Vikings' Jakobe Thomas: Goes to Minnesota

The Vikings selected Thomas in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 98th overall.

Analysis:

Thomas transferred to Miami for his fifth and final college season, where he established himself as a key piece in the Hurricanes secondary en route to an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Indiana. He started in all 16 games in 2025 and was named as the Fiesta Bowl MVP and to the All-ACC Second-Team after posting 76 total tackles, including 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 11 pass defenses (five interceptions). Thomas is an avid playmaker both in coverage and as a run stopper, and while that aggressiveness led to game-changing plays in college, he'll have to be careful not to get exposed at the NFL level. Thomas will have the chance to compete against Theo Jackson and Jay Ward for the second starting safety job alongside Josh Metellus (shoulder).