The Vikings need to start hitting on draft picks to avoid falling off in the NFC North, and they were operating without a full-time general manager this offseason. Below are the actual selections made compared to would-be selections using our board.

 

Actual selections

1.18: DL Caleb Banks

2.51: LB Jake Golday

3.82: DL Domonique Orange

3.97: OT Caleb Tiernan

3.98: S Jakobe Thomas

5.159: FB Max Bredeson

5.163: CB Charles Demmings

6.198: RB Demond Claiborne

7.235: C Gavin Gerhardt

 

Wolf Sports selections

1.18: CB D’Angelo Ponds

2.51: LB CJ Allen

3.82: CB Jermod McCoy

3.97: G DJ Campbell

3.98: CB Keionte Scott

5.159: DL Zane Durant

5.163: LB Harold Perkins Jr.

6.198: TE John Michael Gyllenborg

7.235: WR Deion Burks

 

Thoughts

Minnesota taking Caleb Banks was one of the early surprises of the 2026 NFL Draft, but it was clearly a coach-led class—and defensive coordinator Brian Flores must feel he can unlock his upside as a disruptive presence up front. There is also clear risk for an inconsistent player coming off a foot injury, and it might have been a situation where the need on the defensive line pushed him up the board. Cornerback is less of a need for the Vikings with James Pierre signed to join Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers, but D’Angelo Ponds was too good of a value to pass up; his aggressiveness would have been a fit for Flores, too.

 

Minnesota continued to bolster the defense on Day 2 with three of their four selections there, and it started with Jake Golday at linebacker—passing on CJ Allen (who would have been the easy pick for us). After that, the Vikings took another interior defender with Domonique Orange to join Caleb Banks, then went to offense for swing tackle Caleb Tiernan before going back on defense by taking Jakobe Thomas at safety.

 

Based on our board, Allen would have been followed up by two more selections at cornerback in Jermod McCoy and Keionte Scott. Although it might seem like overkill to take three players at a position that’s not really a need, Ponds-McCoy-Scott would be the trio of the future—and McCoy could focus on getting healthy in 2026, while Scott has the skillset to play safety as well (especially in Flores’ aggressive, versatile scheme).

 

The McCoy and Scott selections would have been sandwiched by DJ Campbell, who was simply a value at that point for us—providing needed insurance behind locked-in starters Donovan Jackson and Will Fries at guard. On Day 3, we would have taken a defensive lineman in Zane Durant (our No. 41 overall prospect), and it’s important to remember roster building doesn’t end with the draft; players such as DJ Reader were still available in free agency to further boost the defensive line.

 

The Vikings took fullback Max Bredeson with their first shot on Day 3, and then got a solid value in Charles Demmings to battle with James Pierre at cornerback—before finishing off with Demond Claiborne and Gavin Gerhardt as depth on offense.

 

Our final three selections might have more of a chance to be impactful with Harold Perkins Jr. (who we like better than Jake Golday in a potential hybrid linebacker role), John Michael Gyllenborg (who could take over for T.J. Hockenson in 2027 if he develops quickly), and Deion Burks (a speed threat at receiver to open things up for Kyler Murray and/or J.J. McCarthy).