Vikings go big on defense in the NFL draft, particularly up front

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings might not know for some time whether this rookie class will get them back on track with the NFL draft, after recent years have not yielded enough quality depth for the roster and forced them to spend big in free agency.

Even if the dividends don't immediately pay off for him, defensive coordinator Brian Flores was clearly one of the biggest winners from the weekend.

Starting with Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks in the first round, the Vikings as directed by interim general manager Rob Brzezinski wound up with five top-100 picks and used four of them on defensive players.

Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday, who can play on the edge as well as inside, came in the second round. Iowa State defensive tackle Domonique Orange went in the third round, as did Miami safety Jakobe Thomas.

Then among their four picks on Saturday, the Vikings used a fifth-rounder on Stephen F. Austin cornerback Charles Demmings. Granted, Flores had to part with edge rusher Jonathan Greenard in a cap-relief trade with Philadelphia on Friday that netted two third-round picks. But the emergence of 2024 first-round draft pick Dallas Turner last season made parting with Greenard more palatable.

The upside of bulk and athleticism with Banks and Orange joining budding standout Jalen Redmond on the inside gives the Vikings more confidence they're building an interior that can't be easily bulldozed.

“Brian Flores has talked about it. I’ve talked about it: This is a big man’s game," coach Kevin O'Connell said.

Banks might be bringing a crowd

Banks during his introductory news conference at team headquarters revealed that he has four pets and plans to acquire more — two pythons, a chameleon and a dog. He said he plans to bring them with him to Minnesota, with more snakes, another dog, a tarantula and frogs on his radar for expanding the roster.

His love for animals was developed through an affinity for koala bears. He said he would've even majored in zoology at Florida if the time demands of those course didn't conflict with football practice.

“Yeah, I'm different," Banks said. “I'm telling you, you'd be surprised.”

A special guest at the Bredeson family gathering

The first pick the Vikings made on Saturday was Michigan's Max Bredeson at 159th overall in the fifth round, targeting a blocking specialist who lined up in several places in the formation in college as a successor to recently retired fullback C.J. Ham.

When Bredeson's video conference call with Minnesota reporters began from his family's home in Hartland, Wisconsin, one of his former Michigan teammates popped on the screen: J.J. McCarthy.

The Vikings quarterback was in the same recruiting class as Bredeson when they joined the Wolverines, and they've remained close friends. They even had the same private quarterback coach as youths, before Bredeson wisely made a position switch. Landing on the same NFL team was quite a

“I'm a Midwest kid, so it's awesome to be in the Midwest,” Bredeson said. “All the time I've spent with anyone in the Vikings organization, it always felt real.”

Playing hot potato with the 198th overall pick

The Vikings selected Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne in the sixth round on Saturday with a pick that became one of the most popular in the draft. That originally belonged to the Vikings, who first sent it to Houston in 2024 for running back Cam Akers. They reacquired it in a subsequent trade with the Texans, then sent it to San Francisco last year for running back Jordan Mason. The 49ers wound up dealing it to New England. Then the Patriots sent it back to the Vikings on Saturday for one of their seventh-round selections (234th overall) and a sixth-rounder in 2027.

Nine picks in, nine picks out

The Vikings were less active on the trade market than usual, though the Greenard deal was the headline of the weekend. They got a third-rounder from Philadelphia, plus another one in 2027, for Greenard and one of their seventh-rounders. They made a minor move with Carolina in the second round on Friday to drop two spots and upgrade a sixth-rounder to a fifth-rounder. In the end, they made nine selections — the same amount they started with — and got five top-100 picks after starting with four.

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