Why Demond Claiborne Has Already Been the Biggest Letdown of Vikings' 2026 Draft Class

The first-year RB's career isn't off to a great start.

It's still early, but it's safe to say that Demond Claiborne isn't living up to the hype. Should Vikings fans be worried? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Demond Claiborne might have only been a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but that didn't stop him from becoming a Vikings fan favorite throughout the summer.

In three preseason games for the Vikings, Claiborne carried the ball 28 times for 73 yards and caught one pass for seven yards. The plan seemed to be to let him continue developing behind Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason and potentially have him become an offensive contributor.

As will happen in the NFL, those plans fell through quickly. Mason suffered a thumb injury that required surgery and was placed on injured reserve. That meant one of Minnesota's running backs would need to step up and assume a bigger role.

Unfortunately, the preseason hype around his potential hasn't translated into regular-season success for Claiborne, who's solidifying himself as the Vikings' most disappointing 2026 draft pick with each passing game.

Vikings need more from Demond Claiborne before it's too late

The Vikings have been trying to find an offensive spark at running back to help out Jones, who has been playing through a knee injury. Instead, the backups haven't been able to rise to the occasion, and it has forced Jones into a bell-cow role.

Meanwhile, Claiborne has played 23 offensive snaps in Minnesota's first four games this season. He has turned that into seven touches for 15 yards while averaging 2.2 yards per rushing attempt. That type of production will not earn him a bigger role, especially when he isn't contributing much as a blocker, either.

Demond Claiborne has failed to capitalize on the opportunity coming from Jason Mason's IR stint, leaving his Vikings future up in the air. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The disappointment around Claiborne stems more from the hype that was created around him heading into the season than from the investment that the Vikings made in him. Typically, a sixth-round pick doesn't come with lofty expectations, but that wasn't the case here.

The training camp hype around Claiborne's speed and potential reached astronomical levels. The official Vikings website, bloggers, media sites, and just about anyone who covers Minnesota sports bought into the excitement and got pumped to see what he could bring to the Purple and Gold's backfield.

Instead, the quiet preseason was followed by a struggling regular season performance that is putting the Vikings' RB1 into a rough situation that could have been avoided if Claiborne had shown some of the potential that the rookie running back showed during practices.

The scariest part is that the Vikings were considering parting ways with Jones to save salary cap space this offseason. If he hadn't taken a massive pay cut to stay, Mason's injury would have forced Minnesota into a committee that included Claiborne and DeeJay Dallas.

Thankfully, the 4-0 Vikings were not put in that situation, and they can still lean on Jones. Otherwise, Minnesota's offense could look even more inept than it already does.

Hopefully, Claiborne has had a big enough taste of NFL action to know where he needs to take his game next. If he doesn't, the Vikings might have to turn the page and explore other backup RB options.

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