bwb97'S MOCK DRAFT

bwb97'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 13, 2026

hock trade

  • bwb97 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Vikings
Draft Selections
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (MIN)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 58 RND: 2 (MIN)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Darrell Jackson Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (MIN)
Darrell Jackson Jr.
DT Florida State
Deontae Lawson Head Shot
PICK: 70 RND: 3 (MIN)
Deontae Lawson
LB Alabama
Max Klare Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (MIN)
Max Klare
TE Ohio State
Daylen Everette Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Daylen Everette
CB Georgia
Jalon Kilgore Head Shot
PICK: 127 RND: 4 (MIN)
Jalon Kilgore
S South Carolina
Blake Miller Head Shot
PICK: 133 RND: 4 (MIN)
Blake Miller
OT Clemson
Davison Igbinosun Head Shot
PICK: 145 RND: 5 (MIN)
Davison Igbinosun
CB Ohio State
DJ Campbell Head Shot
PICK: 162 RND: 5 (MIN)
DJ Campbell
OG Texas
Jermaine Mathews Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 164 RND: 5 (MIN)
Jermaine Mathews Jr.
CB Ohio State
Barion Brown Head Shot
PICK: 195 RND: 6 (MIN)
Barion Brown
WR LSU
J. Michael Sturdivant Head Shot
PICK: 234 RND: 7 (MIN)
J. Michael Sturdivant
WR Florida
Jack Velling Head Shot
PICK: 240 RND: 7 (MIN)
Jack Velling
TE Michigan State
Shamar Easter Head Shot
PICK: 248 RND: 7 (MIN)
Shamar Easter
TE North Carolina
Draft Picks Received
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 58 RND: 2 (SF)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Darrell Jackson Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (DEN)
Darrell Jackson Jr.
DT Florida State
Deontae Lawson Head Shot
PICK: 70 RND: 3 (CLE)
Deontae Lawson
LB Alabama
Jalon Kilgore Head Shot
PICK: 127 RND: 4 (SF)
Jalon Kilgore
S South Carolina
Blake Miller Head Shot
PICK: 133 RND: 4 (SF)
Blake Miller
OT Clemson
Davison Igbinosun Head Shot
PICK: 145 RND: 5 (CLE)
Davison Igbinosun
CB Ohio State
Jermaine Mathews Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 164 RND: 5 (CHI)
Jermaine Mathews Jr.
CB Ohio State
Shamar Easter Head Shot
PICK: 248 RND: 7 (CLE)
Shamar Easter
TE North Carolina
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (CHI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (CHI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Akheem Mesidor Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (CHI)
Akheem Mesidor
DL-EDGE Miami
Players Gained
Head Shot
J.K. Dobbins
RB
Players traded away
Head Shot
Aaron Jones
RB
Head Shot
Ryan Kelly
C
Head Shot
T.J. Hockenson
TE
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall D
ValueB NeedB TradesF FutureB
Best value of the weekend goes to the Vikings for Klare: D.

The Vikings lost the trade war and it was not close, handing partners the better end again and again.

They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it. The cost of the Brown reach is exactly the players who went right after him.

Getting Klare where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. Adding J.K. Dobbins by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.

Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and quarterback is still a hole.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
In the Round 1 slot they get a rangy last line of defense, outstanding value to boot. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick58 Rnd2 Jake Slaughter
Jake Slaughter at Round 2, Pick 26 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick63 Rnd2 Darrell Jackson Jr.
A clean, defensible pick in No. 63 with a little surplus value in Darrell Jackson Jr.. It fills a real need, too.
Pick70 Rnd3 Deontae Lawson
A quiet steal in the 70th overall pick: Deontae Lawson for less than the market said. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick82 Rnd3 Max Klare
You do not let a tight end like Max Klare reach slot 82 and blink. They did not. The roster fit checks out.
Pick97 Rnd3 Daylen Everette
They took Daylen Everette at par in pick 97, which is nothing to complain about. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick127 Rnd4 Jalon Kilgore
Jalon Kilgore at the 127th overall pick is money in the bank, a safety taken below his worth. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick133 Rnd4 Blake Miller
Value with a capital V on Blake Miller in the 133rd pick, a genuine coup. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick145 Rnd5 Davison Igbinosun
They jumped the gun on Davison Igbinosun, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Pick162 Rnd5 DJ Campbell
DJ Campbell in slot 162 is fair value, right on his grade. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick164 Rnd5 Jermaine Mathews Jr.
A straight-up fair deal on Jermaine Mathews Jr. at pick 164, value and slot in agreement. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Pick195 Rnd6 Barion Brown
This one needs a full-page explanation: Barion Brown in No. 195, miles early. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick234 Rnd7 J. Michael Sturdivant
Good price on J. Michael Sturdivant in the Round 7 slot, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick240 Rnd7 Jack Velling
They paid sticker price for Jack Velling in pick No. 240, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick248 Rnd7 Shamar Easter
A tidy little value on Shamar Easter in No. 248, a step better than break-even. It patches a soft spot without any drama.