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Every team is excited about their incoming class of rookies, but how will those new players affect each team in 2026?
Let's look at the Minnesota Vikings, breaking down the most likely instant-impact rookies from their class while also providing some insight into why certain early picks may not see the field.
Minnesota Vikings 2026 Draft Class: Which Rookies Will Make an Impact?
The Vikings reached to fill a desperate need along the defensive line with the selection of Caleb Banks (first round). Banks was wildly inconsistent at Florida, but injuries and a dysfunctional, lame-duck coach environment that dragged on for two seasons likely contributed to his stunted growth. At his peak, no other lineman in this draft class could approach Banks' explosive pass-rush potential from the interior, and now he’ll enter a stable environment on Brian Flores’ defense with a chance to maximize his potential. Banks’ length and athleticism also give Flores the ability to move him around in his multiple-front defensive scheme.
Jake Golday (second round) was a tough evaluation in this draft cycle because his skill set fits most directly into the strong-side linebacker role in a 4-3 defense, a position that has largely been phased out of the league (4-3 alignments only accounted for 13% of all snaps last year). However, the Rams led the charge in ramping up the use of heavy formations last year, and the number of teams that drafted blocking tight ends early in this draft indicates that trend will spread. So maybe Flores is just ahead of the game by adding Golday to his defense? If defensive trends don’t shift, however, Golday is probably an early-down defender who struggles to thrive on passing downs due to his size and modest agility.
The selection of Domonique Orange (third round) is more evidence of Flores planning for a shift in personnel trends. A pure space-eating nose tackle isn’t worth a third-round pick in this era, but no one would have questioned it 15 years ago. Orange only generated a 4.2% pressure rate last year and offers little upside as a pass rusher. If Minnesota is anticipating a continued trend towards heavy formations and the power run game, then Orange holds more value moving forward than he would have in recent years.
Caleb Tiernan (third round) will compete with Ryan Van Demark to be Minnesota’s swing tackle as a rookie and might have a chance to replace Brian O’Neill at right tackle when his contract expires after the year. Tiernan showed steady progress as Northwestern’s three-year starter at left tackle, culminating in a senior season with an elite 2.6% blown-block rate.
Jakobe Thomas (third round) was a reach in the third round, likely because Minnesota needed insurance in case Harrison Smith does not return. Thomas played a versatile role in his career at Middle Tennessee, Tennessee, and Miami, but he struggled against the run every stop along the way. His missed tackle rate dropped to a career low 19% in 2025, which still ranked among the worst among safeties in this class. Smith lined up in the box on 38% of his snaps against the run last year, so if the plan is for Thomas to step into that role as a rookie, Minnesota’s run defense will take a hit.
Charles Demmings (fifth round) is a developmental cornerback who has impressive length but will be making a significant leap in competition after spending five years at Stephen F. Austin.
Demond Claiborne (sixth round) will compete for snaps behind Aaron Jones in the backfield. Claiborne has dangerous speed and could be a weapon on passing downs, but he played a limited role as a receiver at Wake Forest. There’s a chance Claiborne also gets to compete with Myles Price for kick return opportunities.
Gavin Gerhardt (seventh round) played center throughout his entire six-year career at Cincinnati. It’s unlikely Minnesota keeps a center-only backup on the roster, but Gerhardt has the size and length to potentially play elsewhere on the offensive line, so the Vikings will likely test him out in other roles in training camp.
Minnesota took some big swings in this draft class, especially due to their apparent bet on shifting play-calling trends to increase the value of Golday and Orange. There’s reason to believe Minnesota is correct in that thinking, so give the Vikes the benefit of the doubt for now, but it could backfire if offensive play-calling trends quickly swing back the other way and devalue those roles.
This analysis continues in the 2026 Football Preview
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