The Vikings Were Open to Trading Down from No. 18, but “The Phones Did Get Quiet”
Lost in the shuffle, perhaps, was Kevin O’Connell’s explanation that the Vikings strongly considered (desired?) a trade down in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The shock has worn off with the Caleb Banks selection at No. 18. Very few predicted that outcome, instead thinking safety Dillon Thieneman would be the choice (he was available but slid down to the Bears at No. 25). Banks, though, was the move, at least partly due to no team calling with a nice trade offer.
The Vikings Didn’t Get Many Nibbles for a Trade Down
Plenty thought that a trade down was on the table (count me among those who believed so). Minnesota was open to the move but there wasn’t a dance partner once it was time to step onto the floor.
Coach O’Connell clarified the point while chatting with Paul Allen following the 1st Round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Per O’Connell, the Vikings were considering three or four players at that No. 18 spot, giving the team flexibility. A willingness to trade down offers a hint: at least two or three of those guys were available on draft night.
That’s not necessarily so since there could be an offer so compelling that losing the final coveted player would still be worth it. But while that’s possible, Coach O’Connell’s words appear to point toward a different reality. Standing in Minnesota’s way were offers that were somewhere between scarce and non-existent.
“The phones did get quiet,” the skipper clarified, “and we had a mindset and a plan for making a really good selection that we felt great about at 18. And that’s what we did.”
Note that O’Connell offered this insight following comments about offensive tackles and skill guys getting chosen early. WR Jordyn Tyson got snagged at No. 8, QB Ty Simpson was stolen away at No. 13, and TE Kenyon Sadiq got chosen at No. 16. OT Spencer Fano got chosen at No. 9, OT Francis Mauigoa went at No. 10, OT Kadyn Proctor got picked at No. 12, and OT Blake Miller went at No. 17.
O’Connell’s suggestion is that if one (or several) or those high-value players/positions had dropped, then there could have been more of a feeding frenzy for that No. 18 selection, leading to a move down. The Vikings didn’t see that reality arrive, creating the need to use their pick rather than trade it away.
Consider how O’Connell framed things a touch earlier in the Allen interview: “When the tackle run started was going to be something that, quite honestly, we were monitoring. Because there was a lot of teams behind us picking that we felt pretty strongly about were coming up for a tackle. If we could potentially move back and maybe still get the player or one of the three or four players that we had targeted at 18, we were ready to do that.”
Quite a lot of insight in there, folks. Essentially, the Minnesota Vikings ventured into the draft very willing to move back. Roughly three or four players were targets at No. 18. Being able to move down while still getting one of those coveted players was desirable since a great talent could get added while yet earning more draft picks.
Some basic math to clarify the point. If the Vikings had four players judged to be worth that No. 18 selection and yet only had to forfeit three spots, then there would be a minimum of one man left standing even after trading down. Isn’t that a scenario where trading back for more picks makes sense?
The issue, per O’Connell, was that the Vikings had to await the decisions from other teams.
Since the teams ahead of the Vikings went skill and OT, the teams behind the Vikings weren’t willing to trade a boatload for No. 18. Being able to move down was no longer feasible as a result.
At the end of the day, the Vikings made the decision to stay put for Caleb Banks. Minnesota’s focus rests on getting the most out of the huge defender who carries risk but who has the capacity to be a Week 1 game wrecker.
