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Peter Woods would be a interesting fit for the Vikings.

The first round of the NFL Draft is just one day away, and speculation about what the Minnesota Vikings could do with their first-round pick is ramping up. 

While Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman has been the popular pick, another name who could be a fit in Minnesota has been slowly rising up draft boards. In NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay’s latest mock draft for The Ringer, he has the Vikings selecting Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods at No. 18. 

“Woods has been catching a lot of buzz in conversations I’ve been having recently—full circle from earlier in the process—and the league seems to be coming back around on his traits despite a quieter 2025 season,” wrote McShay. 

“The Vikings run a one-gap scheme under Brian Flores, and Woods fits well there. Plus, they released Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.”

Peter Woods Would Be an Intriguing Option for the Vikings at No. 18

After a dominating 2024 season in which Woods racked up three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, he was a projected top-10 pick. But a down season in 2025 with just two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss dropped his range anywhere from the late first to the second-round. After moving on from Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, Minnesota needs a running mate for Jalen Redmond on the inside of the defensive line and could look to add Woods. 

It’s a 180-degree flip from McShay’s mock draft from last week, where he had the Vikings taking wide receiver Denzel Boston from Washington. The Vikings have kept their draft plans close to the vest, and with needs all over the roster, there’s multiple ways interim general manager Rob Brzezinski can go. 

With Woods, the Vikings would be addressing a big need, but after his quiet season, there are questions on whether or not he’s still worth a first-round selection. Minnesota has long said that they’ll utilize a best player available approach, so they’d have to value Woods very highly to take him at No. 18 overall. 

Should the Vikings Consider a Trade-Down in the NFL Draft?

With many of the defensive tackles in the 2026 NFL Draft expected to go later than No. 18, the Vikings could consider a trade-down. Minnesota owns four selections in the top-100 of the draft, but could look to accumulate even more draft capital. 

But with several teams already looking to move back, Minnesota might have problems finding a dance partner to come up to eighteen. In ESPN’s Adam Schefter’s notebook this week, he said that many NFL executives are less than impressed with the top talent in this year’s draft. 

“One GM said last week that this was not a great year to have a top-10 pick,” he wrote. “Another front office executive called the first half of Round 1 ‘uninspiring,’ saying, ‘There are good players, but not a lot of star power.’ Other executives say they believe that one of the strong suits of this class might be in the third and fourth rounds, where many of those good players and opportunities await.”

Woods could very well be the pick, but there’s a world where Minnesota may be able to move down and still get him. 

Trevor Ripley Trevor Ripley is a Heavy writer covering the Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals. More about Trevor Ripley