5 Things Unk Liked/Loved About This Draft

Not everyone was a fan of the Vikings 2026 draft but your SKOL Unk wasn’t one of them. Here is 5 things your boy loved and liked about this draft.

LOVED the Caleb Banks draft pick

His ceiling is higher than every other DT in this draft class. Yeah, it’s high risk/high reward — but in a draft where maybe only 15 guys had true 1st-round grades, this was the year to swing big. The measurables jump off the page, and his one full year of production was flat-out dominant. After letting Hargraves and Allen walk, the trenches became our biggest need on defense. We needed impact and upside. Banks brings both.

LIKED the drafting of Jake Golday in the 2nd

The linebacker out of Cincinnati brings size, versatility, and production. With Greenard traded and Greenway seemingly always battling injuries, we needed someone who could step in and do multiple things. Seattle showed the league years ago that defense is the new offense. If you want to win a Super Bowl, you better have a young, fast, nasty defense. Golday fits that mindset perfectly.

LOVED the 2027 3rd-round pick we received in the Greenard trade

I didn’t want to trade Greenard, but clearly the front office had a different vision. And honestly? That extra 2027 pick could become huge. That draft class is already shaping up to be loaded — especially at QB. There’s a very real chance we’ll be in the market for one. Now we’ve got more ammo to move up if needed. And if Kyler or McCarthy proves he’s the future, then that extra pick becomes a weapon to add another playmaker, maybe a WR3 or eventually Hockenson’s replacement.

LIKED drafting Demond Claiborne

For years this team has needed a running back with actual juice, and Claiborne brings plenty of it. The guy has legit 4.3 speed and serious wiggle. Hand him the ball or throw it to him — he can house it from anywhere on the field. He can even return kicks if needed. Our current RB room has either gotten older or too one-dimensional. Claiborne gives this offense fresh legs and explosiveness at a time when the NFL is starting to value the run game again.

LOVED the overall theme of prioritizing defense and size

This draft has Brian Flores’ fingerprints all over it. Caleb Banks, Dominique “Big Cutrus” Orange, 6’8” Caleb Tiernan, hard-hitting Jakobe Thomas, 6’1” CB Charles Demming, FB Max Bredeson — the identity is obvious. Most of these guys are defenders, and nearly all of them bring size and physicality to their position. This feels like a return to old-school toughness, something this team has lacked for way too long.

For years this roster has felt too Midwestern nice. Too polite. This draft injected toughness, swagger, attitude, special teams versatility, and guys who actually look intimidating walking off the bus. Big dudes. Violent players. Cool nicknames. “The U” energy. BFlo wanted dogs — and it sure looks like he got them.

The 2026 draft was Unk Approved, no matter what the pundits say.

Want to contribute to Let’s SKOL? Contact: LetsSkolShow@gmail.com