Vikings 2026 NFL Draft class ranked among league's worst
· Yahoo Sports
Vikings 2026 NFL Draft class ranked among league's worst originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 NFL Draft is over, and one of the most hectic, and fun, weekends of the year is behind us.
Visit freshyourfeel.org for more information.
After the draft, almost every team comes away feeling great about their prospects for the upcoming season. The Minnesota Vikings are likely no different. The team was competitive in 2025, and is hoping to make it back to the postseason in 2026.
It seemed like if the Vikings nailed the 2026 draft, they'd be in a great position for 2026. Instead, most people came away feeling underwhelmed by what the Vikings did. The team shocked everybody by drafting nose tackle Caleb Banks with the No. 18 pick.
Banks was widely expected to go at the very end of the first round or in the second round. Instead, the Vikings took him in the middle of the first with seemingly better fits available, like safety Dillon Thieneman.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report is one person who was not a fan of what the Vikings did. In fact, Knox gave the Vikings a D grade, which was tied with the Jaguars for the worst overall grade for any team.
Regarding this class, Knox offered the following:
Still, the selection of Florida's Caleb Banks could be considered a reach... Banks was the 60th-ranked overall prospect on the B/R board.
However, it's hard to feel like the Vikings' roster is any better than it was at the start of the offseason—aside from at quarterback, where Kyler Murray adds real improvement potential—though the team has saved considerable cap space.
Minnesota operated without a general manager over draft weekend, and it shows.
As Knox mentioned, just because the Vikings needed a defensive tackle, that doesn't make Banks a good pick at No. 18. The best teams in the league let good players fall to them, they don't reach for needs.
It's understandable why Knox said this roster looks about the same as it did at the beginning of the offseason, minus quarterback. How many starters did the Vikings add in free agency or the draft? Other than Kyler Murray and the aforementioned Banks, there aren't many obvious ones.
Unpopular drafts are nothing new for the Vikings. Former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired ultimately due to his poor drafting. The Vikings haven't officially hired a new GM yet, and as Knox pointed out, that was obvious over the weekend.
More NFL news:
- Titans suggested to make bold trade for disgruntled star
- Ravens-Cowboys urged to link up for blockbuster deal
- Could Vikings shake up the 2026 NFL Draft?
- Wild trade idea sends Hall of Famer's son to Green Bay
- Could Lions trade for Titans' star player?
- Matt LaFleur delivers promising update on injured star