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Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, most analysts predicted that the Minnesota Vikings would select Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the 18th overall selection in the first round. Of course, the Vikings did not perform as expected, instead selecting Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks in the first round.

The Vikings did not address the safety position until the third round, and they selected nine players overall, the most since 2022. Nevertheless, many analysts felt that Minnesota’s first selection was a reach, given that Banks had multiple foot surgeries and was limited to only three games last season.

Banks was projected as a second-round selection, but the Vikings feel he has the talent to be worthy of a first-round selection. If healthy, they may be right.

Still others, prefer athleticDan Brugler feels like the Vikings had one of the worst draft classes in the NFL this year, finishing 29th out of 32 teams.

• DT Caleb Banks – 18th overall
• LB Jake Golde – 51st overall
• DT Domonique Orange – 82nd overall
• OT Caleb Tiernan – 97th overall
• S. Jacobe Thomas – 98th overall
• FB/TE Max Bredesen – 159th overall
• CB Charles Demings – 163rd overall
• RB Demand Claiborne – 198th overall
• IOL Gavin Gerhart – 235th overall

However, it was not all bad. Brugler said that Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golde was his “favorite choice”, believing he had a chance to make an immediate impact in the Vikings’ Brian Flores-led defense.

Brugler said fifth-round cornerback Charles Demings could “surprise” during his NFL career, adding that the prospect “leaves everything he has on the field.” Overall, Brugler felt Demings was a “worthy bet” for the fifth round.

Although he’s certainly a fan of Gould and Demings, Brugler clearly didn’t think much of the Vikings’ draft class as a whole.

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Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

The National Football League has made headlines in recent months for going back to its broadcast partners with staggering demands for future rights to games. This seems to be influencing what it would cost to run a 30-second ad in Super Bowl LXI.

According to Brian Steinberg of Variety.com, Disney has informed advertisers that they must pay $10 million for a 30-second ad block during next year’s Super Bowl LXI. However, advertisers are reportedly putting pressure on the price.

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Worth noting is that Disney doesn’t seem to be as effective as Fox and NBC at selling Super Bowl ad spots this time of year, according to Steinberg. Previously, other networks had sold 40 to 60 percent of their 30-second spots by May before the Super Bowl; Disney has reportedly “not made the same progress” in said efforts.

All this comes as Disney joins Fox, NBC and CBS in negotiating new TV rights contracts with the NFL due to increased interest from Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Google’s YouTube. The talks between the two sides have not been good.

CNBC’s Alexander Sherman previously reported that networks are “more comfortable” paying a rights fee increase of about 25 percent over the current deal. However, the NFL is working hard for a 100 percent increase.

As all this is going on, the Justice Department has begun investigating the NFL and whether it is using “anti-competitive tactics” to harm consumers and make games less accessible and affordable to watch.

It certainly seems like advertisers are taking the same approach in negotiations with Disney as the company is in contract negotiations with the NFL. If history is any guide, deals will be made with costs passed on to consumers.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

After missing the playoffs, Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach knew he had to upgrade head coach Andy Reid’s roster this offseason. When free agency began, the Chiefs wasted no time in making an upgrade. Some also felt that the Chiefs made one of the best signings of the year. Not everyone agrees.

Recently, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport actually called Kenneth Walker III one of the worst free agency signings of the NFL’s offseason. His reasoning? Largely because the 25-year-old running back has yet to consistently prove he can handle a heavy workload.

“Throughout his four-year career, Walker has battled serious injuries,” Davenport wrote. “Last year was the first time he played all 17 games. While the 2022 second-round pick has posted two 1,000-yard seasons, he’s never had 230 carries in a season. He’s never played 600 snaps in a season. Walker is being paid like a bell-cow at running back. But to date, he hasn’t shown he can truly be one.”

The Chiefs signed Walker to a three-year contract worth more than $43 million this offseason. He is now the fourth-highest paid tailback in the NFL, just behind future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry, and just ahead of Breece Hall, who is set to play the season on the franchise tag.

While there is no doubt that Walker adds more talent to the Kansas City backfield that saw Isiah Pacheco sign in free agency with the Lions, time will tell if he lives up to his contract with the Chiefs. Still, if his addition helps the Chiefs become one of the NFL’s best teams capable of winning a Super Bowl, chances are they’ll feel like Walker is worth every penny.

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Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ