B
Minnesota Vikings
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Vikings a B.
by jimbo92107 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 7 steals
· 3 reaches
Nobody had J. Michael Sturdivant this high, and it is not close. The Vikings reached 32 spots to get him at Round 7, Pick 28.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
Landing Jones that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. The imported veterans give this class a floor the draft picks could not on their own.
Good work on the whole, with quarterback the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing CJ Allen in No. 40. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Caleb Banks at the 49th overall pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It fills a real need, too.
The board had Jadarian Price higher than Round 3, Pick 18, and the running back fell to them anyway. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Logan Jones slid further than he should have, and slot 108 is lovely value for the offensive lineman. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Kevin Coleman Jr.. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Nate Boerkircher at pick No. 169 is money in the bank, a tight end taken below his worth. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
No drama and no debate, VJ Payne went about where he belonged in Round 6, Pick 15. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A reach for Kaden Wetjen in pick 210; a little patience would have been rewarded. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Value with a capital V on Thaddeus Dixon in the 234th overall pick, a genuine coup. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Nice patience on TJ Hall, who had no business lasting to the 235th pick. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They left a pile of value on the table to take J. Michael Sturdivant this early at No. 244. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Value said wait; Hykeem Williams in the Round 7 slot says they were not listening. The roster fit checks out.