Minnesota Vikings DC Brian Flores is getting credit for something that everyone’s called out
The Minnesota Vikings’ NFL Draft class was widely praised, and the reason for it has been a major topic of discussion.
Coming out of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings ended up with nine players.
- Round 1, No. 18: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
- Round 2, No. 51: Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
- Round 3, No. 82: Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State
- Round 3, No. 97: Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
- Round 3, No. 98: Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami (FL)
- Round 5, No. 159: Max Bredeson, TE/FB, Michigan
- Round 5, No. 163: Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin
- Round 6, No. 198: Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest
- Round 7, No. 235: Gavin Gerhardt, C, Cincinnati
Within those selections, the Vikings selected four of their first five picks on the defensive side of the football. That felt like a very pointed direction for the franchise.
Scouts believe Brian Flores led a coach’s draft
One of the interesting elements about how the draft went was the presence of an interim general manager in Rob Brzezinski. We didn’t know how the Vikings were going to approach the NFL Draft, and how the league viewed it was fascinating: the picks seemed to favor defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
While Minnesota improved its defense, some around the league had questions about the overall haul. “How much influence did Brian Flores have [on the selections]?” one AFC exec asked. “It felt like a lot. Felt like a coach-heavy draft.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler
The first-round selection of Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks felt risky to some, due to multiple foot surgeries. But his upside is high. Third-round safety Jakobe Thomas (Miami) was considered more of a mid-to-late Day 3 pick to multiple scouts. Scouts lauded the second-round selection of Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday, one of the top off-ball backers in the draft who should be able to contribute right away.
It’s fascinating to look at from the outside looking in. We didn’t know for sure how much power that Brzezinski would have, even though he’s been in the front office since 1999. The first three selections, along with the 98th overall pick, safety Jakobe Thomas, were seamless fits for Flores’ defense. While the Vikings did need to add pieces on offense, it was very notable how much Flores got added to his unit.
Did the coaches have a significantly larger voice this year? It’s hard to no think that, especially after the talk of collaboration under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah not being what it was intended to be.
The next hire for the Vikings at general manager will be a fascinating one, especially with how much supposed “say” the coaches will have.