One Under-the-Radar Position Is Emerging for the Vikings in April
The Vikings’ draft strategy may already be taking shape in the wake of their front office shakeup.
According to draft insider Tony Pauline, Minnesota has been heavily scouting tight ends at the Senior Bowl and could target a blocking specialist on Day 3 — an early clue about how the new decision-makers plan to build the roster.
It’s not just depth, either. The tight end room is already one of the most expensive in the league, and T.J. Hockenson carries a massive future cap hit. Adding a cheap rookie — especially one who can block — would give the Vikings flexibility while reshaping the offense toward heavier personnel packages.
Pauline of Essentially Sports reported last week, “Keep this in the back of your mind when the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft starts; the Vikings have been scouting tight ends heavily here at the Senior Bowl. I get the sense they will consider drafting a blocking tight end in the later rounds. It’s still early, but remember the names Will Kacmarek of Ohio State and Nate Boerkircher of Texas A&M University.”
The draft reporter thinks the Vikings want to acquire another tight end and it makes sense. Minnesota’s tight end room still features the top duo of T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver. It’s the most expensive tight end room in the NFL, according to the 2026 cap hits.
Therefore, it’s not surprising to see Hockenson end up in cap casualty conversations, as his cap hit blows up to $21,296,176. That number even climbs further in 2027. A release this offseason would save a significant portion of the remaining sum, but certainly open up a big hole on the roster.
Oliver remains in the mix after scoring a contract extension last offseason. The depth consists of 2025 rookies Gavin Bartholomew and Ben Yurosek. The latter, an undrafted player, was the TE3 for the majority of the season, while sixth-rounder Bartholomew was injured all year. Neither has shown anything that would suggest a promotion should be in order.
Pauline mentioned Ohio State’s Will Kacmarek and Texas A&M’s Nate Boerkircher as potential fits. Both are known more for their blocking than their receiving numbers. Draft analyst Kyle Crabbs even called Kacmarek “a destroyer as a blocker,” the type of plug-and-play in-line tight end teams covet for heavier personnel packages.
Yurosek is a willing blocker and could develop into an asset, but if the Vikings could get their hands on a “destroyer as a blocker,” O’Connell could be more physical at the point of attack with the massive Oliver and Kacmarek combining their powers.
O’Connell’s former boss, Sean McVay, experimented with heavy personnel all year long and O’Connell might have something similar in mind.
Boerkircher was credited with 19 grabs for 198 yards and three scores in his lone season at Texas A&M. He spent his first four years at Nebraska with limited receiving production.
Dan Brugler of The Athletic picked him as his Senior Bowl winner at the tight end position. He commented, “At 6 foot 5 and almost 247 pounds, Boerkircher snapped off routes all week and did a great job catching the ball through contact. His success as a pass catcher this week, combined with his blocking highlights from last season, means he will be a popular mid-round target.”
If the Vikings do invest a pick there, it wouldn’t just be about depth. It would signal a philosophical shift — leaning into heavier formations, more two- or even three-tight-end sets, and a more physical run game under O’Connell.
Unlike last year, when the lack of draft capital was a problem, the Vikings are expected to have nine picks to their disposal when the Draft kicks off in April. A tight end could be an option, and the position could become one of the more fascinating storylines for the Vikings throughout the offseason.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.