On the Draft and Mixed Emotions

In the end, you have to cross your fingers and trust the process. As soon as the Vikings were on the clock, I noticed Brzezinski rush that card up to the podium faster than Rick Spielman used to say, “I’ll need a 7th,” whenever a fellow GM called him up – whether it was actually to discuss a trade or not.

Banks was clearly a priority. Whether that meant he was the best player available overall, the best at the most pressing-need position, or both, we will never truly know. What’s said at pressers afterward can often be molded to reflect the reality of the draft board, but by all accounts and rumors, Banks appeared to be foremost on the Vikings’ radar. Every other DT was right there, along with the most mocked player for the Vikings at #18, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.

If everything goes as planned, Banks is a starter in Week 1 and becomes the best Vikings’ first-round pick on defense since at least Harrison Smith 14 years ago. However, things going as planned isn’t exactly the Vikings’ modus operandi.

File it under “cautiously optimistic” for me.

I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE JONATHAN GREENARD TRADE

File this under “The Packers.” I hate it. Worse, I do not understand it. I’ve frequently discussed my fondness for Jonathan Greenard and my view of his potential to be traded. Here’s a recap:

To quote Hall & Oates: “I can’t go for that, no (No). No can do.” I want nothing to do with this. You can never have enough pass rushers; Dallas Turner is on his rookie deal, and Andrew Van Ginkel has battled pesky neck issues. I’m a huge fan of Greenard. He always seems to be around the ball carrier and causing havoc on every play. His playmaking ability jumps off the screen. The lack of sacks (3.0) during an injury-shortened season was an anomaly. Even with the injuries, his pressure rate of 13.5% ranked seventh in the NFL. He’s 28 and definitely in his prime. If someone makes an incredible offer, including a first-round pick, I get it. Maxx Crosby just got two first-rounders from the Baltimore Ravens. The numbers would support it, even after a tough year in 2025. Since 2023, Greenard has 4.5 fewer sacks (32 vs. 27.5) and 15 fewer QB hits in two fewer starts than Crosby. And I saw this:

Well, Greenard is now with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the incredible offer never arrived. Two third-round picks, one in this draft (#98 overall, Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami) and one in 2027. I waited 24 hours to digest this, hoping my immediate, visceral dislike would subside, but it did not. Not to get at least a second-rounder for someone of Greenard’s talent? It’s a head-scratcher, especially for a team that, for all intents and purposes, is in playoff success or bust mode for 2026. The Eagles seem to know what they have just received, as an immediate four-year, $100 million offer (with $50 million guaranteed) greeted Greenard as he got off the plane.

The move saves the Vikings a tad over $12 million against this year’s cap. We’ll see what that could mean, but that’s a topic for another article. I always feel that where there is a will, there is a way in these situations. We went through something similar with Danielle Hunter a few years back and managed to figure it out.

Dallas Turner now moves into a clear starting role. His development last season was impressive, and, of course, Brian Flores is his defensive coordinator. Even so, a post from ESPN’s Bill Barnwell in early March still lingers in the back of my mind:

Know the Vikings are in a rough cap bind, and he’s still young, but not sure Dallas Turner is as ready to step in for Jonathan Greenard as his sack total might suggest.

Turner had eight sacks last year, but that included 2.5 coverage sacks, 2.5 unblocked sacks, and a sack where the tackle was late off the ball.

Greenard had an 8.4 percent quick pressure rate, which was fourth-best amongst edges with 200 pass rushes or more. Turner was at 4.0 percent, which was 38th.

Hopefully, such concerns are exaggerated, and Turner can turn in a season comparable to what a healthy Greenard would have delivered, but that is certainly not guaranteed. There is no doubt he has the potential.

Given that the trade was happening, the choice of the impressive and incredibly versatile Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday made a ton of sense in the second round (#51 overall). His hybrid skill set is custom-made for a Flores defense. I would imagine he will initially be the backup to Andrew Van Ginkel, get some spot snaps here and there, and be an immediate contributor on special teams. This will give him time to develop and improve his coverage, with the opportunity to become a long-term replacement for Blake Cashman or Eric Wilson.

And the trend is indeed our friend here:

The point remains, however: Trading Greenard seems to make little sense to me given the compensation and expectations for the upcoming season. I hope I am wrong. Goodness knows there is precedent.

BRIAN FLORES: MORE THAN A DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

With the GM situation in flux and Mike Pettine retired, I am not breaking any news when I say that Brian Flores seems to have filled a considerable portion of the organizational power vacuum. Given his history in the scouting department in New England and the fact that the top three picks (and five of the first seven) were on the defensive side of the ball, it is clear that Flores was deeply involved in the planning and execution of this draft.

In addition to Caleb Banks and Jake Golday, the Vikings drafted Vince Wilfork… I mean, Iowa State’s Domonique Orange at #82 overall to fill the role Wilfork played so well for the Patriots during their heyday. Expect “Big Citrus” to be a two-down mainstay for years to come.

The Vikings’ final Top 100 pick (#98) was Miami safety Jakobe Thomas. With the vibes trending toward Harrison Smith running it back, he may be primarily a depth piece at first, but the path to the starting role in the post-Smith era is clear. Like Golday, Thomas is incredibly athletic and schematically versatile. With probably a year to further develop, he should be able to seamlessly fit into the hybrid role Smith has made a Hall of Fame career out of – at the line (blitz/run support), in the slot, or covering the deep part of the field.

Given that he played in the FCS for Stephen F. Austin, cornerback Charles Demmings was a bit of a surprise pick at #163 in the fifth round. But just looking at the pre-draft scouting report, he also seems like a player with a skill set that could be an ideal fit for the Flores scheme. It will be interesting to see how he does during OTAs and training camp. Some quick (albeit preliminary) digging into the numbers suggests there were somewhere between 10 and 15 cornerbacks from FCS schools on NFL rosters or practice quads at various points during the 2025 season. Hopefully, Demmings can join them.

THERE WERE OFFENSIVE SELECTIONS, TOO

Oh, yeah, there were some picks on the offensive side of the ball. Caleb Tiernan, an offensive tackle from Northwestern, was taken directly ahead of Jakobe Thomas in the third round (#97 overall). From what I have read, he may be better suited for guard in the NFL, which could mean an immediate backup role behind Donovan Jackson or Will Fries.

The same goes for center Gavin Gerhardt of Cincinnati, taken in the seventh (#235 overall). Blake Brandel played well at center last year and appears to be the favorite to keep the job heading into the summer. Gerhardt now joins Michael Jurgens in the backup competition.

Fullback Max Bredeson from Michigan (fifth-round, #159) has the unenviable task of replacing an absolute Vikings legend in C.J. Ham – one of my favorite Vikings players over the past 25 years. This pick was probably the most surprising position-wise, as it was unclear whether KOC would remain one of the few teams that use a fullback after Ham’s retirement. But, as the DN’s own Christopher Gates noted right after the pick, Bredeson could be used more in a hybrid H-back role. We shall see.

Given Aaron Jones’ age, Jordan Mason entering a contract year, and Ty Chandler’s departure in free agency, the long-term running back situation is quite uncertain. Enter Wake Forest’s Demond Claiborne in the sixth round (#198 overall). He’s a quick but undersized back with the potential to develop into a starter. It was definitely a position of need heading into 2027.

With the possible exception of Max Bredeson (due to his position), it doesn’t appear that any of the players taken on the offensive side of the ball will be major non-special-teams contributors in 2026 (barring injuries). Immediate depth and long-term potential are the priorities here. But that does not exactly fit the desperation of the moment come September.

MIXED EMOTIONS AT THIS POINT

You’re not the only one With mixed emotions
You’re not the only ship
Adrift on this ocean

-The Rolling Stones

Drafting Mick Jagger and Keith Richards could not have evoked as many mixed emotions as I have right now while writing this. Brzezinski and company prioritized both athleticism and schematic versatility going into the draft.

There were risks taken, and Brzezinski felt like a guy who knew he was playing with house money. He was going to do his thing and let the chips fall where they may—the Sinatra Strategy. As noted, Flores clearly seems to have had his ear, given his scouting history. But at the end of the day, Brzezinski had to balance it all and assess the board before each selection, making the final call.

This feeling seems to be shared by the national media talking heads, as the ubiquitous post-draft “grades” were all over the damn place. From what I have seen, single-pick grades ranged from an “A” to an “F”. Most final overall assessments were in the “B+” to C-” range, with a “D” sprinkled in here and there. This underscores how the Vikings often swam against the tide of consensus and expectation throughout the process.

Given the Jonathan Greenard trade, the unknowns surrounding Dallas Turner’s expanded role, the significant question mark about Caleb Banks’ health and long-term availability, the pending Harrison Smith decision, and uncertainty around the WR3 position, among others, you would be hard-pressed to say the Vikings are a better team than they were last week. If the season started tomorrow? Absolutely not.

The good news? The season does not start tomorrow. Dallas Turner could become a consistent double-digit sack machine. Banks could be fine for the rest of the offseason, thrive in training camp and the preseason, and dominate all the way to 2026 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Harrison Smith could run it back for one more great season. Tai Felton could step up to become an outstanding WR3. All of those things could happen!

But you only know what you know. And right now, we know none of it. What I do know is that I’m a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, and things rarely go as planned for us. Some success appears. Hope rises. Heartbreak follows. Rinse. Repeat. The history is the history.

You can’t always get what you want, all right. Ask a Vikings fan. But after decade after decade of coming up short, I damn well know what we need: a Lombardi Trophy.

Maybe it will all work out, and this is the year. We have to get some satisfaction sometime, right? Either way, we have all been there before. My 19th nervous breakdown doesn’t even date to this century.

Okay, I’m done here.

How does everyone else feel?