The 2027 NFL Draft is a mere 361 days away, so what better time than now to look at what the Minnesota Vikings could, potentially, do when the league’s next selection meeting rolls around?
Yes, I know that some of you are already rolling your eyes at this, but let me tell you. . .now that the Draft is over, there’s a long, dark road for most of the rest of the offseason between now and training camp in late July. That’s a solid three months away. Sure, the Vikings are going to be looking for a GM and we’ve got the schedule release in a few weeks, but other than that. . .man, it’s bleak out there.
So, let’s take a look at some way, way too early 2027 mock drafts just get some conversation going on a Monday morning, shall we?
James Dator, SB Nation – O.J. Federique Jr., CB, Penn State (Vikings picking #10)
James didn’t provide any analysis for the picks in his mock, but as usual. . .birds gonna fly, fish gonna swim, and people gonna mock a cornerback to the Vikings in Round 1 from now until the end of time.
Cooper Petagna, CBS Sports – Jordan Seaton, OT, LSU (Vikings picking #12)
Armed with 22 career starts, Seaton will play his next season under Lane Kiffin in Baton Rouge after transferring from Colorado. A highly skilled, athletic offensive tackle, some evaluators believe he could ultimately transition to the right side to ease his move to Sundays. While the talent is evident, he remains far from a finished product.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today – Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri (Vikings picking #17)
If the Kyler Murray trial run proves fruitful, it seems likely that both sides would want to re-up with one another next offseason. Minnesota could continue to transform its backfield, however, by bringing on a replacement for Aaron Jones, who will turn 32 in December and took a significant pay cut to stick around for 2026. At 5-10 and 210 pounds, Hardy is more Ashton Jeanty than Jeremiyah Love, though it remains to be seen whether he can transcend the running back value conversation the way either ball carrier did.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News – Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State (Vikings picking #10)
Will the Kyler Murray experiment work? He’s on a one-year deal as the team seems to be giving up on J.J. McCarthy. Here’s saying it won’t pan out in the system of Kevin O’Connell, leading to the Vikings trying again with the Buckeyes’ best passing prospect in a while.
Luke Easterling, Athlon Sports – Hardy (Vikings picking #12)
Aaron Jones has been one of the NFL’s most complete running backs throughout his career, but the Vikings could look for his successor next offseason. Hardy is a dynamic, explosive runner with home-run ability who can take any touch to the house.
Pro Football Focus – Dylan Stewart, Edge, South Carolina (Vikings picking #13)
Aging pass rusher Andrew Van Ginkel will likely need to be replaced after this season, and Dylan Stewart is one of the most explosive athletes in the upcoming class. Similar to Coleman-Williams, he cooled off as a sophomore after a standout freshman season. Regardless, 88 pressures over two years of SEC play warrant early first-round consideration. Quarterback could also be an option for Minnesota if J.J. McCarthy continues to struggle.
All of these mock drafts, as you can see by their position, have the Vikings finishing comfortably out of the playoff picture in 2026, but not as a total disaster that’s going to land them in the top 5 or anything like that. That pretty well tracks with what the folks from the FanDuel Sportsbook are putting out there for the Vikings right now, as they currently have the purple sitting at a +5000 to win the Super Bowl, which makes them a pretty healthy underdog (but their win total at most outlets is still right around 8.5).
Will any of these players actually be a consideration for the Vikings by this time next year? Will they be in a position to take any of them if they are? We’ve only got about 51 weeks of speculation, as well as some actual football between now and then, until we find out.
