A-
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings won the night they stopped Sampson from sliding. Grade: A-.
by DrDug ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 11 steals
· 0 reaches
The Vikings did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Dylan Sampson fell into Round 5, Pick 1.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. Leaving quarterback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
The hoard sets up next April more than it helps this September.
In the end it comes back to Will Campbell, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 24th overall pick they get a cornerstone up front at a price that makes it sweeter. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In the 32nd pick they get a load in the middle, and a steal at that. A clean fit for the roster.
Xavier Watts in No. 82 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Steal is underselling it; Dylan Fairchild at the Round 3 slot is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Taking Dylan Sampson in pick No. 138 is close to grand larceny; a running back that good had no business lasting this long. It fills a real need, too.
Somehow Gunnar Helm was still sitting there in slot 139, and they pounced on premier tight end value. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Barrett Carter at pick 140 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A minor itch, scratched.
Donovan Jackson in Round 5, Pick 4 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They robbed the room for Daylen Everette here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It adds depth where they could use a little.
The board fumbled Elic Ayomanor all the way to the 159th pick, and they scooped it up. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A running back of that caliber at Round 6, Pick 23 is the definition of value, full stop. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.