN Research; and Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq defied the bounds of his position with a 4.39-second 40, and a 43.5-inch vertical.
Perhaps the clearest takeaway from this year's testing and drills in Indianapolis is the 2026 draft class overall possesses excellent speed and athleticism. The Vikings, therefore, should be able to land quality young depth and some potential early contributors with eight picks currently owned in the annual event.
Note: Minnesota could very well land a couple more selections through the compensatory pick formula.
Emily Leiker of the Minnesota Star Tribune did some legwork Sunday night to identify top prospects at four different positions of interest for the franchise: safety, cornerback, wide receiver and running back.
Leiker prefaced her assessments by reminding it's not meant to be a complete reflection of where the team may add competition; it's more so an introduction of players that could be enticing in early rounds.
At safety, Leiker identified Oregon's Dillon Thieneman, as well as Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Arizona's Genesis Smith. Each of the options has a documented history of moving around defensive formations, which checks a crucial box in Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores' scheme: versatility. Also of note, Leiker analogized Smith, who was dubbed the "Chief Energy Officer" of the Wildcats defense, to former Vikings safety Camryn Bynum (now with the Colts) — we probably don't need to explain that one. And she said McNeil-Warren's stature (6-foot-3 ½) would give Minnesota something it doesn't quite have right now in that room, especially if 37-year-old Harrison Smith does not return for a 15th season.
Rounding out the defensive secondary, Leiker spotlighted a couple corners who've frequently appeared as candidates to be chosen 18th by the Vikings in mock drafts around the web: Clemson's Avieon Terrell and South Carolina's Brandon Cisse. She also mentioned Indiana National Champion CB D'Angelo Ponds.
Ponds is an interesting prospect because he's on the smaller side at 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, but his tape is chock-full of pass breakups and an unmistakable fearlessness against competition looking down at him. It's impossible not to see his profile and be reminded of Vikings starting corner Isaiah Rodgers.
You can check out Leiker's entire article here. Among others, she has insights on a runner who attended the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota, and another who is just 5-foot-6 but super-efficient.
Ranking FA quarterbacks
On Monday, we published our one-stop shop for 2026 Free Agency.
We're still just over one week away from the start of the New League Year, which is when players can start agreeing to contracts with other teams after 3 p.m. (CT) on March 11, but the negotiating window opens March 9, and so it's all the rage for media outlets to evaluate high-end and depth considerations.
One group that is mentioned in the same breath as the Vikings, by practically everyone, is quarterback.
Head Coach Kevin O'Connell and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski are in agreement about bringing in competition for J.J. McCarthy — and the team is exploring all possibilities.
So, let's peek at who is scheduled to be available.
Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports on Tuesday ranked his Top 5 passers who'll be coveted by the marketplace: Daniel Jones (Colts), Malik Willis (Packers), Aaron Rodgers (Steelers), Marcus Mariota (Commanders) and Kirk Cousins (Falcons). Additionally, he touted Joe Flacco (Bengals) as an extra pending FA QB to monitor.
Two of the guys featured by Pereles — Jones and Cousins — have already studied O'Connell's Vikings offense, and two others — Rodgers and Mariota — were 2025 opponents (Willis played six snaps in the Week 12 meeting last year between Minnesota and Green Bay, hitting his lone pass attempt for 7 yards).
Here's what Pereles wrote about Cousins, who obviously is most attuned to O'Connell and Minnesota:
The Falcons have all but officially moved on from Cousins, who finished 2025 as a starter after Michael Penix, Jr.'s season-ending (knee) injury. Cousins, like Rodgers and [Tua] Tagovailoa, is an immobile pocket passer. Unlike those players, Cousins isn't a quick-throwing quarterback; he'll stand in the pocket and take hits in order to deliver throws. His turnover numbers came back down after a poor 2024, but his physical limitations post-Achilles tear are significant. Still, Cousins can be an effective play-action passer, and he could end up in a quarterback battle, perhaps in his former home of Minnesota.
In addition to laying out potential team fits for those five arms, Pereles offered his thoughts on the futures of three more veteran quarterbacks who aren't free agents but might play next season as a starter or backup elsewhere: Kyler Murray (Cardinals), Tagovailoa (Dolphins) and Geno Smith (Raiders).
Read Pereles' article, which includes some telltale statistics and big-picture commentary, here.
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