Could trends in recent drafts help predict where the Minnesota Vikings will go in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Trends are real, and they are prevalent in the 2026 NFL Draft. San Francisco takes a running back in rounds three or four, Carolina has gone wide receiver in back-to-back drafts and could do it again this year, etc. Do the Minnesota Vikings have trends in the first round, and could they help us predict where Minnesota will go on Thursday?
Here are the first-round picks for the Vikings over the last 15 years:2013: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida / CB Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State / Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee2014: Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA / Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville2015: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State2016: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss2018: Mike Highes, CB, UCF2019: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State2020: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU / Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU2021: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech2022: Lewis Cine, S, Georgia2023: Jordan Addison, WR, USC2024: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan / Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama2025: Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio StateThe position that stands out the most on this list is cornerback.
The trend suggests Minnesota prefers to go secondary in round one, especially at cornerback. With Dillon Thieneman, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, or Jermod McCoy often mocked to the Vikings, this does, in fact, match the trend.This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: NFL Draft: Past drafts paint a picture of what the Vikings may do