The Minnesota Vikings' 2026 draft class may exceed initial expectations, with a focus on filling roster gaps and strategic planning led by head coach Kevin OāConnell. Fans are optimistic following a disappointing 2025 season.
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As soon as the 2025 season ended, we all shifted to the draft and impatiently awaited its arrival. Most of us thought the Vikings draft would be a cavalcade of players destined to fill roster holes with the best player available or one that all the experts said would be there for the taking.
Everyone felt that this draft would be different from the last four, with head coach Kevin OāConnell having most of the say, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski supporting and helping to make a plan. Most fans went in with a positive outlook on this go-round, trying to buffer against the terrible season that 2025 doled out.
The 2026 Draft wasnāt seen as a strong year for top prospects. Reports indicated that several teams had only around 12 to 20 1st-round-caliber picks. Thatās never a good way to start things.
Not getting to pick until number 18 cast a shadow over the Vikingsā fansā hopes. As the draft approached, things were looking up, as all the pundits said the team would select a perfect replacement for a Hall of Fame player.
Other than the Raidersā first pick of Fernando Mendoza being a lock, the only other one by all professional and amateur mock draft nerds was Dillon Thieneman, a safety, who would be the pick at 18. Harrison Smith could retire or, hopefully, stick around one more year as a mentor, and the team wouldnāt miss a beat other than a few growing pains. Safe, secure, stable pick to make most folks happy. All that changed in moments on April 23rd, 2026.
Expectations are high for the Vikings' 2026 draft class, as it aims to address roster gaps and improve team performance after a tough 2025 season.
Head coach Kevin OāConnell is leading the Vikings' draft strategy for 2026, with support from defensive coordinator Brian Flores and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski.
The 2026 draft class is viewed as potentially stronger than the previous four years, with a clearer plan and more strategic input from the coaching staff.
The disappointing 2025 season has led to a more optimistic outlook for the 2026 draft, as fans and management hope for significant improvements.
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Another player all the aforementioned draftniks talked about was one to be avoided due to injuries that limited him to three games last season.
Sure, he seemed like an absolute beast based on tape from two seasons ago, before he got hurt, and he dominated at the Senior Bowl. Again, the injury bug bit at the NFL Combine, and he broke his foot. I myself wrote a ānaughty listā of players to avoid, where I didnāt even mention him because it seemed so obvious that he was going to tumble down the boards.

Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks (88) comes up the fumble during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 16, 2024. The Gators defeated the Tigers 27-16. Ā© Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
The Vikings didnāt trade down at 18. They didnāt hesitate. They didnāt take the safety. When commissioner Goodell stepped to the mic, he called out, āCaleb Banksā, and everyone went, āWhat?!ā Even my wife had a few colorful metaphors at the announcement, knowing of his injury history. This was the last guy I wanted them to take.
It was a gut punch. Not because I was wrong on my guess, which everyone else also had. Who cares? Itās all a guess. It was more than that; if it werenāt going to be Thieneman, it would be another safety, maybe a cornerback, a wide receiver, or even a different defensive tackle. I just didnāt want it to be him.
I stewed on it after the pick and 1st Round ended that night. Eventually, my thoughts turned to the next two days of the Draft, where I figured they would make up for it with some impact players at spots that needed shoring up.
The defensive line needed more impact before they took Banks, and there was no reason they still couldnāt take another lineman there, shore up the middle linebacker position, or add to the wide receiver core with the upcoming picks. However, pick after pick left me scratching my head, with players and positions in greater need of attention being passed up.
For the most part, I had no problem with the picks the coaching staff made because they werenāt bad players. Jake Golday and Domonique Orange were players I had seen on the prospects list, and I only thought that Orange would be available and be picked by the team.
I figured another linebacker-hungry team would take Golday before we even had a chance at him. Offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan was nowhere on my radar, with tackle being a position I felt the team had addressed in Free Agency and already has Brian OāNeill and Christian Darrisaw on the roster. Jakobe Thomas was a safety I saw from time to time in my mocks, while Max Bredeson was a player I only knew because he was the sole fullback listed on NFL.com as a draft prospect.
CB Charles Demmings was a complete unknown, and running back Demond Claibourne and center Gavin Gerhardt were players I only saw in flashes while studying. I admit I wasnāt overly impressed by the end of the weekend. It didnāt help that coverage was negative about the Vikingsā picks, and neither the NFL Network nor ESPN even mentioned the Purpleās picks.
In their recap montage of the first round, which played almost at the top of every hour after the first round, the NFL Network skipped replaying pick 18. An ultimate slap in the face.
Was The Vikings Draft That Bad?
At first glance, I thought this draft was questionable at best. I loved the Orange pick! āBig Citrusā is such a big man, sturdy in the run game, and his teaming up with Minnesotaās veteran line was a recipe for a top rush defense.
The Golday pick was a little confusing at first, but he has played every linebacker spot invented, which shows his versatility. Once Johnathan Greenard was traded, it made even more sense for his pass-rushing ability. The Tiernan pick puzzled me the most because there was no mention of needing to replace the current tackles, regardless of their ages or injury histories.
They brought in Ryan Van Demark from Buffalo as a swing tackle, and Walter Rouse has been serviceable in spot duty, with the centers still on the board ā a position that was supposed to be a target; it just didnāt make sense.
Taking Thomas at this point was expected, as the safety position needed to be addressed. Heās attached to the Greenard pick now and will need to have a strong career to show the trade wasnāt a bust. Bredeson was again a surprise until the NFL broadcast showed he is a hybrid back who could improve run and pass blocking, and he was picked about where most expected.

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stephen F Austin defensive back Chuck Demmings (DB07) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
I was hoping for Emmett Johnson at this point, but the Chiefs took him a few spots later. Demmings was again a surprise, being from a smaller school. Heās also tied to the Greenard trade and possibly had the best team interview after they picked him. Claiborne may be a sneaky pick that pushes as a āsteal of the draftā type player. Gerhardt fills the need at the backup center, but heās in the realm of being a training camp cut or practice squad player.
The sad thing is that the two stations covering the draft seemed to be ignoring the Vikings altogether. Their picks were glossed over, if barely mentioned, other than when they were announced. I literally had to wait until KFAN personalities started talking about the picks on social media or on the radio.
They were similarly not very impressed. Banks had everyone polarized with the injury issues, but the thought is that if heās healthy, he could be dominant. Brzezinski made a great point: the injuries helped him get down to them. Reports started trickling in that the Bears were going to take Banks at 25, and the Chiefs and Texans were trying to trade up with the Vikings to take him.
So, maybe teams were more interested than the expert mock drafters knew, and he got drafted right where he was supposed to be. If healthy, Banks, Orange, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Jalen Redmond could be quite the mix up front. Similar to adding Golday to the mix with Andrew Van Ginkel and the suddenly elevated Dallas Turner.
Thomas is on the edge of being a starter if he shines in training camp. The rest are depth. Tiernan was considered the top tackle at the 2nd tier of prospects and could be the future at right tackle when OāNeill rides into the sunset.
It Was The Plan All Along
A concern as the draft went on was that it seemed overly defensive. Once we finally got better breakdowns of why these players were selected, things began to clear up. This was the front officeās plan all along: stick to your board and take the best player available.

Vikings executive Rob Brzezinski speaks with Vikings.comās Gabe Henderson during a sit-down interview on Feb. 17, 2022, discussing organizational philosophy, front-office strategy, and the hiring of head coach Kevin OāConnell while outlining Minnesotaās leadership structure and long-term football operations vision in a detailed digital feature segment. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
They said before the draft that they were going to take players who performed well in college and not worry so much about the analytics involved. Not only that, but these players fit the teamās schemes on both sides of the ball. They did exactly as they should have with this draft, considering it was top-heavy. Thereās no guarantee that this draft course corrected everything the team messed up on in previous ones.
We wonāt know its realistic success until two to three years down the road. After a week with better information, I feel much better about a draft I rated a C- and can move up to a B-. Maybe not immediate help at key positions, and theyāre taking risks on a player with injury history, but solid to shore up where needed, and they didnāt reach for players in a panic.
Banks may be a homerun if he plays up to expectations, and the team will be lauded for taking the big swing instead of the safe pick. I would have given the 2022 draft an A, but it has become an F. Those who gave this draft a low grade in anger might have to adjust the curve in a few years, if weāre lucky.