B-
Minnesota Vikings
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Vikings.
by Hutchens84 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
The Vikings looked at the value chart, folded it up, and took Jalon Kilgore at the 49th overall pick regardless, 51 picks early.
That Sarratt pick is the receipt they will wave around later. The quarterback spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the quarterback spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
Arvell Reese slipping to Round 1, Pick 18 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Jalon Kilgore in the 49th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
A clean, defensible pick in the Round 3 slot with a little surplus value in Mike Washington Jr.. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A top-tier wide receiver at a bargain, Elijah Sarratt in pick No. 97, plain and simple. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Kage Casey at No. 163 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They let Dae'Quan Wright come to them and pounced at pick 196. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Nothing to complain about; Jaydn Ott went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Wesley Bissainthe in the 235th overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Xavier Nwankpa at the 244th pick. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.