Vikings 1st & SKOL: A Minnesota Vikings podcast

Final Predictive 1st-Round Mock Draft (No Trades) + Vikings Pick: Kenyon Sadiq — With the NFL draft 25 hours away, Tyler Forness and Producer Dave present Tyler’s final predictive first-round mock (no trades) and discuss why trades could still happen due to a talent cliff. The mock begins Raiders selecting QB Fernando Mendoza No. 1, Jets taking Arvell Reese at 2, Cardinals OL Francis Mauigoa at 3,...

SKOL Search: Scouting 2026 Draft DTs Caleb Banks, Peter Woods & Kayden McDonald — Tyler Forness hosts SKOL Search on Vikings 1st & SKOL, previewing the 2026 NFL Draft by scouting three defensive tackles often projected in Round 1: Caleb Banks (Florida), Peter Woods (Clemson), and Kayden McDonald (Ohio State). Forness explains why this DT class lacks a clear elite top-five talent, then breaks down...

Tyler Forness Reveals His 2026 “All 4.0 Team” Draft Favorites and Vikings Draft Live Plans — On a bonus episode of The Real Forno Show, Tyler Forness and producer Dave Stefano explain Forness’s yearly “All-Forno Team,” a vibes-based list of favorite draft prospects with rules (max two first-round grades and two players per graded position) and brief history of past captains and selections. They un...

Vikings Draft Week: Horizontal Boards, Brzezinski Red Flags, and a Possible Jonathan Greenard Trade — During a draft week episode of The Real Forno Show, Tyler Forness and Producer Dave introduce “horizontal boards” for offense, defense, and all positions, explaining how they map player rankings to draft ranges (trade up, pick 18, trade down, later rounds, UDFA) and emphasize fit and roster contex...

Two Old Bloggers Vikings Draft Special: Drew’s Big Board, Pick 18 Targets, and a Trade-Down Plan — Dave Stefano and Darren Campbell host a Two Old Bloggers Vikings draft special with guest “Drew the Rooster” Bunting, who presents his Vikings-tilted big board and argues the team, picking at 18 with an interim GM, must nail a critical nine-pick draft after recent misses. Drew calls this a developmen...

Vikings Draft Preview: 5 Players to Avoid at Pick 18, Top Sleepers, and a Trade-Back Mock Draft — Tyler Forno and Producer Dave preview the Vikings’ draft week plans and discuss which prospects Minnesota should avoid at pick 18 based on scheme fit, positional value, and roster needs. Forno explains why he’s out on safety Dylan Thieneman (limited versatility for Brian Flores), OL Vega Ioane and Spe...

NFC North Draft Smoke, Stadium Talk, and a 7-Round Mock: Vrabel-Rossini Controversy and Team Updates — Hosts from Vikings First in SKOL, Frustrated Chicago Sports Fan, and Bleachers to Speakers cover NFC North news and draft buildup, including Chicago’s quiet draft plans and pending Bears stadium committee update tied to Illinois lawmakers, Detroit’s Brad Holmes reiterating best-player-available a...

Vikings Draft Countdown: McCarthy Trade Rumors, Top 5 Targets, and a 7-Round BPA Mock — Tyler Forness and producer Dave Stefano preview the Minnesota Vikings’ draft with 10 days remaining, outlining extensive live draft-week coverage, revisiting Forness’ Vikings-specific top five draft options, and stressing media literacy amid viral speculation that the Vikings could trade J.J. McCarthy to the Ra...

Vikings Draft Visits, Dexter Lawrence Trade Talk, and Roasting Bill Barnwell’s Mock Trades — Dave Stefano and Darren Campbell discuss Vikings draft themes with 11 days to go, focusing on what reported prospect meetings (combine, pro days, Senior/Shrine bowls, and top-30 visits) suggest about targets. They note little apparent attention to quarterback (only Georgia Tech’s Haynes King) and edge rush...

How the Vikings Could Maximize Kyler Murray in the NFL Draft + What Top-30 Visits Really Mean — Tyler Forness and producer Dave discuss a draft approach built around maximizing Kyler Murray, whom they consider the likely Vikings starter in 2026, balancing immediate help with long-term roster building and a potential extension. Forness reviews 2024 personnel data showing Murray’s higher EPA per pas...

NFC North Roundtable: Draft in 15 Days, Dexter Lawrence Trade Buzz, and the NFL’s Push for 18 Games — Hosts from Fans First Sports Network’s NFC North roundtable show “Who Will Be King” preview the NFL Draft (15 days away) and share plans for multi-day livestream coverage, with discussion of the Vikings’ draft preparation under interim GM/cap guru Rob Brzezinski. They debate trade rumors around Gi...

Why a Dexter Lawrence Trade Is Unlikely + Vikings Pick 18 TE Option and 7-Round Mock Draft — Tyler Forness and producer Dave discuss Dexter Lawrence’s trade request from the Giants, driven by his desire for a raise in the $27M/year range, and why a Vikings trade is highly unlikely despite his elite pass-rushing nose tackle impact. They explain the steep acquisition cost (likely a first-plus) and m...

Vikings League Meetings Takeaways: Kyler Murray, Blake Brandel at Center, GM Search, and Jordan Addison’s 5th-Year Option — Dave and Darren review key Vikings topics from the NFL owners meetings, including Kevin O’Connell signaling Kyler Murray is the expected 2026 starter while discussing possible offensive changes toward more pistol and shotgun looks. Interim GM Rob Brzezinski says the team stil...

Vikings Draft Strategy: Identifying Talent Cliffs and Maximizing the Board — Tyler Forness and producer Dave discuss NFL Draft “talent cliffs” and how the Vikings can maximize value by anticipating position drop-offs and using consensus boards to check individual evaluations. Forness outlines perceived cliffs across positions: a thin quarterback class after Fernando Mendoza; a running back cliff a...

Who Will Be King: NFC North Owners Meetings, Draft Pro Days, Bears Stadium Talk, and Lions Bonus Controversy — The hosts of “Who Will Be King” discuss NFC North news 23 days before the draft, including Vikings mournings for Jeff Siemon and Joey Browner, and a Bears signing of veteran safety Chuck Clark for depth and run defense. They recap annual league meetings in Phoenix: Chicago’s Ben Johnson e...

KOC on JJ McCarthy at Owners Meetings, Vikings Updates, and a 7-Round Mock Draft Using A to Z’s New Simulator — Tyler Forness and producer Dave Stefano discuss Vikings news from the NFL owners meetings, focusing on Kevin O’Connell’s comments about JJ McCarthy’s offseason workouts with QB coach John Beck and at TCO Performance Center, and O’Connell’s consistent messaging about a “competitive” quart...

Two Old Bloggers: NFC North Free Agency "Dogfight," Vikings Depth Concerns, and Remembering Siemon & Browner — Darren and Dave discuss the largely quiet NFC North free-agency period, arguing no team clearly improved: Chicago traded DJ Moore to Buffalo and added Devin Bush and Cobe Bryant but lost key turnover-producing defenders and center Drew Dalman; Green Bay mostly sat out, losing major contri...

Should the Vikings Draft a Running Back? Plus a Full First-Round Mock Draft — Host Tyler Forness and producer Dave discuss why the Vikings should avoid prioritizing running back in the NFL draft, arguing the 2026 room is already set with Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and Xavier Scott, and that top backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price likely won’t be available at market value without trading up; Fo...

NFC North Offseason Roundtable: Bears’ Soldier Field Dome Talk, Vikings’ 2028 Draft Bid, Lions Rumors, and Ref Strike Concerns — Dave from Vikings First and SKOL hosts an NFC North “Who Will Be King” roundtable with Pay (Frustrated Chicago Sports Fan) and Foster (Detroit’s Bleachers to Speakers), covering offseason news. They discuss an artist-rendered idea to dome Soldier Field, estimated around...

Vikings Draft Trade-Down Scenarios, Rich Hill Chart Breakdown, and Tyler Forness’ Top 5 Round 1 Targets — Tyler Forness and producer Dave open with a tribute to Jessi Pierce, who died in a house fire with her three children and the family dog, urging kindness and support via a GoFundMe. The show then shifts to why a Vikings trade down from pick 18 could make sense given roster depth needs and a dr...

Two Old Bloggers: Kyler Murray Joins Vikings the Week After, Free Agency Week 2 Moves, and Draft Targets — Darren and Dave discuss the Vikings’ signing of Kyler Murray and argue it can work similarly to Sam Darnold’s strong 2024 season, citing Murray’s career-best and year-to-year stats as generally better than Darnold’s and emphasizing health and offensive line stability as key. They note condole...

Carson Wentz Joins Vikings: What It Means for J.J. McCarthy, Extension Plans, and 5 Round-1 Prospects to Avoid — Tyler Forness and Producer Dave discuss the Vikings signing Carson Wentz and debate what it signals for J.J. McCarthy, with Tyler arguing it points to the team moving on from McCarthy while Dave expects a real competition and values having three capable QBs. They also touch on the Vikin...

Who Will Be King, NFC North Roundup: Free Agency Grades and a First-Round Mock Draft — Hosts from Vikings vs. SKOL, Bleachers to Speakers (Lions), and Frustrated Chicago Sports Fans (Bears) recap NFC North offseason moves and give the division a roughly “C” grade heading into draft season, noting few major free-agent splashes. Detroit emphasizes depth additions (including Pacheco, Borom, secondary...

Vikings Next Steps: Needs Update, Jonathan Greenard Trade Talk, and 7-Round Mock Draft — Tyler Forness and producer Dave discuss the Vikings’ slow start to free agency after signing Kyler Murray and corner James Pierre, then outline updated team needs with linebacker as Forness’s top long-term concern due to limited contracts beyond 2026, followed by defensive tackle, cornerback, safety considerat...

Vikings Sign Kyler Murray on Vet Minimum to Challenge J.J. McCarthy; Quiet Free Agency Breakdown — Hosts Darren and Dave discuss the Minnesota Vikings’ quiet first week of free agency highlighted by signing Kyler Murray to a one-year, $1.3M veteran minimum deal to compete with J.J. McCarthy, with Murray still largely paid by Arizona and unable to be tagged after 2026. They debate Murray’s fit, hea...