17. Minnesota Vikings: Koi Perich, SAF, Oregon
In consecutive offseasons, the Vikings will have lost Cam Bynum and Harrison Smith if indeed this past season was Smith’s last in purple and gold. And while you would expect them to go after safety help in 2026, there are plenty of other areas this team will have to address early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Getting a playmaker on the back end like Koi Perich (6 INTs in his first two years at Minnesota) in next year’s class would be great value at this stage of the first round.
18. New York Giants: Ellis Robinson IV, CB, Georgia
A lot of key players in the secondary for the New York Giants will be coming up on expiring contracts in both 2027 and 2028, so the team might want to get out ahead of that. And maybe even regardless of filling roster holes, it’s possible Ellis Robinson could simply be the best player on the board here. He just had four interceptions this past year and looks like a future star at the next level.
19. Baltimore Ravens: Jayden Jackson, DL, Oklahoma
One of the strongest position groups, at least extremely early on, for the upcoming 2027 NFL Draft class looks like it will be the defensive line. Jayden Jackson is one of a handful of players currently being projected in this range. The Oklahoma defense could have a number of top-tier prospects next year, and we’ll see who takes over the operation in Baltimore. But getting tougher on the defensive front is non-negotiable.
20. Philadelphia Eagles: Justin Scott, DL, Miami
The Eagles are always looking to upgrade in the trenches defensively. It’ll be fun to see what this team ends up doing if they have another year of struggles on the offensive side of the ball, but no matter what, Howie Roseman is going to want to have his roster absolutely overflowing with studs on the defensive front. Justin Scott is a former big-time recruit who could be the next top-flight prospect on that Miami defensive line.