Butch Bradford'S MOCK DRAFT
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Butch Bradford'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 21, 2026

Bad ass draft

  • Butch Bradford DRAFTING FOR THE
    Vikings
Draft Selections
Jeremiyah Love Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (MIN)
Jeremiyah Love
RB Notre Dame
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (MIN)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Brandon Cisse Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (MIN)
Brandon Cisse
CB South Carolina
CJ Allen Head Shot
PICK: 58 RND: 2 (MIN)
CJ Allen
LB Georgia
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (MIN)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Logan Jones Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Logan Jones
C Iowa
Aamil Wagner Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (MIN)
Aamil Wagner
OT Notre Dame
Brett Norfleet Head Shot
PICK: 194 RND: 6 (MIN)
Brett Norfleet
TE Missouri
PJ Williams Head Shot
PICK: 234 RND: 7 (MIN)
PJ Williams
OT SMU
Haynes King Head Shot
PICK: 240 RND: 7 (MIN)
Haynes King
QB Georgia Tech
Draft Picks Received
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (DAL)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
CJ Allen Head Shot
PICK: 58 RND: 2 (SF)
CJ Allen
LB Georgia
Players Gained
Head Shot
Mac Jones
QB
Players traded away
Head Shot
Aaron Jones
RB
Head Shot
Adam Thielen
WR
Head Shot
Carson Wentz
QB
Head Shot
Jonathan Allen
DT
Head Shot
Jordan Addison
WR
Head Shot
Ryan Kelly
C
Head Shot
T.J. Hockenson
TE
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall D-
ValueB+ NeedB- TradesF FutureB-
A costly weekend of dealing drags the Vikings to a D-.

The Logan Jones selection is the head-turner. The Vikings reached 30 spots for him, and it will define how this weekend is remembered. Put together, it is a D-.

Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.

With edge rusher, safety and other spots unsolved, spending premium capital on linebacker is the choice that costs them. That is a linebacker worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.

Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, edge rusher very much included.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Jeremiyah Love
In the 18th pick they get a three-down runner at a price that makes it sweeter. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick20 Rnd1 Arvell Reese
In No. 20 they get a downhill thumper at linebacker, outstanding value to boot.
Pick49 Rnd2 Brandon Cisse
Good price on Brandon Cisse in Round 2, Pick 17, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick58 Rnd2 CJ Allen
A surprising call. With edge rusher, safety and other spots still to address, they spent the Round 2 slot on CJ Allen, a linebacker they were not short of.
Pick82 Rnd3 Zachariah Branch
This one needs a full-page explanation: Zachariah Branch in the 82nd overall pick, miles early. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick97 Rnd3 Logan Jones
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Logan Jones. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick161 Rnd5 Aamil Wagner
Aamil Wagner at No. 161 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick194 Rnd6 Brett Norfleet
Brett Norfleet at the Round 6 slot is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick234 Rnd7 PJ Williams
Nothing to complain about; PJ Williams went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick240 Rnd7 Haynes King
A straight-up fair deal on Haynes King at Round 7, Pick 24, value and slot in agreement. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.