F
Minnesota Vikings
A weekend the Vikings spent ahead of the board, for worse: F.
by th51464 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
The Vikings treated their own grade as gospel and everyone else's as noise, spending pick No. 244 on Haynes King a full 64 spots early. A F, plain and simple.
The trade table is where this weekend went wrong. The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer. They are betting the present roster is worth a lighter draft next spring.
On value alone, Love makes the weekend a net positive.
In short, a weekend the front office will want to forget in a hurry.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 6th overall pick they get a No. 1 receiver at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
In the 18th pick they get an every-down engine for the run game, outstanding value to boot. A real need, handled.
In No. 24 they get a red-zone target to build around. A clean fit for the roster.
In pick 32 they get a coverage-and-run second-level piece, and a steal at that. More want than need.
They jumped the gun on Logan Jones, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They left a pile of value on the table to take TJ Hall this early at pick No. 163. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Xavier Nwankpa at pick 196 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Thaddeus Dixon in slot 234 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Isaiah Nwokobia at the 235th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They reached a country mile for Haynes King at Round 7, Pick 28, and the board is aghast. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.