C-
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings bled value on every deal, hence the C-.
by vikings12343213232vcx ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 5 reaches
The tape said wait; the Vikings did not. Deven Eastern went at the Round 7 slot, a good 51 picks before the board was ready. The final tally is a middling C-.
They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. Styles falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch.
On the needs board they went 8 of 8, with quarterback the one that mattered most.
In the end, a coin-flip class: fine today, with a wide range of outcomes ahead.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 18 they get a downhill hitter at safety, though they paid up to get him. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In slot 32 they get the heartbeat of the defense, outstanding value to boot. Need was not the driver here.
They paid up for Eli Stowers at pick No. 47 when waiting would have done the job. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A straight-up fair deal on D'Angelo Ponds at the 49th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
A tidy bit of business in pick 97, where Connor Lew graded well above the range. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Malik Benson at the 163rd pick is the proof. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Seth McGowan slid further than he should have, and pick No. 196 is lovely value for the running back. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Deven Eastern in the 234th pick, miles early. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Value said wait; Jack Pyburn in Round 7, Pick 19 says they were not listening. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Luke Altmyer at the 244th overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.