Prominent mock draft has Vikings taking 'freaky athlete' Oregon TE

The Vikings' pick at No. 18 in a new mock draft from The Athletic's Dane Brugler is Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who recently declared for the draft after a strong junior season.

If you're thinking 'Wait, don't the Vikings already have a tight end?' that's an understandable response. But with Minnesota needing salary cap relief this offseason, there's no guarantee that T.J. Hockenson is on the roster in 2026. He's got a $21.3 million cap hit this year, which is very high for a player who had a mediocre 51-438-3 receiving line this past season (not that his limited pass-game production was entirely his fault).

Hockenson's deal could be restructured to free up cap space, but he could also be a simple cap casualty or trade candidate. If he's cut or traded prior to June 1, the Vikings would free up nearly $9 million in cap space but would have to eat over $12 million in dead money. If he was designated as a post-June 1 release or traded after that date, it would be $16 million in cap savings with just $5.3 million in dead money.

If Hockenson is in the Vikings' 2026 plans, drafting a tight end in the first round would make little sense. But if he isn't, it might just be a sneaky option. And in the event that Sadiq is on the board at 18, he could be awfully tempting for Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings, given his versatility and upside.

"If T.J. Hockenson is a cap casualty this offseason, tight end would move up the Vikings’ needs list," Brugler wrote. "Sadiq is a big, freaky athlete with the adjustment skills to make difficult catches look routine and the mentality to be an asset as a blocker. NFL teams believe he has the talent to be a top-10 pick."

The first thing that stands out about Sadiq is that at 6'3" and 245 pounds, the Idaho native is built like an action figure. He is a remarkable athlete who figures to test quite well at the combine.