What Were National Analysts' Grades and Reaction to Vikings' 2026 Draft?

The 2026 NFL draft has come and gone. The Vikings added nine players over the course of seven rounds this past weekend, making at least one pick in every round but the fourth. They believe they addressed some needs while adding players who fit their schemes, possess significant upside, and will add immediate toughness and competitiveness to their roster.

The Vikings' 2026 draft class:

1.18: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
2.51: Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
3.82: Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State
3.97: Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
3.98: Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami
5.159: Max Bredeson, FB, Michigan
5.163: Charles Demmings, CB, SFA
6.198:…
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) April 25, 2026

That's the internal feeling around this class. What's the external perception of how the Vikings tackled this draft? While instant reactions and draft grades are hardly meaningful or predictive, it's still interesting to see what the national experts think. So let's take a look.

Draft class grades/rankings

Sports Illustrated (Manzano/Verderame): B-
The Athletic (Dane Brugler): 29th of 32
CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson): B+, 21st of 32
CBS Sports (Pete Prisco): B-
NFL.com (Chad Reuter): B
ESPN (Mel Kiper Jr.): C
FOX Sports (Rob Rang): C+
The Ringer (Danny Kelly): C+
Yahoo! Sports (Tice/McDonald): B
NBC Sports (Connor Rogers): B-
Bleacher Report (Kristopher Knox): D

Much of the analysis around the Vikings' draft, unsurprisingly, centers around their risky swing on Banks at No. 18 overall. His ceiling is immense, so he could wind up being a steal, but his history of foot injuries had most analysts expecting he'd fall out of the first round.

Reuter gave the Vikings a B+ grade for the Banks pick, a C+ grade for their three Day 2 picks (questioning the selection of Golday over CJ Allen and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren), and an A- grade for their Day 3 (he particularly liked the value of the Demmings and Claiborne picks).

Kiper was a vocal critic of the selection of Banks, who he had ranked 62nd. He liked the Tiernan and Demmings picks but said "overall, Minnesota just didn't do enough to move the needle." Nate Tice from Yahoo was also a big fan of the Tiernan pick at No. 97 overall.

Brugler's favorite Vikings pick was Golday at No. 51 because of the way he'll fit in Brian Flores' scheme. "Drop his rangy athleticism into a Brian Flores-led defense, and he’ll have a chance to make an immediate impact," Brugler wrote.

Rang called the Vikings' haul "one of the more entertaining and intriguing draft classes in the NFL," adding that it "could pay off big — or completely flop."

The harshest critic of the Vikings' draft was Bleacher Report's Knox, who said "it's hard to feel like the Vikings' roster is any better than it was at the start of the offseason," quarterback aside. He also said "Minnesota operated without a general manager over draft weekend, and it shows." That feels like odd criticism, considering Rob Brzezinski operated in the GM role during this process.

It's probably worth noting that Reuter gave the Vikings an A- grade for their 2022 draft, which is a reminder that no one really knows how these things are going to play out.

Breer shares praise for Vikings' draft

Most of the analyst grades for the Vikings' class aren't great, but a more optimistic perspective can be found in a recent story from SI insider Albert Breer.

On the Banks pick, Breer said "most scouts I talk to think he has the best chance to become a game-wrecker of the class’s interior defensive linemen — and may be the only one with that potential." He heard one compare Banks to Jeffery Simmons.

Breer also heard plenty of praise for some of the Vikings' Day 2 picks. He believes the Texans may have taken Orange in the second round had they not landed Kayden McDonald, which could mean the Vikings got good value at No. 82 overall. Breer also said Tiernan "was widely seen as a second-rounder, and the best tackle after the seven that went in the first round."

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