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

1st draft 2026

  • JMjr DRAFTING FOR THE
    Vikings
Draft Selections
Jeremiyah Love Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (MIN)
Jeremiyah Love
RB Notre Dame
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (MIN)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Zakee Wheatley Head Shot
PICK: 79 RND: 3 (MIN)
Zakee Wheatley
S Penn State
Joe Royer Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Joe Royer
TE Cincinnati
Aaron Graves Head Shot
PICK: 157 RND: 5 (MIN)
Aaron Graves
DL Iowa
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 164 RND: 5 (MIN)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Bud Clark Head Shot
PICK: 198 RND: 6 (MIN)
Bud Clark
S TCU
Jalon Daniels Head Shot
PICK: 231 RND: 7 (MIN)
Jalon Daniels
QB Kansas
Thomas Collins Head Shot
PICK: 243 RND: 7 (MIN)
Thomas Collins
DL Oregon State
Draft Picks Received
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (IND)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Aaron Graves Head Shot
PICK: 157 RND: 5 (IND)
Aaron Graves
DL Iowa
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (IND)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Daylen Everette Head Shot
PICK: 48 RND: 2 (IND)
Daylen Everette
CB Georgia
Players Gained
Head Shot
Chad Muma
LB
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall B+
ValueB NeedB TradesA FutureB-
Good, not great, for the Vikings: B+.

Nobody else had Thomas Collins anywhere near slot 243. The Vikings did, by 49 spots, and that gap is the whole story. It nets out to a B+, which feels about right.

The Royer steal is the beam this whole class leans on. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.

All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.

Pick Analysis
Pick17 Rnd1 Jeremiyah Love
Value with a capital V on Jeremiyah Love in slot 17, a genuine coup. The roster fit checks out.
Pick49 Rnd2 Jake Slaughter
Jake Slaughter at the 49th overall pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick79 Rnd3 Zakee Wheatley
Zakee Wheatley is a better player than pick 79 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick97 Rnd3 Joe Royer
Taking Joe Royer in No. 97 is close to grand larceny; a tight end that good had no business lasting this long. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick157 Rnd5 Aaron Graves
No edge and no loss on Aaron Graves in the Round 5 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick164 Rnd5 Max Iheanachor
They read the board right and Max Iheanachor was the payoff at pick No. 164. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick198 Rnd6 Bud Clark
A tidy little value on Bud Clark in Round 6, Pick 17, a step better than break-even. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick231 Rnd7 Jalon Daniels
Jalon Daniels in the 231st overall pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick243 Rnd7 Thomas Collins
Thomas Collins at the Round 7 slot is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It fills a real need, too.