Mel Kiper Grades 49ers, Vikings, Jaguars Last After 2026 NFL Draft Picks

Legendary NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. was less than impressed by what he saw from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers this week.

Kiper released his full 2026 NFL draft grades for ESPN on Saturday night, and those three teams brought up the rear with Cs.

He questioned Minnesota taking Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks with the 18th pick.

"I had him ranked 62nd overall, so taking him at No. 18 was too rich," Kiper said. "I was mostly surprised Minnesota passed on safety Dillon Thieneman, but even among the defensive tackles, I had four guys ranked higher, starting with Peter Woods and Kayden McDonald."

Banks was the sixth-best defensive lineman on Bleacher Report's final big board. Maybe he pans out for the Vikings, but that looks like a reach for now.

Grading Caleb Banks Pick

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Kiper praised the Jaguars for getting Oregon offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon in the third round. Aside from that, he didn't have a lot of good things to say.

"Honestly, the [Pregnon] pick kept this grade from dipping even lower," he said.

Kiper argued the Jags didn't get good value on Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher or Aggies defensive tackle Albert Regis, and he said they "went way off the board for Jalen Huskey," a cornerback from Maryland.

The Jaguars' decision to wait until the seventh round to take a linebacker, Middle Tennessee's Parker Hughes, and avoid the backfield altogether after losing Travis Etienne Jr. raised some eyebrows with Kiper as well.

The longtime guru's opinion of the Niners can be summed up thusly: "There were some really confusing picks in this class."

Kiper labeled Ole Miss receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, Texas Tech edge-rusher Romello Height and Indiana running back Kaelon Black as "significant reaches" on Day 2.

"Day 3 was more of the same, with the exception of their first pick of the day," he said. "Gracen Halton jams running backs at the line of scrimmage despite weighing only 293 pounds. ... He should be in the mix for playing time as a 3-technique, and I'm a fan of the value on this pick. But I'm not sure San Francisco did enough otherwise."

Kiper was also critical of the Los Angeles Rams, who provided the biggest stunner in Round 1 when they took Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick. He thought the Rams should've focused on other areas of the field that early.

Ty Simpson Pick Reaction

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"I had wide receiver and right tackle as my top two needs for the Rams, and I saw addressing either position in a meaningful way in Round 1 as the potential topper on building a real no-joke contender," Kiper wrote. "When Los Angeles got on the clock at No. 13, Monroe Freeling and Blake Miller were there. Makai Lemon, whom I projected to the Rams in my final mock draft, was still there. It was all lining up for coach Sean McVay and the Rams."

Even somebody as knowledgeable as Kiper doesn't bat 1.000 when it comes to evaluating the draft moments after it ends.

Being proactive in anointing Matthew Stafford's successor could prove to be a shrewd tactic by Los Angeles. At the very least, it will probably be impossible to judge Simpson as a rookie when he'll be glued to the bench absent an injury to Stafford.

The Jaguars, Vikings and 49ers can at least see more immediate returns from their notable picks to potentially prove Kiper wrong.