Unlock the latest Minnesota Vikings news — direct to your inbox.
Anything can happen in the NFL Draft. With the Minnesota Vikings, though, the overwhelming consensus has the team targeting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 18 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The selection would make a lot of sense with Thieneman a very suitable replacement for veteran safety Harrison Smith, who the Vikings released this offseason.
However, CBS Sports’s Zachary Pereles went in a different direction for Minnesota in his latest mock draft. Pereles predicted the Vikings to land a potential Jonathan Greenard replacement instead.
Despite Thieneman still being on the board, Pereles predicted the Vikings to select Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk at No. 18 overall.
“Safety Dillon Thieneman has been an overwhelmingly popular mock draft choice here, especially with Harrison Smith’s potential retirement on the table,” wrote Pereles. “But I’d be really intrigued by the Vikings taking Faulk, who is a hulking 6-6 and 276 pounds and oozes talent. He’d add some serious disruptive abilities up front.
“Given the Vikings have shopped Jonathan Greenard, this could be a good fit.”
The Vikings made a lot of salary cap saving moves this offseason. For that reason, pundits have discussed the team potentially trading Greenard this offseason.
If that’s still on the table for Minnesota, the Vikings could immediately replace Greenard with Faulk.
Faulk posted 10 sacks with 19.5 tackles for loss in 37 games at Auburn. Last season, he had two sacks and five tackles for loss in 12 contests.
How Keldric Faulk Could Replace Jonathan Greenard for Vikings
GettyCBS Sports’s Zachary Pereles predicted the Minnesota Vikings to draft a potential Jonathan Greenard replacement in edge rusher Keldric Faulk.
GettyCBS Sports’s Zachary Pereles predicted the Minnesota Vikings to draft a potential Jonathan Greenard replacement in edge rusher Keldric Faulk.
Greenard has two years remaining on his 4-year, $76 million contract. He signed that deal with the Vikings in NFL free agency during 2024.
Greenard experienced a strong first campaign in Minnesota. During 2024, he posted 12 sacks with 18 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hits.
The analytics suggest Greenard was just as good, if not better, last season. But he played fewer games because of a shoulder injury and produced far less. Greenard had three sacks with 10 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits.
With a roughly a $22 million cap hit each of the next two seasons for the veteran edge rusher, the Vikings could move in a different direction with a Greenard trade. They could acquire more draft picks on the trade market and get younger at edge rusher.
Faulk would help satisfy the second goal. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared him to former Pro Bowl edge rusher Carlos Dunlap.
“Faulk has a long, developing frame, good movement skills and the potential for odd or even fronts once he gains more muscle mass,” wrote Zierlein. “He’s a culture player with high character who earns a grade bump based on his age (turns 21 in September), traits and advanced foundation.
“Faulk needs polish but offers a high ceiling that should reveal itself within a couple of years.”
Would the Vikings Pass on Dillon Thieneman for Edge Rusher?
GettyCBS Sports’s Zachary Pereles projected the Minnesota Vikings to select Keldric Faulk at No. 18 overall in his latest 2026 NFL mock draft.
GettyCBS Sports’s Zachary Pereles projected the Minnesota Vikings to select Keldric Faulk at No. 18 overall in his latest 2026 NFL mock draft.
The Vikings selecting Faulk to potentially usurp Greenard wouldn’t be nearly as surprising if draft pundits weren’t so infatuated with the idea of the team targeting the Oregon safety.
According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, in the past week alone, 35 mock drafts have predicted the Vikings to select Thieneman. The next closest prediction during that time for Minnesota’s first-round pick was safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
But only five mock drafts slotted McNeil-Warren to Minnesota.
“Safety Dillon Thieneman (Oregon) is the most mocked player to Minnesota, and for good reason,” wrote ESPN’s Matt Miller. “Word is the front office views him as a seamless replacement for veteran Harrison Smith.”
Both Faulk and Thieneman would address a long-term need in Minnesota. But the selection of Faulk could expedite the Greenard departure. In the case of drafting Thieneman, the Vikings would be replacing an already departed star.
For what it’s worth, Thieneman went off the board right after the Vikings to the Carolina Panthers at No. 18 overall in Pereles’s mock draft.
Faulk to the Vikings is certainly on the table. It would just come with a certain level of surprise. That will especially be the case if Thieneman is still available.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!