A-
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings let Hood fall into their laps, and walked away with a A-.
by NorseGods72 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 9 steals
· 0 reaches
When a board-topper like Colton Hood slides to No. 244, you do not overthink it, and the Vikings did not. They executed a plan and it shows in the A-.
The phones were where this weekend was really won. For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Nick Bolton deal gives the class an established piece to lean on.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with edge rusher chief among the fixes.
A strong weekend's work, and a rare one to find this little fault with.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 29 they get a lead back with juice, outstanding value to boot. A clean fit for the roster.
Circle this one: Sonny Styles at pick No. 34 is a fall that decides a draft. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They robbed the room for Kayden McDonald here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It fills a real need, too.
Taking Dillon Thieneman in pick 104 is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They barely believed it either: D'Angelo Ponds still on the board at No. 163. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Steal is underselling it; Michael Taaffe at the 196th overall pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Connor Lew at slot 234 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
You do not let an edge rusher like Tyreak Sapp reach the 235th pick and blink. They did not. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Somehow Colton Hood was still sitting there in the 244th overall pick, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.