Minnesota Vikings have good draft to spite their fans

The 2026 Vikings draft was unlike any in their history. It was conducted without a set GM, since that position has not been filled after the somewhat surprising firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah a few months ago. Cap genius Rob Brzezinski was the main man for this draft, I suppose auditioning for the full-time job. 

I think he made himself a true contender with the work he did over the 3 days. But I guess I'm in the minority, because for 3 days it was just bitch bitch bitch nonstop from most Vikings fans.

The bitching began in round 1, when the Vikings took Caleb Banks, a DT, instead of perhaps a safety. Banks has had some injury issues that knocked his stock down a bit, but if healthy he can be an amazing talent at a position of even greater need than safety. But fans were irate we drafted Banks  cause none of the godly mocks had predicted he would be the pick.

Day two was also packed with the potential for immediate impact. In the 2nd round we took Jake Golday, a playmaking linebacker. 

The 3rd round we had 3 picks. We had our normal pick, our comp pick for losing Sam Darnold (😠), and then we grabbed another by trading Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles. We also got a 3rd in 2027. I wasn't crazy about the trade, but Greenard wanted an extension and the Eagles paid him more than we would have.

As for the picks, we double dipped into the defensive interior with Domonique Orange. He and Banks should each factor in quickly. We took Caleb Tiernan, a tackle and another beefy boy. I guess he could be a guard too. He could be insurance if Christian Darrisaw doesn't return to form, or more likely an eventual replacement for Brian O'Neill or Will Fries.

And to finish up, we did get a safety, Jakob Thomas, whose 2026 playing time.could depend some on what happens with Harrison Smith.

Day 3 is always for lottery tickets, but the Vikings smartly focused on positions with a higher chance of hitting late. 

In the 5th they grabbed Max Bredeson, a fullback who can also play tight end. So he could get the CJ Ham snaps. And we grabbed Charles Demmings, a cornerback. We are still thin there so he at least has a shot. 

In the 6th we grabbed Demond Claiborne, a speedster running back. That's a smart spot to grab a back. And in the 7th we took Gavin Gerhardt, a center. Again, good spot to grab a center.

We also signed a bunch of UDFAs, and the Vikings always wind up rostering a couple of those every year.

Fans hated the draft. The "experts" hated the draft. But once again it's all just because these people spend months obsessing over mock drafts and what they think is their own expertise (that no NFL team will pay for). So when teams, with actual scouting departments and actual coaches and an actual GM go against the mocks, they are ripped for it.

Whatever. Not all these players will pan out, cause it never works that way. But the Vikings approach was smart and could pay huge dividends as they work to get younger. Most of these players should be expected to be a significant contributor within 2 years, and I think we have a lot of 2026 snaps in here. Banks, Orange, Thomas, Golday, Bredeson, and maybe Claiborne all have a clear path to being on the field a lot in 2026.