B-
Minnesota Vikings
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Vikings and Wagner: B-.
by Christeca ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Vikings watched Aamil Wagner slide 27 picks past his grade and did not hesitate. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
They will need Singleton to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with safety the one that mattered most.
Good work on the whole, with quarterback the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 18 they get the heartbeat of the defense, and a steal at that. More want than need.
Keionte Scott in slot 49 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A minor itch, scratched.
Value said wait; Nicholas Singleton in the 82nd pick says they were not listening. A need, and now a little less of one.
They barely believed it either: Kamari Ramsey still on the board at No. 97. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid sticker price for Eric Rivers in the 163rd overall pick, and that is fine. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A top-tier offensive lineman at a bargain, Aamil Wagner in pick 196, plain and simple. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They let Jaren Kanak come to them and pounced at pick No. 234. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Brent Austin at the Round 7 slot nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They took Bryce Foster at par in pick 244, which is nothing to complain about. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.