What was Dane Brugler's favorite pick by the Vikings in 2026?
Dane Brugler is one of the premier draft analysts in the game and he really enjoyed one Vikings pick more than others.
The Minnesota Vikings saw their run defense become a shell of itself in 2025, and Brian Flores seemingly said, "never again. " With the team lacking a general manager, the coaching staff had its fingerprints all over this 2026 NFL Draft class. Thus, Flores was able to land some players he deemed to be able to help defend the run this season and beyond.
It started with the selection of Caleb Banks in the first round before his pivoted to the linebacker group and added Jake Golday. It is that selection of the Cincinnati linebacker that The Athletic's Dane Brugler highlighted as his favorite pick of the Vikings from the 2026 NFL Draft class. He writes, "This is true for most prospects, but Golday’s landing spot was going to be pivotal for his rookie-year success.
Drop his rangy athleticism into a Brian Flores-led defense, and he’ll have a chance to make an immediate impact. " Golday has drawn some comparisons to Andrew Van Ginkel, who is in his final year of his contract, so the pick makes sense on several fronts. If the Vikings and Flores get even half out of Golday that they got out of Van Ginkel, this pick will be a homerun for all parties involved.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Dane Brugler really liked the Vikings linebacker selection