Vikings Land “Tough-Nosed Anchor” In Very Early ESPN Mock Draft
Just over two months ago, the Minnesota Vikings spent the 24th overall pick to acquire Donovan Jackson out of Ohio State. The offensive guard is expected to be a long-term solution beside left tackle Christian Darrisaw.
Next Vikings Mock Draft Dropped
It’s never too early to look ahead at the next draft cycle, especially with training camp still a few weeks away. ESPN’s draft analyst Matt Miller released an early 2026 mock draft, and his pick for the 18th-slotted Vikings: Alabama’s Tim Keenan III.
Keenan is a massive human being who’s patrolling the middle of the defensive line. The Vikings have an aging DL group, so adding a young talent makes sense.
Miller wrote: “While the Vikings bolstered their offensive line in Round 1 in 2025 with guard Donovan Jackson, they were linked to many interior defenders during the predraft process and made a run at Milton Williams in free agency. So defensive tackle is a need, and the 6-foot-2, 326-pound Keenan is a physical, tough-nosed anchor with the prototypical nose tackle build. He has some pass-rush ability (2.5 sacks last season), but Keenan’s strength against the run and on-field leadership have scouts discussing him as a potential first-rounder.”
Vikings fans had begged the organization to invest in some pass-rushing talent on the defensive line, and with the arrival of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, the club finally listened. Now that those two are here, finding a run-stuffing counterpart for years to come isn’t the worst idea.
Harrison Phillips and the two aforementioned veterans aren’t getting any younger and won’t be around forever. The Vikings have prioritized run-stuffers on the line in the last decade, starting with Linval Joseph, Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson, all the way to Phillips. Keenan would be the next in line.
Vikings DL Group
The purple squad currently has 11 interior defenders under contract. That includes the three starters, last year’s breakout defender and potential top backup Jalen Redmond, backup nose tackle Taki Taimani, and draft picks from 2024 and 2025, Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.
- Jonathan Allen
- Javon Hargrave
- Harrison Phillips
- Jalen Redmond
- Taki Taimani
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
- Jonathan Harris
- Travis Bell
- Alex Williams
- Elijah Williams
The top three are signed through at least 2026. Still, some youth would be appreciated.
Keenan in College
The defender has spent three seasons at Alabama. He barely saw the field in 2022, but he clinched a role in each of the last two years. Throughout his career, he has logged 29 games, accumulating 79 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.
NFLDraftBuzz.com on Keenan: “At the next level, this Alabama defensive tackle brings a clear identity as a space-eater with an anchor to hold the point of attack. The film shows a player who consistently demands attention in the run game, absorbing double teams with excellent leverage and freeing up second-level defenders. However, this strength comes with a concerning limitation – his lack of length allows offensive linemen to get into his frame too easily, negating some of his natural power advantage when facing longer-armed NFL guards.”
Other Positions of Need
Besides reinforcement along the defensive front, the Vikings could look to add some talent in the secondary. At safety, Harrison Smith is once again expected to be in his final year, and Father Time remains undefeated. Josh Metellus is in the final year of his contract, and the jury is still out on Theo Jackson as a starter. At cornerback, the club employs only question marks besides Byron Murphy Jr. after passing on corners in this year’s draft.
In theory, adding someone at linebacker, running back, or wide receiver could be an option, too.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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