Minnesota Vikings make unique trade in Way-Too-Early 2026 NFL Mock Draft

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Minnesota Vikings make unique trade in Way-Too-Early 2026 NFL Mock Draft
We're still over a month away from training camps opening for the 2025 season. But that doesn't mean NFL draft enthusiasts aren't ready to share their 2026 mock drafts.
There are several reasons the exercise is premature. We have no tape to go by in 2025 yet. So the projections are mostly a copy-and-paste from last year's standings, shuffling a few teams here and there based on the splashiest free agency and draft moves from this spring.
It's also hard to get the most hardcore fans into draft mode until the Super Bowl is over. Yet here we are, with a June mock for next year's draft. And it has the Minnesota Vikings trading down with the Chicago Bears.
This weekend, Mark Stolte of Pro Football Network believed a first-round mock draft wasn't enough, instead giving us a three-round mock for 2026. He projected the Vikings to move down from pick 15 to 18, only gaining a fifth-round pick in the exchange.
Once on the clock, Stolte had the Vikings choose Oregon center Iapani Laloulu. The 6'2", 325-pound center played 970 snaps in 2024, lining up at center for 854 of them. Says Stolte:
Iapani Laloulu started at center for Oregon in 2024 and put up strong numbers. He didn't allow a sack in 760 pass-blocking snaps, and in the run game, Oregon averaged 4.7 yards per carry in the A-gap — proof of his power inside. This pick helps the Minnesota Vikings keep the offensive line rolling when Ryan Kelly eventually retires.
It may not be a sexy pick, much like when the Vikings took Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson in the first round back in April. But Kelly just turned 32 and has missed ten games due to injury in the past two seasons.
For those who are wondering, the Bears took Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the 15th pick. The compensation doesn't seem to make the move worth it for the Vikings.
Furthermore, the trade itself suggests the Vikings finish last in the NFC North. It isn't impossible, but that would likely mean that J.J. McCarthy's first season as a starter didn't go as well as fans hoped.
Fortunately, the Vikings had plenty of draft capital after this pick. With the 47th selection, Stolte had the Vikings take Washington cornerback Tacario Davis. At pick no. 79, the Vikings took Alabama safety Keon Sabb. And with the 98th pick, the Vikings took Minnesota Golden Gopher running back Darius Taylor.