The Minnesota Vikings are just a few days removed from their the NFL draft, and now, it’s time to look at what remaining holes there are in the team’s lineup and fill those gaps.
Of course, it’s smart to not just look at the lineup going into the 2026-27 season but also to think about the future of the franchise and what positions they’ll need to fill one and two years down the road.
In a feature out on Monday, April 27 for Vikings Territory, Dustin Barker discusses these upcoming gaps the team should have on their mind. One of them is the edge position. You’re not surprised, are you? Thankfully, there’s a veteran free agent who’s available that the Minnesota Vikings could sign for a steal.
Minnesota Vikings Should Look at Veteran Edge to Beef Up Defense for the Future
Longstanding defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is available and ready to mingle in the NFL. He spent the past season with the Dallas Cowboys and locked 373 defensive snaps and 8.5 sacks. Those are solid numbers.
“He’s 33, so he assuredly isn’t a long-term solution, but let’s face it: with Greenard gone and Van Ginkel scheduled for free agency next offseason, Minnesota will probably have to draft an edge rusher early in 2027,” Barker says in the piece.
He adds, “In the meantime, Clowney makes sense as a patchover OLB, a man who can start if Van Ginkel or Turner battle injuries.”
One of the bonuses here is that he’s probably be around $5 million for the Vikings. That’s a deal, especially considering that his career earnings, according to Spotrac, are around $100 million.
Barker adds that the player, a former first-overall pick from 2014, “never quite lived up to his billing, but he’s had staying power in the league, and if he were anything other than a first-overall pick, his career would be considered a resounding success.”
Minnesota Vikings Get a ‘C’ Grade for 2026 NFL Draft Picks
Now that the draft has wrapped up, NFL analysts and experts are grading the choices. In a feature out after the run, Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN gives the Vikings a “C” grade.
He’s a fan of Caleb Banks but obviously brings up the injury concerns. “He can wreak havoc on opposing linemen and has legit burst to affect the quarterback in the pocket as an interior pass rusher at 4.5 sacks in 2024,” he notes in the piece.
He adds that Banks is “at his best as a run stuffer, closing gaps with his 6-foot-6, 327-pound frame, and he brings scheme versatility to the table. But his left foot has been a major problem.”
Because of the injury, Kiper actually had Banks down as the No. 62 pick, so taking him at No. 18 was very early. “I was mostly surprised Minnesota passed on safety Dillon Thieneman,” he adds in the piece, “but even among the defensive tackles, I had four guys ranked higher, starting with Peter Woods and Kayden McDonald.”
So, the Minnesota Vikings didn’t get a good grade from Kiper for their draft picks, but what matters is what they do going forward and how they train up their rookies.
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