Grading Each Vikings Draft Pick After the Dust Settles on the 2026 Talent Haul
Instant reactions are satisfying and fun. Quite often, they’re wrong.
Now, the Vikings draft pick grades included below aren’t immune to error. The possibility exists that picks will look great early on before turning out terrible; there’s then the opposite path of looking terrible before turning into excellence. Check out an opinion based on incomplete information. The standard grade is a “B,” so anything above or below points toward optimism or pessimism.
The 2026 NFL Draft
Grading Every Vikings Draft Pick
1st Round, No. 18 — DT Caleb Banks
No doubt, the boldest decision of the Vikings’ draft was to go for the Florida Gator who is bringing reptiles up to the Twin Cities. Everyone is saying essentially the same thing: the Minnesota Vikings are taking a huge swing on this one.
GRADE: C+ or B- (depends on the day)
2nd Round, No. 51 — LB Jake Golday
Hard not to like this one. Golday is long and strong, meaning he’s well-suited for the modern NFL. He fills a need. Like Banks, Golday needs to develop more, but some of the concern is offset by not having the same injury issue alongside not costing such a precious pick. He looks like a good piece to add into the mix.
GRADE: A-
3rd Round, No. 82 — DT Domonique Orange
Some may see the add as being a touch redundant. Do note, though, that the d-line rotates in a manner that’s different from other positions (like the o-line, for instance). Plus, Big Citrus is going to be doing a different job as someone employed to clog running pipelines. Not a bad pick.
GRADE: B
3rd Round, No. 97 — OT Caleb Tiernan
Can see the logic. What’s going to be fascinating is how this impacts the status of Brian O’Neill, if at all. In theory, there’s now a promising young fella in town to slide into the RT opening from 2027 onward. Does the O’Neill extension still get done? He’s not going anywhere for the upcoming season but we’ll see afterwards.
GRADE: B
3rd Round, No. 98 — S Jakobe Thomas
The Vikings do need a safety. And, to be sure, there’s much to like in the way Thomas plays the game. Mike Zimmer used to say that he’d rather have to say “woah than go,” a snappy way of explaining that slowing down aggression rather than inspiring aggression is how coaches want to operate. The Vikings have someone who appears to be a menace on specials while offering the potential to become a starter on defense.
GRADE: B
5th Round, No. 159 — FB Max Bredeson
Left in charge of the Vikings — people should be thankful that I’m not — I would build a roster that’s closer to the Mike Zimmer days than the Kevin O’Connell days. Still, a FB in the 5th is rich, even if he is a “fox hole guy.”
GRADE: C
5th Round, No. 163 — CB Chuck Demmings
Need, upside, and an ultra valuable position. Yes, he needs to show that he can overcome the massive leap from Stephen F. Austin to the NFL, but that’s baked into the price. Chuck Demmings would have been scooped up in the 1st or 2nd had he been dominant at Ohio State or Georgia. Good swing on this one.
GRADE: A
6th Round, No. 198 — RB Demond Claiborne
Only issue is needing to lighten the picks from 2027 to facilitate a trade up. Otherwise, there’s not much to dislike. Jordan Mason appears likely to stick around beyond the current season given his age, effectiveness, and projected cost (he shouldn’t be crazy expensive). A smaller speedster makes sense. Does his career mirror Ty Chandler or get closer to De’Von Achane?
GRADE: B
7th Round, No. 235 — C Gavin Gerhardt
Can get a sense of why the Vikings like him from his presser. Seems like a gritty, team-first player who is going to grind. Not a bad way to approach the NFL as a 7th-Round selection. Too little, too late as it relates to the center position for the Vikings? Can we fault Gerhardt for that?
GRADE: C+
