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The Vikings Draft Just Created 10 Clear Losers
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- The Vikings Draft Just Created 10 Clear Losers
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
After every NFL draft , several losers from each team emerge from the fallout of the event — even though they personally did nothing wrong . The 2026 campaign is no different, so let's examine the "losers" for the Minnesota Vikings from the last few days.
Minnesota's draft class created fresh pressure at running back, offensive line, and along the defensive interior.
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Ranked from smallest to largest — No. 1 is the biggest loser — here's the list.
Ten Vikings Facing a Tougher Path after Draft Weekend
Not everyone had a swell event per long-term roster trajectory.
Minnesota Vikings guard Michael Jurgens (65) joins teammates in a tight pregame huddle before taking on the Atlanta Falcons, Sep. 14, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Positioned near the center of the offensive circle, Jurgens prepares with the unit as Minnesota readies for kickoff in an early-season NFC matchup at home. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
10. Michael Jurgens (C)
In Round 7 — too late, according to some fans' estimation — the Vikings took a plunge with a center of the future, a man named Gavin Gerhardt from Cincinnati .
Gerhardt was not a coveted draft prospect, but since the draft, some credible reporting has indicated that he was the Vikings' rookie center plan all along. They basically knew they could wait until Round 7 to get their man.
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Blake Brandel will probably start in September, but Minnesota appears comfortable pivoting to Gerhardt — not Jurgens — in the somewhat near future.
9. Walter Rouse (OT)
Minnesota employs two stud offensive tackles: Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill . Since the start of the offseason, the club has signed free-agent OT Ryan Van Demark from the Buffalo Bills , and it drafted Northwestern's Caleb Tiernan in Round 4. Players from Round 4 should be reasonably expected to play before too long.
In short, it's Rouse in the backseat, with Van Demark and Tiernan elevated. In fact, Rouse may have to battle for a regular season roster spot in the preseason.
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8. Fans Who Wanted a Rookie WR
The Vikings did homework on oodles of wide receivers before the draft. That trail convinced onlookers that they'd leave the event with one — and then that theory was just wrong.
For now, Tai Felton is on tap for WR3 duty in 2026. Last summer, Minnesota traded for a washed Adam Thielen — using a 4th-Round pick to get him — a maneuver to keep Felton sidelined. The guy must be sitting on a breakout season, or so goes the working theory after the Vikings didn't take any wideouts.
7. Johnny Hekker (P)
Minnesota signed Hekker last month, its punting solution after Ryan Wright skeddaled in free agency to the New Orleans Saints . For Hekker, life was good.
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But on Saturday evening, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski captured Georgia's Brett Thorson from undrafted free agency. He's one of the best punters in college football, and some wild rumors suggested he could be drafted in Round 3 or so on Friday.
While that didn't happen, Hekker, who thought he'd be the Vikings' punter in 2026, must now look over his shoulder at training camp.
6. NFC North RBs
Fans thought the Vikings might leave the draft with one new defensive tackle. Instead, Brzezinski (or Brian Flores?) pressed the button on two: Caleb Banks (Florida) and Domonique Orange (Iowa State).
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After mostly failed experiments with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in 2025, Minnesota opted for youth at DT, and if one or both men pan out, running backs from the Green Bay Packers , Detroit Lions , and Chicago Bears won't enjoy life when facing the purple team for the next 4+ years.
5. WR Coach Keenan McCardell
Entering the draft, McCardell had Justin Jefferson , Jordan Addison , Tai Felton, and Myles Price as his four main wideouts for 2026.
Exiting the draft, McCardell had Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison , Tai Felton, and Myles Price as his four main wideouts for 2026.
McCardell pitched the shutout from Thursday through Saturday, and not in a fun way.
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4. Zavier Scott (RB)
Demond Claiborne became a Viking on Saturday, and he won't be cut in August. Minnesota usually keeps three tailbacks on the September roster, so folks are looking at Aaron Jones , Jordan Mason , and Claiborne for Week 1.
Minnesota Vikings running back Zavier Scott (36) pushes the ball upfield during second-half action against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sep. 21, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Scott fights through traffic while contributing to the offense, working for extra yards as Minnesota battles Cincinnati in a regular season home contest. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
That puts Scott on the roster bubble, for better or worse.
3. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (DT)
There was a world — perhaps in a far-off galaxy — where the Vikings promoted Ingram-Dawkins to a starter's job while drafting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, for example, in Round 1. That didn't happen, and with the snap of two fingers, Banks ended any dream of Ingram-Dawkins slipping through to the starting lineup.
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He is now what his draft stock in 2025 originally suggested: a backup interior defensive lineman.
2. Ivan Pace Jr. (ILB)
Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson will start as off-ball linebackers in 2026. Then, the Vikings used a 2nd-Round pick on Jake Golday . He's the new youth movement at ILB.
Pace Jr. is scheduled to be a Viking through the 2026 campaign. If Golday is worth the draft pick, that probably puts Pace Jr. on the chopping block next offseason.
1. Levi Drake Rodriguez (NT)
Nobody anywhere in the Vikings' fan or analyst orbit expected the team to draft two defensive tackles before the end of Round 3. But when Orange's name was read on Friday night, well, that ended Rodriguez's realistic hopes of being the long-term nose tackle for Kevin O'Connell's team.
Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez celebrates alongside teammate Bo Richter after a momentum-shifting play during the 2024 season, capturing a moment of energy and defensive intensity on the field. Rodriguez reacts with emotion as teammates rally together following the sequence in a game setting. Mandatory Credit: Alli Rusco, Vikings.com.
If Orange matures and develops as his scouting report suggests, Drake Rodriguez will be the NT2 in Minnesota for the rest of his rookie contract, not the NT1, which might've been the case without the Orange selection.
Big Citrus squeezed Rodriguez.
