ck'S MOCK DRAFT
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ck'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 2, 2026

skol

  • ck DRAFTING FOR THE
    Vikings
Draft Selections
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (MIN)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 48 RND: 2 (MIN)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Keith Abney II Head Shot
PICK: 79 RND: 3 (MIN)
Keith Abney II
CB Arizona State
Nicholas Singleton Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Nicholas Singleton
RB Penn State
Kevin Coleman Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 164 RND: 5 (MIN)
Kevin Coleman Jr.
WR Missouri
Sawyer Robertson Head Shot
PICK: 198 RND: 6 (MIN)
Sawyer Robertson
QB Baylor
Tristan Leigh Head Shot
PICK: 231 RND: 7 (MIN)
Tristan Leigh
OT Clemson
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 243 RND: 7 (MIN)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall B
ValueB+ NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
The Vikings did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B.

Everything else got attention, and edge rusher got none. That is a strange way for the Vikings to leave a draft. It nets out to a B, which feels about right.

Getting Downs where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. The Mahlman reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. They went 5 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.

They trusted the board more than the depth chart.

Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Pick Analysis
Pick17 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
In slot 17 they get a two-high chess piece, outstanding value to boot. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick48 Rnd2 Jake Slaughter
Jake Slaughter in Round 2, Pick 16 lands just on the right side of the ledger. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick79 Rnd3 Keith Abney II
Value with a capital V on Keith Abney II in the Round 3 slot, a genuine coup. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick97 Rnd3 Nicholas Singleton
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Nicholas Singleton at the 97th pick. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick164 Rnd5 Kevin Coleman Jr.
Nothing to complain about; Kevin Coleman Jr. went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick198 Rnd6 Sawyer Robertson
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Sawyer Robertson in No. 198. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick231 Rnd7 Tristan Leigh
No drama and no debate, Tristan Leigh went about where he belonged in pick No. 231. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick243 Rnd7 Riley Mahlman
Riley Mahlman at pick 243 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.