B
Minnesota Vikings
A solid, sensible weekend for the Vikings: B.
by NorseGods72 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with Nolan Rucci at pick 235, a reach of 29 spots that the board flatly disagrees with. A dependable weekend that grades out a B.
They will answer for taking cornerback early while quarterback, edge rusher and other spots went begging. For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain. Lew falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the quarterback spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 18th pick they get a green-dot type in the middle at fair value.
A.J. Haulcy in pick 62 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Treydan Stukes at No. 82. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Connor Lew slid further than he should have, and the 97th overall pick is lovely value for the offensive lineman. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They bypassed pressing needs at quarterback, edge rusher and other spots to take Tacario Davis, a cornerback that was not the priority.
Zxavian Harris at slot 163 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the interior defensive lineman. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They took VJ Payne at par in Round 6, Pick 15, which is nothing to complain about. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
No drama and no debate, Noah Whittington went about where he belonged in pick No. 234. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Nolan Rucci at pick 235 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A quiet steal in slot 244: Zavion Thomas for less than the market said. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.