B-
Minnesota Vikings
A solid, sensible weekend for the Vikings: B-.
by Kenny proctor ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 1 reaches
Everything else got attention, and quarterback got none. That is a strange way for the Vikings to leave a draft.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Benson. They are betting Coleman proves the room right and everyone else wrong. Job largely done: safety settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered.
Good work on the whole, with quarterback the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 18th pick they get a coverage-and-run second-level piece, outstanding value to boot. Need was not the driver here.
Keith Abney II at Round 2, Pick 17 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A reach for Jonah Coleman in pick 82; a little patience would have been rewarded. The roster fit checks out.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Connor Lew in pick No. 97. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Nice patience on Malik Benson, who had no business lasting to slot 163. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A straight-up fair deal on VJ Payne at No. 196, value and slot in agreement. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Miles Kitselman at the Round 7 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It fills a real need, too.
They did well to land Jimmy Rolder in the 235th overall pick, just ahead of his grade. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
No drama and no debate, Andre Fuller went about where he belonged in pick No. 244. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.