Zero In on a Vikings Draft Prospect Who Looks Like a Spiffy Fit
At this stage, the Vikings draft prospects aren’t in short supply. Within the huge list of possibilities, circle the name Treydan Stukes.
The defensive back is on Minnesota’s radar. Check out what Field Yates had to say: “Arizona S Treydan Stukes is a busy man before the draft. He had dinner with Vikings defensive pass game coordinator Gerald Alexander on Tuesday night before his pro day, while meeting privately with 6 other teams that day as well. He has 8 top 30 visits coming up as well. The versatile DB had 4 INTs during his breakout season in 2025 and blazed a 4.33 40 at the combine.”
A Vikings Draft Prospect to Watch: DB Treydan Stukes
As things stand, the Vikings are moving ahead with defensive backs who are almost exclusively in the middle or toward the end of their prime.
Starting corners Byron Murphy Jr. (28), Isaiah Rodgers (28), and James Pierre (29) should offer reasonably strong play. Not sizzling, but solid. Complementing the corners is the collection of safety talent that’s set to shoulder a beefy burden. Some combination of Josh Metellus (28), Theo Jackson (27), and Jay Ward (25) look like the leaders in the clubhouse to soak up the safety snaps.
What’s really needed is an infusion of young, high-end talent.
Stukes, who played his college ball at Arizona, stands at 6’1″ and weighs 190 pounds. Check out the scouting blurb on the NFL’s website: “Sixth-year senior and team captain who went from walk-on to unquestioned leader of his defense. Stukes combines his infectious passion with hours of preparation that allow him to play fast. He communicates well from zone and works quickly from route to route. He has work to do in man coverage but possesses an excellent feel for disrupting catch-points at optimal angles despite a lack of ideal length. Stukes is an older prospect and has an ACL tear in his background (2024), but the football has a magnetic pull for him. Coaches will love his football character and versatility as a big nickelback or split safety.”
Pulling out the negatives will mean making note of the serious knee injury alongside being a player who is older (24) since he has been playing college ball for six years. Not being tremendous in man coverage is worth noting.
Pulling out the positives would lead to a much more ample list. Stukes offers great leadership and on-field communication. He does well in zone. He’s competitive and has demonstrated great resilience to get to this point in his football career. So, too, is he a versatile player, someone capable of doing different jobs while then having a “magnetic pull” on the football.
In 2025, Treydan Stukes played in ten games. He had 52 tackles to stand alongside 4 interceptions, 6 passes defended, 1 sack, and 1 tackle for loss. The folks at PFF gave him a sizzling 90.1 grade, an elite assessment.
Note that he offered the positive play while playing his largest portion of snaps at slot corner. Check out how his snaps got divvied up:
- Slot Corner: 380 Snaps
- Linebacker: 197 Snaps
- Free Safety: 19 Snaps
- Defensive Line: 8 Snaps
- Corner: 4 Snaps
In just a basic sense, think of Treydan Stukes as being closer to Josh Metellus than he is Camryn Bynum. At least per his recent usage, Stukes does his work closer to the line of scrimmage rather than far down the field.
On CBS, Stukes comes in at 71st on the board. On ESPN, Stukes comes in at 77th. On PFF, Stukes comes in at 61st. Minnesota has No. 49 (2nd Round) alongside No. 82 and No. 97 (3rd Round). Does one of those get used on the safety?
Early on, Treydan Stukes appears to be someone who shines on specials. If everything goes well, he could break into the defense to do damage from his debut season onward.
The 2026 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 23rd until Saturday, April 25th.
