Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Who Are You Watching At The Senior Bowl?

The Senior Bowl is this week. Who are you watching?

2026 Senior Bowl Official Measurements 2026 Senior Bowl rosters: PFF grades, WAA, measurements and athletic percentiles https://steelersdepot.com/2026/01/2026-senior-bowl-primer-safeties/

https://steelersdepot.com/2026/01/2026-senior-bowl-primer-wide-receivers/ https://steelersdepot.com/2026/01/2026-senior-bowl-primer-running-backs/ https://steelersdepot.com/2026/01/2026-senior-bowl-primer-quarterbacks/ https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2026/01/26/senior-bowl-2026-edge-lb-primer-roster

2026 Senior Bowl Day 2 standouts: NFL draft sleepers emerge at QB, WR

James Brockermeyer
Miami · C · Senior

James’ father, Blake, was a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 1995 and spent nine seasons in the NFL. If Wednesday’s practice was any indication of what is to come, James will become the next Brockermeyer to have a long pro career.

Despite checking in at 297 pounds (tied for the lightest O-lineman at this year’s Senior Bowl), Brockermeyer was up to the task against every defensive lineman he faced in one-on-one drills. He displayed plus core strength, strong hands and a balanced base. It’s rare for any offensive lineman to consistently outperform his defensive counterparts in one-on-one pass pro drills, but it’s even more rare for a center to do it. Brockermeyer was lights-out throughout the day and made himself money.
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Taylen Green
Arkansas · QB · Senior

In a draft light on quarterback headliners beyond Fernando Mendoza, Green should be garnering buzz thanks to his rare physical attributes and skill set.

At 6-foot-6 and with a wingspan of nearly seven feet, his long arms create a longer release and his accuracy is spotty. He has the arm strength to make explosive throws and can gobble up yards outside the pocket with his long strides. The ups and downs from his game tape were present in practice on Wednesday, but the ups are highly intriguing. With a strong finish to the week, he has a chance to position himself as a likely late Day 2 pick.
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Mike Washington Jr.
Arkansas · RB · Senior

In this year’s draft there won’t be many running backs who offer the blend of size and top-end speed that Washington brings to the table. At 6-foot and 228 pounds, the former Razorbacks star has a chiseled, athletic frame and is rarely caught by chasers once he hits the open field.

Senior Bowl 2026 Day 2 winners, losers: Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields shines
Winners
Max Iheanachor, OT — Arizona State
One of the more pleasant surprises of the day. Iheanachor held his own against speed and power, using his length effectively in pass protection. His frame and physicality fit the NFL mold, and his consistency on Day 2 should have scouts circling back for more looks.

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Chris McClellan, iDL — Missouri
McClellan’s strength showed up again. He’s difficult to move at the point of attack and flashes the ability to disengage quickly. He’s proving he belongs in this environment and could be pushing himself into a higher tier among interior defensive linemen.

2026 Senior Bowl practise notes (day one)

Senior Bowl practices for 2026 NFL draft: Best QBs, prospects
Wednesday’s best quarterback performance
The expectation on Day 2 of the Senior Bowl is for quarterbacks to settle down and gain chemistry with wide receivers they’ve known for 48 hours. Cole Payton (North Dakota State) once again stood out from the competition on Wednesday after being highlighted by Jordan as the top quarterback on Tuesday. Payton doesn’t have the smoothest operation, with a looping, left-handed throwing motion, but he was the most consistently accurate quarterback of the six passers I saw.

The 6-foot-2, 229-pound Payton has solid arm talent, but what most impressed me was his ability to put the ball on his man despite not having fully developed the trust and feel with the wideouts he’s working with. Payton remains a late-round prospect on my board, but he’s trending up while standing out among a crowd of passers that were all ranked ahead of him when the week began. — Miller

Day 2 standout prospects
Zane Durant, DT, Penn State
Durant’s first-step explosiveness has continued to show during practices. Splitting time at multiple interior spots, his upfield burst has been challenging for blockers to match. Durant made multiple plays in the backfield on Wednesday, including a disruptive tackle for loss during the team period of practice. At 6-foot-1, 290 pounds, Durant is likely a situational late-down pass rusher early in his career but has the chance to develop into more. His burst and ability to penetrate the first level have been more consistent during practice than what he showed on film during the 2025 season. I have a third-round grade on him as a defensive line rotational player. — Reid
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Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll
All-star games are a great way for small-school prospects to boost their stock. Montgomery has not only proved that he belongs, but he has been one of the best players in the first two days of practice. The Division III standout continued to make plays, including a highlight-reel catch in which he skied over San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson in the end zone. Montgomery was on the NFL radar as a late-round hopeful, but he has certainly improved his stock. In speaking to scouts on the sideline during practice, the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder has generated the most buzz among all wide receivers in Mobile. — Reid
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Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
Rodriguez was one of the most productive players in college football last season, posting 127 tackles, seven forced fumbles, four interceptions and a sack while also scoring three touchdowns. The playmaking that led him to the fifth-place finish in Heisman polling showed up on Wednesday, as Rodriguez’s strength and power coming downhill as a tackler led to a forced fumble in team sessions. The 6-foot-1, 233-pounder is an easy evaluation. The thumping linebacker is a Round 3 player with the ability to impact a pro defense as a starting Mike ‘backer. — Miller
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Quick-hitters from Day 2
Miller:
Kansas State center Sam Hecht had two solid days in a row and is catching my eye as a potential midround steal in this class. Hecht’s hand placement, power and agility have the look of a potential early starter in the NFL. He’s marked on my notes as a player to dive in deeper on following this week.

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Reid:
Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher caught my eye on multiple occasions during the team period of practice. He was able to stop multiple runs behind the line of scrimmage by aggressively attacking downhill. He came into Mobile known for his instincts and run-stopping ability, which have remained consistent through two practices. Boettcher is viewed as a midround pick, but he stood out in a deep linebacker group.

Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun had a productive second day in which he recorded multiple pass breakups. His best portion of practice came during one-on-ones, and he remained disciplined in coverage on Wednesday. Igbinosun is known for his grabby nature, but he limited that tendency and showed his potential in man-to-man as well as zone. Considering his size (6-foot-2, 192 pounds) and movement skills, it would be a surprise if he’s not selected inside of the top 75 picks.

After an inconsistent first day, Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks put it all together on Wednesday. With injuries limiting him to two games last season, Banks was circled as a prospect with plenty to gain in Mobile. He looked like the prospect many were excited about coming into the season, flashing his power in the run game and disruption as a pass rusher. Banks carries a mixture of second- and third-round grades from scouts that I have talked to here.
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Day 1 standout prospects

Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
All eyes were on Hood, my top-ranked player at the Senior Bowl, and he stepped up Tuesday. He showed patience and confidence in one-on-one settings, turning and running with opposing receivers with ease while not being beaten once. The 5-foot-11, 188-pound junior was my No. 18-ranked player entering the week and solidified his status as the best player in Mobile throughout position drills and team settings. The Buccaneers, Jets and Lions all look like strong landing spots for him in the middle of Round 1. — Miller
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Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
I’m always looking for that “wow” first impression at all-star games and Hunter delivered it during team drills Tuesday. Lining up as a 1-technique, Hunter absolutely demolished an interior offensive lineman with his first-step power, rocking back the blocker’s shoulders and easily gaining ground. That backs up what we saw on tape during Texas Tech’s run to the CFP this season. The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Hunter currently ranks No. 29 on my board and boosted his stock even more on Tuesday. — Miller
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T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson
Viewed as one of the nation’s top defenders entering the season, Parker didn’t have the season many envisioned, with his sack total falling from 11 in 2024 to five last season. Parker took a positive step toward reviving his draft prospects on the first day of practice Tuesday, as the 6-foot-3, 265-pounder displayed lots of power in his hands. That strength was present throughout multiple periods of practice. Scouts view Parker as a top-40 prospect who could sneak into the back end of Round 1. — Reid
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Keylan Rutledge, IOL, Georgia Tech
After playing guard exclusively during his career at Georgia Tech, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Rutledge took snaps at center throughout practice Tuesday. Rutledge showed comfort with snapping the ball and demonstrated that he can play any spot along the interior, answering one of the biggest questions scouts had about him entering the Senior Bowl. — Reid
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Shrine Bowl observations
Offensive lineman Brian Parker II (Duke) also stood out. After spending last season at left tackle, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound Parker played center at Shrine Bowl practices, showing strong hands and a balanced base. He was viewed as a Day 3 prospect entering the event but boosted his stock and could go as early as Round 3.

Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Vikings 2026 Mock Draft Tracker: Version 1.0
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2026 Mock Draft Tracker: The Latest Vikings Predictions From the Experts

Vikings’ NFL Draft priorities: Ranking the positions of need for 2026

Cornerback
Interior defensive line
This might sound like cherry picking, but all four teams competing in the conference championships last weekend possess elite interior defenders.
Safety
Tackle
Edge rusher
Center
Running back
Tight end

Future of the Vikings, part 5: The defensive line (and OLBs)
Greenard’s season was funky because he was terrific by every metric except sacks. Among all rushers with at least 250 snaps, he ranked 16th in PFF grade, 13th in Pass Rush Productivity and 13th in pass-rush win rate. Despite missing six games, Greenard’s 47 total QB pressures were more than TJ Watt and only a few behind Brian Burns, Montez Sweat and DeMacus Lawrence and tied with Joey Bosa. Just two years ago, he had 48 totals and got 12.5 sacks in Houston.

ESPN Identifies the Vikings’ Biggest Looming Free Agency Decision

Nailor has served as the Vikings’ main WR3 in 2024 and 2025 after battling a litany of injuries in 2022 and 2023.

Last offseason, the Rams paid Tutu Atwell $10 million to stay in their WR3/WR4 lane — the same lane Nailor occupies. Their production lines aren’t too far apart. And Atwell isn’t an outlier. Rashod Bateman, Dyami Brown, Josh Palmer, Curtis Samuel, and Darius Slayton all cleared $8 million per year in 2025. That’s the neighborhood. Nailor is drifting into it now, and the market will put a number on him soon enough.

It’s an awkward spot to examine Nailor’s free agent value in January. No one would be surprised if he accepted a $10 million deal over two years. Or a notification could hit fans’ phones in March, showing some WR-needy team paid him $24 million for a two-year contract.

Spotrac estimates Nailor’s value at $4.7 million — a price point the Vikings could surely swing.

Vikings Now Have Multiple Key Hires to Make on Their Coaching Staff

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QB2 Option for Vikings Already Recovered from Nasty Injury
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What the Vikings Would’ve Sacrificed by Keeping Sam Darnold

Off Season Plan

Cap Space Work
2026 Cap : ($48,943,588)
Extend O’Neill 3 yr 72M
Restructure Hockenson
Extend Hargrave (2 yr 18M)
Cut Jones
Cut Kelly
Restructure Greenard (16M of salary)
Restructure Jefferson (max)
Restructure Fries (max)

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Updated 2026 Cap : $34,988,132
Post June 1 – Smith Retires
Updated 2026 Cap : $36,288,132
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2027 Cap : ($5,001,477)
Cut Allen & Metellus
Updated 2027 Cap : $20,843,523
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Free agents signed
Sign QB Marcus Mariota 2 yr 24M
Sign Luke Fortner 3 yr 25.5M
Sign RB Tyler Allgeier 3 yr 12M
Sign CB Kader Kohou 2 yr 6M
Sign LB Devine Deablo 3 yr 27M

Probably could front load some of these so that the 2026 cap is not negative OR do less on the restructures

Yore Mock

Trade Partner: 49ers
Sent: 1.27, 3.82
Received: 1.27, 2.58, 3.92
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Trade Partner: Broncos
Sent: 1.18, 3.82
Received: 1.30, 4.108
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Trade Partner: Saints
Sent: 3.92, 4.108, 2027 6th
Received: 3.73, 5.148
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Trade Partner: Jets
Sent: 3.97
Received: 4.103, 6.192
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Trade Partner: Bills
Sent: 4.126
Received: 5.148, 6.192, 2027 5th
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Pick 30. TJ Parker EDGE Clemson 6’3″ 265
Pick 49. Lee Hunter DL Texas Tech 6’3″ 320
Pick 58. Dillon Thieneman S Oregon 6’0″ 205
Pick 73. Keionte Scott CB Miami (FL) 6’0″ 194
Pick 103. Emmett Johnson RB Nebraska 5’1″ 200
Pick 126. Zane Durant DL Penn State 6’1″ 290
Pick 161. Aamil Wagner OT Notre Dame 6’5″ 302
Pick 194. Jager Burton IOL Kentucky 6’3 323
Pick 234. Tyren Montgomery WR John Carroll 5’11” 190
Pick 240. Bryce Boettcher LB Oregon 6’1″ 227