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The Vikings offseason program and 2026 NFL Draft Week are upon us!

The players are returning today to begin the multi-month voluntary program, which is scheduled to escalate from workouts to drills to practices before wrapping in mid-June.

While players have been putting in work elsewhere, this is the collective starting point for the 2026 Vikings to plant seeds for a fuller harvest than last season, which ended at 9-8 after Minnesota closed with five consecutive victories.

Head Coach Kevin O'Connell and a couple of players will speak to media members today.

All the work that scouts have poured into evaluating prospects, often for years, and hours of collaborative meetings between the personnel department and coaches for the past few weeks will culminate in new Minnesota Vikings, beginning Thursday with the first round.

There are limited tickets remaining for the Miller Lite Vikings Draft Party this Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium, where Vikings Legends and current players will add to a festive atmosphere.

Some folks might be tracking a couple of nearby teams in their respective playoffs during the draft (the Wolves host Game 3 at 8:30 p.m. Thursday and Game 4 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday; the Wild host Game 4 at 4:30 p.m. Saturday). If so, I highly recommend the Vikings app to help track picks, particularly for "Second Screen Saturday." Vikings.com/draft will be a central spot for all the news on desktop computers.

In case folks missed these posts last week, I'm dropping in links to our recap from girls flag football production day, which involved 62 high school programs, and this heads up about next month’s UNRL Celebrity Softball Game.

Before we get to questions, I'd like to join the long list of people sending condolences to everyone who was positively impacted by Dave McGinnis, who passed away at age 74 last Monday. Known affectionately as "Coach Mac," McGinnis was Titans linebackers coach from 2004-11, which followed four seasons as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and preceded five more campaigns with the Rams (in St. Louis and L.A.).

McGinnis joined the Tennessee Titans Radio Network in 2017, bringing a heartwarming folksiness with a tremendous depth of knowledge and care for others. I had been an intern with the Titans during McGinnis' final two seasons on Tennessee's sidelines. He was always so gracious at every reconnection point over the years.

It was always a treat at the combine to observe humorous interactions between former Vikings linebacker and coach turned analyst Pete Bercich and McGinnis, and I truly enjoyed watching one of the Vikings-Titans joint practices a few years back alongside McGinnis and former Titans Radio PXP Mike Keith. Bercich posted a reaction on X, quoting a linked article wonderfully crafted by The Athletic's Dan Pompei.

Coach Mac is fondly remembered and will be missed.

Last week additionally brought the unfortunate news that Don Schlitz also passed away in Tennessee.

While his name might not be as familiar to football fans as Coach Mac, there's quite a bit of familiarity in words (songs) he penned.

"The Gambler," which won the Grammy for Best Country Song in 1978 and was named Country Music Association's Song of the Year in 1979, was his first recorded song.

Where does one go after a megahit like that? Schlitz delivered more than 20 No. 1 songs and was ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year for four consecutive years (1988-91). Having arrived on a bus from North Carolina with $80 in his pocket, Schlitz wanted fans to be able to enjoy music affordably.

My wife and I were fortunate to get a table at The Bluebird Café, the diminutive but world-famous venue on "Don for a Dollar" night. Schlitz is credited with Thom Schuyler, J. Fred Knobloch and Paul Overstreet for originating the venue's signature "in-the-round" format, but that Tuesday night was just him, his guitar and his storytelling for $1 cover charge.

His willingness to "buck" greed provided one of my favorite cheap dates (which was appreciated by us on our combined grad student/intern and teacher income). We splurged $12 on a custom Hatch Show Print that Schlitz graciously signed as I told him how often I sang "The Gambler" as a kid. We stored it for a while until splurging even more on custom framing. It remains displayed on our wall, a reminder to "Know When to Hold 'Em, Fold 'Em, Walk Away or Run."

And somewhere in the darkness, the gambler, he broke even
But in his final words, I found an ace that I could keep.

I have a few draft "Don'ts" and one draft "Do" to suggest to Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski and his staff.

Don'ts…

1) Don't trade with the Packers, Lions or Bears!

2) Don't trade J.J. McCarthy! If you do, please DON'T trade him to an NFC team!

3) Don't expect to receive an A as a post-draft grade! Even if you select the same player that an analyst had you selecting in their mock draft, a player that they have spent the last few months pushing as the best possible pick for the Vikings, the curve has already been established, and we'll be receiving an average at-best post-draft grade.

Do…

1) If Spencer Fano gets past the Ravens at 14, I hope Rob's group will consider contacting the Buccaneers and Jets about trading in front of the Lions. He would be a great addition or at the very least our interest would force the Lions to have to ante up an additional pick.

Last year's coverage was GREAT, especially the post-selection calls with the players.

Skol,

— Bill Dunn in Fairfield, Connecticut

The Vikings have established their philosophy for this year's draft and will apply it with Brzezinski leading the personnel department and coaching staff. I get the sentiment of not trading within the division since doing so with Detroit and Green Bay in 2022 didn't pan out the best for Minnesota.

I anticipate the Vikings status at quarterback will be among the topics handled today by O'Connell.

Report cards issued so quickly after a class has been assembled can be a little premature and result in grades that can change, but we've assembled a report card for several draft years and will do so again after the draft.

The mid-to-late teens are an interesting location to enter a draft. There are likely to be some outcomes that are predicted by many, and there could be some that are unexpected.

Although I'm not involved in the content capture of the calls, I enjoy them greatly. I know colleagues appreciate your compliment. We are all ready for the draft and look forward to covering this year's action.

Projections have Dillon Thieneman, Kenyon Sadiq, Jermod McCoy and Keldric Faulk all in the 15-18 range. Each would bring value to the Vikings immediate and future needs. Thieneman brings value with The Hitman's future in question, and I'm not sure how high we should be on Jay Ward and Theo Jackson at safety. Joshua Metellus is more of a box safety. Sadiq offers a nice threat as both receiver and blocker and assurance to losing Hockenson after this year.

McCoy can give us an immediate starter and move Murphy inside to nickel where he is more effective. Faulk is young and can play edge but also the flexibility Brian Flores likes to go inside at 3- or 4-technique.

How would you rank these guys 1-4 as your choice to who would be the best option with the 18th pick?

— Rick in Blaine

While I'd rather not rank the four players, Rick has done a great job of outlining the ways each could help the Vikings, whether at safety, tight end, cornerback or outside linebacker (as early as this year or in future seasons).

Each of the four players Rick mentioned were included in our position-by-position previews, a series that wraps today with safeties. We saw Ward log more time on defense as last season passed, and we've seen some flashes from Jackson. Metellus is one of the greater sixth-round success stories (be on the lookout for a feature on him this week).

This projection of Faulk reminds me of the way Minnesota successfully utilized Jihad Ward, who worked with OLBs and d-linemen in 2024.

McCoy's eventual landing spot is intriguing. He is well-esteemed among draftniks despite missing all of 2025 because of an injury.

Please try to win a Super Bowl and don't give up Justin Jefferson or J.J. McCarthy. I suggest you trade Max Brosmer.

— Mekhi Robinson-Knight

I can say everyone has been working with the goal of winning a Super Bowl.

Looking forward to checking in with Jefferson, McCarthy and Brosmer as the offseason program progresses.

Bring Adam Thielen back as a wide receivers coach, and if Harrison Smith retires, bring him as a coach. They are both highly respected.

— Brian G.

Thielen recently participated in the NFL broadcast bootcamp and put that experience to use immediately by joining Ben Leber and Vikings Entertainment Network's Tatum Everett for the Vikings 2026 NFL Draft Preview Show. It's a great way to get primed for Thursday.

The time commitment required for coaching in the NFL is excessive, so it may or may not be enticing in their post-playing careers. I do think if the latter is not back, he'd have an open invite to help influence the players in the secondary during a visit to TCO. I think the same is true for Thielen.

I have been submitting my annual mock draft for several years and the only one I hit on was J.J. McCarthy. I have submitted this year's below. Have a great day.

It's that time of the year again. The excitement of free agency is over, and Viking fans are looking forward to finding out what happens with the draft. Something tells me fans may be in for some surprises. For example, I chose a DT with my first pick, however, since this with be a contract year for TE T. J. Hockenson, the Vikings might opt for TE Kenyon Sadiq. Of course, safety is in the mix, but if Hitman returns for a final season, it could change the Vikings priorities. I believe there will be some trades, but if everything were to stay the same, here is my mock draft.

1. DT Kayden McDonald

2. S Dillon Thieneman

3. TE Max Klare

4. CB Will Lee III

5. C Jake Slaughter

6. RB Robert Henry Jr.

7. CB Tyreek Chappell

8. DE Trey Moore

1. WR Kaden Wetjen

I doubt safety Dillon Thieneman will fall to pick 49 but some prognosticators have him falling to the second round. We'll see, and no doubt this mock is an exercise in futility.

Skol Vikings. Here's hoping for a great draft, a wise choice for the new General Manager hire and a winning season.

— David Bond in Rochester, Minnesota

It might be a little too much wishful thinking to envision Thieneman on the board at No. 49, but drafts are hard to predict.

Privately last year I told colleagues my prediction was Donovan Jackson at No. 24 because of how other elements of the offseason had unfolded. The year before, with picks No. 10 and 17, I was certain it would be a QB (I also thought it would be McCarthy at 10) and an outside linebacker, but I thought Turner was going to be off the board by 17, which is really close to this year's scheduled first-round pick at 18.

The Vikings have wanted to keep their options open and not try to force anything with their first-round pick. Three more sleeps!

View 2026 Free Agency Tracker.

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