Tom Pelissero drops Minnesota Vikings bombshell on local radio that could change the NFL Draft landscape

After the first night of the NFL Draft , the Minnesota Vikings have an improved offensive line, as they selected Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson at 24th overall.

The interesting thing about the pick was that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah chose not to trade down and take the draft capital that comes with it. They likely  could have taken the trade that the New York Giants offered the Houston Texans, but it sounds like they weren't offered the deal.

Vikings could trade back up into day two

Without trading down to get more draft picks, they only have three remaining in the 2025 NFL Draft:

• 97th overall
• 139th overall
• 187th overall

That isn't a lot of draft capital for the Vikings to play with, but they are projected to get 2-3 compensatory selections next year, which could come into play on Friday.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, who lives in Minnesota and used to cover the Vikings on the beat, was on local radio station KFAN this morning and mentioned the possibility of trading up on day two, with running back being a position to watch.

It's important to note that this is speculation, but very noteworthy that Pelissero mentioned the idea of both future capital and running back.

The Vikings are currently projected to have between eight and 10 draft picks in 2026. One of the things that complicates the 2026 class is the trade for Cam Robinson, as the Vikings could end up being either a fifth-round pick with the Vikings getting a seventh-round pick, but with the conditions being based on playing time, the Vikings are likely sending a fourth-round pick while getting nothing in return.

As things stand, this is what the Vikings' projected draft capital in 2026 currently sits at.

• 1st
• 2nd
• 3rd
• 3rd (projected compensatory pick)
• 4th (projected compensatory pick)
• 5th
• 7th
• 7th (from Texans)
• 7th (projected compensatory pick)

They aren't allowed to trade comp picks until they are officially awarded, so they can trade six of their selections. It's also really interesting that they would trade for a running back, considering the depth of this class. What it does say is that the Vikings might love a player in this class.

Someone like Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson would make a ton of sense for what the Vikings want to do, and I view him very highly as my third-best running back in the class.

Strap in, Vikings fans, Friday night could get really interesting.