Vikings Select Harrison Smith Successor in Way-Too-Early Mock Draft

It’s never too early to start looking at who the Minnesota Vikings can go after next year in the draft.

Minnesota will be in a much better position next year than this year. The Vikings are looking to have at most nine draft picks, including four in the first three rounds.

Many media outlets are starting to release their way-too-early mock draft for 2026. One website has the Vikings picking earlier than they did this year and finding the next man up for Harrison Smith.

PFF’s Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman put together their combined mock draft for next year. They have the Vikings selecting the 18th overall pick. Minnesota is picking Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, and they hope he can replace Smith.

“Thieneman is arguably the best single-high safety in college football. His grades dipped a bit in 2024 due to Purdue playing him in more of a box role, but he still posted a solid 72.4 PFF overall grade.”

“Thieneman has since transferred to Oregon, where he will certainly be in the spotlight under Dan Lanning. If he regains the form he showed in an outstanding 2023, he could be a natural successor to Harrison Smith in Minnesota.”

Last season, Thieneman made 104 tackles, seven pass deflections, and five tackles for loss with Purdue. In 2023, he was a third-team All-American and was the Big Ten freshman of the year after nabbing six interceptions with the Boilermakers. Thieneman is currently with the Ducks after transferring from Purdue.

The benefit of selecting Thieneman is that he makes a perfect replacement for Smith and a spot-on scheme fit for defensive coordinator Brian Flores. His ability to tackle from anywhere on the field and create turnovers in coverage would make him a day-one starter in Minnesota.

This mock draft from PFF is under the assumption that the Vikings are going to take a step back and even miss the postseason. It would be a dramatic drop for a team that went 14-3 a season ago.

Vikings fans hope the team won’t drop that low, but have to feel good about the potential of grabbing a future starter in the NFL.