Pros, cons of Minnesota Vikings picking former Arlington star Jake Golday in 2026 NFL Draft

TL;DR

The Minnesota Vikings selected linebacker Jake Golday from Cincinnati with the 51st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Golday, a former Arlington High School star, had an impressive college career, earning All-Big 12 honors.

Key points

Minnesota Vikings selected Jake Golday with the 51st pick
Golday is a linebacker from Cincinnati
He earned All-Big 12 first team honors
Golday recorded 105 tackles in his final college season
He is the second Arlington High School player to be drafted

Mentioned in this story

Arlington High School

Minnesota VikingsCincinnatiJake GoldayKenneth Walker III

Pros, cons of Minnesota Vikings picking former Arlington star Jake Golday in 2026 NFL Draft

The Minnesota Vikings selected Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday with the 51st pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 24.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Golday is a graduate of Arlington High School and just the second former Arlington player to be drafted following Kenneth Walker III in 2022. Golday earned All-Big 12 first team honors and started 12 games for the Bearcats last season. The fifth-year senior was third in the Big 12 with 105 tackles and also recorded six tackles for loss and 3 1/2 sacks.

Here are the pros and cons of selecting Golday in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Pros

The Vikings are getting an incredibly productive player in Golday, who earned all-conference honors in both of his seasons at Cincinnati after transferring from Central Arkansas after three seasons.

Golday is an powerful, explosive athlete and tested well at the NFL combine, laying down a 4.62 40-yard dash and a vertical jump of 39 inches. He was a force at the line of scrimmage for Cincinnati and also had three pass breakups in coverage.

Cons

Golday is very effective as a downhill tackler, but could struggle in covering faster, smaller players and working in tight spaces according to experts. He hasn't proven to be an incredibly creative pass rusher outside of using his power and straight line speed. Golday never cracked five sacks in any college season.

Jake Golday highlights, NFL draft scouting report

Because of his size, straight-line speed and powerful tackling ability, Golday should be a strong special teams contributor right away, with the potential to grow into a strong NFL starter according to draft experts.

Q&A

What are the pros of the Vikings drafting Jake Golday?

The pros include Golday's strong college performance, being an All-Big 12 first team selection, and his significant tackle count, which showcases his defensive skills.

Who is Jake Golday and what were his college stats?

Jake Golday is a linebacker from Cincinnati, who recorded 105 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in his final college season.

How does Jake Golday compare to other Arlington High School players drafted?

Golday is only the second player from Arlington High School to be drafted, following Kenneth Walker III, highlighting his unique achievement and potential impact.