B
Minnesota Vikings
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Vikings a B.
by jimbo92107 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
The Vikings torched the value chart for Riley Mahlman, taking him 64 spots sooner than anyone had him slotted. It does the job without flash, and the B reflects it.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Orange. They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
The trade work was a quiet net positive.
Good work on the whole, with quarterback the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 26 they get a sideline-to-sideline linebacker, and a steal at that.
They read the board right and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was the payoff at the 49th overall pick. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
The board had cheaper options than Sam Roush at pick No. 82, and it noticed. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Steal is underselling it; Domonique Orange at pick 97 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A straight-up fair deal on Demond Claiborne at Round 5, Pick 23, value and slot in agreement. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Nice patience on Charles Demmings, who had no business lasting to the Round 5 slot. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Jeff Caldwell in slot 196. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
By-the-book stuff, Kaden Wetjen at the Round 7 slot squarely in line with his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A wild overpay on Riley Mahlman in pick No. 235, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
No drama and no debate, Eli Heidenreich went about where he belonged in the 244th overall pick. A need, and now a little less of one.