Cloud9blazers'S MOCK DRAFT
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Cloud9blazers'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 3, 2026

minwin

  • Cloud9blazers DRAFTING FOR THE
    Vikings
Draft Selections
Kayden McDonald Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (MIN)
Kayden McDonald
DT Ohio State
A.J. Haulcy Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (MIN)
A.J. Haulcy
S LSU
Michael Taaffe Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (MIN)
Michael Taaffe
S Texas
Nicholas Singleton Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Nicholas Singleton
RB Penn State
Demond Claiborne Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (MIN)
Demond Claiborne
RB Wake Forest
Pat Coogan Head Shot
PICK: 194 RND: 6 (MIN)
Pat Coogan
C Indiana
Miles Kitselman Head Shot
PICK: 234 RND: 7 (MIN)
Miles Kitselman
TE Tennessee
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 240 RND: 7 (MIN)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Vikings kept it disciplined and banked a B-.

For all the names on the card, the loudest question went unanswered. The Vikings walked out of the weekend still thin at edge rusher, a hole that has a way of deciding seasons. It nets out to a B-, which feels about right.

Kitselman at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. On the needs board they went 6 of 8, with quarterback the one that mattered most. Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.

Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Kayden McDonald
In No. 18 they get an anchor for the defensive front. A real need, handled.
Pick49 Rnd2 A.J. Haulcy
A.J. Haulcy at the Round 2 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick82 Rnd3 Michael Taaffe
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Michael Taaffe at the 82nd overall pick is the proof. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick97 Rnd3 Nicholas Singleton
Nicholas Singleton at pick 97 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick161 Rnd5 Demond Claiborne
Demond Claiborne in pick No. 161 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick194 Rnd6 Pat Coogan
By-the-book stuff, Pat Coogan at slot 194 squarely in line with his ranking. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick234 Rnd7 Miles Kitselman
Miles Kitselman is a better player than the 234th pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick240 Rnd7 Cole Payton
Cole Payton at Round 7, Pick 24 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the quarterback. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.