Daily Norseman Readers Grade the Vikings ‘26 Draft Class

TL;DR

The Minnesota Vikings received mostly positive grades for their 2026 NFL Draft class, with 44% of readers giving a 'B' and only 11% rating it a 'D'. The focus was on strengthening the roster's trenches, which some believe will pay off in the future.

Key points

Vikings received positive grades for 2026 Draft class
44% of readers gave a 'B' grade
Focus on strengthening trenches on both sides of the ball

Caleb BanksMinnesota Vikings

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 25: Minnesota Vikings international fan of the year John Macdonald announces a pick during the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) | Getty Images The 2026 NFL Draft concluded one week ago, and now that the proverbial dust has settled a bit, it’s time to take a look at what the readers here at our humble little corner of the internet thought of what the Minnesota Vikings did during this year’s selection meeting. Overall, the impressions seemed to be relatively positive.

Of those who responded to our poll, 44% gave the purple a solid “B” grade for their selections in this year’s Draft. Another 29% gave them a “C” and 12% gave the selections an “A” grade, so the overwhelming majority of folks see this draft class as at least average or better. Only 11% of our respondents graded the group as a “D,” while another 4% decided that they’d slap a big ol’ “F” on this year’s Draft class for whatever reason. Anyone who has followed this site for any length of time knows that I detest the idea of handing out draft grades to a group of guys who haven’t even gone through an NFL mini-camp yet, let alone a game that actually means anything. Having said that, I think a lot of the criticism I’ve seen for the picks the Vikings made is over the top. The spots on the roster that the Vikings needed to address weren’t the “sexy” spots. . .they needed to get stronger in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and the picks they made early on in the draft were geared towards that purpose. I have a feeling that when we look back in a few years. . .when draft classes *should* be graded. . .we’re going to feel a whole lot better about this group than the Really Smart Football People™ seem to think we should feel right now. Especially if Caleb Banks pans out the way he’s capable of. Those are the results of our most recent SB Nation Reacts survey, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in our survey for this week!

Q&A

What grades did readers give the Minnesota Vikings 2026 Draft class?

Readers graded the Vikings' 2026 Draft class with 44% giving a 'B', 29% a 'C', and 12% an 'A'.

Why did the Vikings focus on the trenches in the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Vikings aimed to strengthen their roster in the trenches on both sides of the ball, addressing critical needs rather than selecting 'sexy' positions.

Who is Caleb Banks and why is he significant for the Vikings' draft class?

Caleb Banks is a player selected by the Vikings in the 2026 Draft, and his potential success is seen as a key factor that could positively influence the overall evaluation of the draft class.