jjj'S MOCK DRAFT
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jjj'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 1, 2026

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  • jjj DRAFTING FOR THE
    Vikings
Draft Selections
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (MIN)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
CJ Allen Head Shot
PICK: 48 RND: 2 (MIN)
CJ Allen
LB Georgia
Domonique Orange Head Shot
PICK: 79 RND: 3 (MIN)
Domonique Orange
DL Iowa State
Chandler Rivers Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Chandler Rivers
CB Duke
LJ Martin Head Shot
PICK: 164 RND: 5 (MIN)
LJ Martin
RB BYU
Trey Zuhn III Head Shot
PICK: 198 RND: 6 (MIN)
Trey Zuhn III
OT Texas A&M
Brandon Inniss Head Shot
PICK: 231 RND: 7 (MIN)
Brandon Inniss
WR Ohio State
Lawson Luckie Head Shot
PICK: 243 RND: 7 (MIN)
Lawson Luckie
TE Georgia
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall B
ValueB+ NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
Nothing loud, just a tidy B for the Vikings.

You can draft well and still miss the point. The Vikings did plenty of tidy work and somehow never got around to quarterback, which was the need that mattered most.

The Zuhn III reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. If one pick saves this weekend, it is Downs. On the needs board they went 6 of 8, with safety the one that mattered most.

Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.

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

Pick Analysis
Pick17 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
In Round 1, Pick 17 they get a centerfielder for the defense, outstanding value to boot. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick48 Rnd2 CJ Allen
A slide stopped in slot 48, with CJ Allen worth more than the price. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick79 Rnd3 Domonique Orange
Fair-plus on Domonique Orange, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick97 Rnd3 Chandler Rivers
Chandler Rivers slipping to No. 97 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick164 Rnd5 LJ Martin
A tidy bit of business in the 164th overall pick, where LJ Martin graded well above the range. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick198 Rnd6 Trey Zuhn III
They reached into another round for Trey Zuhn III, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick231 Rnd7 Brandon Inniss
Brandon Inniss in pick 231 is fair value, right on his grade. The roster fit checks out.
Pick243 Rnd7 Lawson Luckie
They paid sticker price for Lawson Luckie in the Round 7 slot, and that is fine. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.