The Minnesota Vikings have onboarded five rookies since Thursday night: Caleb Banks (DT), Jake Golday (ILB), Domonique Orange (DT), Caleb Tiernan (OT), and Jakobe Thomas (S). It’s time for about four more from Rounds 4 through 7.

Day 3 brings longer odds, but Minnesota still has useful roster paths to chase.

Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski has two picks in Round 5 and two in Round 7 on Saturday, absent a 4th-Rounder because of the 2024 Cam Robinson trade. This list eliminates players who will probably be unavailable because of Round 4 draft stock.

Late-Round Offense and Cornerback Depth Could Be in Play

The prospects are listed in ascending order (No. 1 = top target for the Vikings to consider)

Disclaimer

These players would be fantastic for the Vikings, but probably won’t be on the board at No. 159 — or about 60 picks from the start of Saturday:

• Jonah Coleman (RB)
• Dani Dennis-Sutton (OLB)
• Sam Hecht (C)
• Connor Lew (C)
• Malik Muhammad (CB)
• Chandler Rivers (CB)

If Minnesota has a 4th-Rounder, those four would’ve headlined the list.

10. Eli Heidenreich | RB/WR, Navy
Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 6-7

There’s some debate over which position Heidenreich will play in the NFL, with some thinking he’s a slot receiver and others insisting he’s a running back.

We believe a smart offensive coordinator will use Heidenreich as a running back, maybe as a poor man’s Christian McCaffrey. If the current draft trend continues with the Vikings not securing a rookie tailback, they should take a Round 7 flyer on Heidenreich.

9. Mason Reiger | EDGE, Duke
Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 7

Reiger actually met with the Vikings, and as an old rookie — 24 in August — he should be more game-ready than most. He scored the defensive MVP and the Shrine Bowl. Minnesota suddenly needs EDGE depth after trading Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles. Tsk tsk.

8. Logan Fano | EDGE, Utah
Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 6-7

Fano will also turn 24 this summer, so edit-copy-paste the scribbling above about Reiger. Let’s face it: a 6th- or 7th-Round outside linebacker cannot be trusted to be immediate depth in Brian Flores’s defense, but one EDGE lottery ticket from the draft is better than zero.

7. Eric McAlister | WR, TCU
Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 6-7

McAlister is 6’4″ and ran a 4.53 forty. He’s tall and fast. The Horned Frog will need refinement with route-running, separation, and footwork, but that’s what Keenan McCardell is for. In a utopia, McAlister could battle Tai Felton or a free agent to be named later for the vacant WR3 job.

6. Brenen Thompson | WR, Mississippi State
Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 5

Thompson has WR3 upside and made Bruce Feldman’s famous “Freaks” list. For a 5th-Rounder and a team that needs a wide receiver, why not use a late-round pick on Thompson? He ran a 4.26 forty — yes, you read that right — at the NFL Combine, which is just unholy fast.

The bad part? He’s 5’10 and 165 pounds. Fans will have to hope that nobody can ever tackle him. He’s tiny.

5. Matt Gulbin | C, Michigan State
Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 5

The draft run on centers has already begun, and the Vikings were not part of it. They also don’t have the aforementioned 4th-Round pick, prime territory to draft the “other” two centers in this draft: Connor Lew and Sam Hecht.

So, Minnesota is in a spot of examining players like Gulbin, who will turn 24 in October. He was a team captain at Michigan State and is worth a 5th-Rounder to develop for a year behind Blake Brandel, who appears on deck to start at center in September.

4. Brian Parker II | C/G, Duke
Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 4-5

Parker may not be an option for Minnesota; he’s a tweener between Rounds 4 and 5. But he started 32 games in college and is durable. If selected by the Vikings, he could showcase a trait the team loves: versatility. He played tackle at Duke, declaring himself a center for the draft.

3. Domani Jackson | CB, Alabama
Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 6-7

A dirty little secret about this draft: the Vikings have drafted no cornerbacks, despite five opportunities. After Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre on the current depth chart, the club could use an upside youthful alternative.

Jackson could be that guy. He’s 6’1″ and 195 pounds with 4.41 speed. He can play special teams, too. If Alabama trusted him as a two-year starter, Minnesota should spend a 6th- or 7th-Round pick on him.

2. Emmett Johnson | RB, Nebraska
Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 4-6

The Vikings met with Johnson a couple of times between the Combine and a Top 30 visit. He’s campaigned on people’s podcasts to join the Vikings because he grew up in Minneapolis.

Johnson ran a 4.56 forty in Indianapolis, which turned heads, and not in a good way. Later, he rebounded at Nebraska’s Pro Day with 4.49 speed. If Johnson tumbles to Round 5, and Jonah Coleman of Washington is not on the board — he probably won’t be — this may be the Vikings’ running back of the future.

1. Nicholas Singleton | RB, Penn State
Where the Vikings Could Get Him: Round 5-6

Go to YouTube and watch some Nick Singleton tape. It’s dazzling. Injuries have sullied his pre-draft lead-up; once upon a time, pundits thought he’d leave the draft in Round 3 or 4. Now, he’s a 5th- or 6th-Rounder. Why? The injuries. He has not palpable pre-draft measurable.

Singleton squats 570 pounds, however and is 6’0″ + 220lb. He is said to have 4.35 speed, though the damn injuries canceled his Combine showing and Pro Day. The 22-year-old has a knack for game-breaking plays, which the Vikings could use when they’re ready to move on from Aaron Jones and/or Jordan Mason.

Have a look:

Minnesota should use one of its first two Saturday picks on this man.

Eddie Hearn has revealed key discussions with Oleksandr Usyk ahead of Anthony Joshua‘s return to the ring.

Joshua was last seen exchanging verbal blows with Tyson Fury earlier this month, shortly after ‘The Gypsy King’ ended his 16-month layoff with a points victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Instead of granting his rival’s request for a face-off, though, Joshua decided to remain seated and criticise the 37-year-old’s lacklustre performance.

Since then, it has been revealed that ‘AJ’ and his promoter, Matchroom boss Hearn, have been offered a two-fight deal by Turki Alalshikh, culminating in a long-awaited clash with Fury later this year.

The all-British showdown has been slated for November, though Joshua is expected to return to action in July as part of this two-fight agreement.

While having not fought since his sixth-round finish over Jake Paul in December, the 36-year-old has also been recovering – both physically and mentally – from the tragic car crash in which he was involved that same month.

The incident in Nigeria took the lives of his two close friends, while ‘AJ’ was believed to have sustained several injuries.

But he has, of course, returned to training camp with unified heavyweight champion Usyk, who has played a key role in not only Joshua’s rehabilitation but also the discussions for his next fight.

Speaking with IFL TV, promoter Hearn gave an insight into the Ukrainian’s insistence on a comeback fight, before the Londoner finally collides with Fury.

“A lot of this has come through Oleksandr Usyk; he was part of these conversations.

“And the conversations were: Absolutely he’s [Joshua’s] having a comeback fight. He could’ve probably made more money to go straight into the [Fury] fight.

“But [Team Joshua’s] like: ‘No way. We need to be 100% when we fight Tyson Fury’.”

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It would seem that the full extent of Joshua’s recovery process has not been documented, hence why his team is particularly keen for him to face a less established name than Fury.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru continued their high-flying run in the top half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, securing yet another victory to boost their play-off hopes on Friday. Chasing a target against the Gujarat Titans, RCB rode on Virat Kohli‘s brilliant 81 to overhaul the total with seven balls to spare. Although Kohli received a lifeline right at the start of his innings, he made sure GT came back to regret the dropped catch when he was yet to open his account.

Before being dismissed by Jason Holder, Kohli had hit eight fours and four sixes. One of the sixes that the RCB icon hit even had his wife, Anushka Sharma, celebrating in the stands. Anushka, who has attended almost all of RCB’s home games this season at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, was seen making a money-splashing gesture in the stands.

However, as soon as the cameraman turned his attention towards her, she realised that it was not an act she should have done on camera. Her ‘guilty expression’ said it all.

Anushka was doing that RCB dressing room celebration. when camera focused, she stopped and started laughing pic.twitter.com/3kBdh9B7I9

— Fearless (@ViratTheLegend) April 25, 2026

As for the match, Kohli scripted history as he became the first batter in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to hit 800 fours. Kohli achieved the milestone during his knock of 81 runs.

Virat Kohli now has 807 boundaries to his name in 274 IPL matches, the most by any batter in the tournament’s history. He is well clear of the second-placed Shikhar Dhawan, who has 768 fours to his name.

Kohli also became only the third batter to smash 300 sixes in IPL history, after Chris Gayle (357) and Rohit Sharma (310). Kohli now has 303 maximums to his name.

Kohli scored 81 runs off 44 balls against GT, hitting eight boundaries and four sixes. With this knock, he also claimed the Orange Cap for being the leading run-scorer in the IPL 2026 at the moment.

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Miami quarterback Carson Beck and Penn State quarterback Drew Allar both landed in ideal spots that could offer opportunities to them sooner rather than later.

Beck, who some refused to believe could be the third quarterback drafted, became exactly that when he was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the first pick in the third round (65th overall) on Friday night. He’ll enter a Cardinals franchise that expects to have Jacoby Brissett as a bridge starter in 2026, but will be motivated to get a look at Beck if he earns it. With the 2027 expected to be loaded with first-round quarterbacks, I think Arizona will try to get a look at Beck at some point as a rookie starter if he proves worthy. If only to know whether the franchise will need to go back to the draft well in next year’s deeper class. For Beck, that potentially means stepping into an offense with No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love at running back, first team All-Pro tight end Trey McBride, and Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. at the wideout spot.

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Among the first three quarterbacks drafted — including the Las Vegas Raiders’ Fernando Mendoza and Los Angeles Rams’ Ty Simpson (who is stuck behind reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford) — you could argue that Beck is the winner in terms of surrounding pieces and potential immediate opportunity. It will be worth keeping an eye on next season.

As for Allar, it’s my understanding that his drafting has no impact whatsoever on the team’s hope that Aaron Rodgers returns for 2026. Right now, it’s my belief that Rodgers is coming back and that new head coach Mike McCarthy will let Allar and Will Howard battle it out with Mason Rudolph to determine who fills out the rungs under Rodgers on the depth chart. Assuming a Rodgers return, it’s likely the fourth quarterback in that mix is eventually cut or traded — and that player will not be Allar.

I think the hope is that Rodgers comes back in 2026 and that Allar finally puts his considerable raw talent together under the tutelage of McCarthy, with an eye on him succeeding Rodgers whenever that time comes. And if Rodgers doesn’t return, I think Allar will be given the opportunity to show whether he deserves to be in a QB competition with Rudolph and Howard.

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However it ultimately unfolds, the point for Allar is that there will be some kind of opportunity in Pittsburgh. It might be this season, in 2027 or beyond. But it will eventually be there, and that’s all you can ask for as a third-round draft pick.

The Minnesota Vikings made a somewhat controversial pick in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, picking defensive tackle Caleb Banks at No. 18. The selection turned heads because Banks’s recent injury history had shoved his draft stock into Round 2 on most draft big boards, and few expected a team to pick him in Round 1. But the Vikings die precisely that — and the naysayers are already panning the choice.

National voices wasted no time picking apart the selection and questioning Minnesota’s approach.

The powers that be of NFL media lined up to trash the pick, not even 12 hours removed.

Banks Faces Instant Pressure in Minnesota

Banks will have to prove people wrong.

Mel Kiper Jr. Unhappy about Banks to MIN

Kiper Jr. didn’t mince words, claiming he flat-out didn’t understand the Vikings’ thinking.

He wrote late Thursday night, “Big-time reach for me. Banks was No. 62 on my board, the biggest stretch of the night. Sure, there’s reason to believe this could work out for the Vikings. Banks can stop running backs in their tracks, and he gets enough interior push to be a factor in the pass rush.”

“He moves well for a 6-foot-6, 327-pounder. But he has been dealing with a foot injury for a while now, and he just had surgery on it after the Combine. A lot of risk here, even if Banks healthy and at his best can shore up the interior. This was made worse by the fact that safety Dillon Thieneman was still on the board.”

Banks lived at No. 44 on the Consensus Big Board, meaning Minnesota could have, in theory, traded down near that spot to get Banks and stockpiled a 2nd-Round pick, according to trade chart value. Instead, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski drafted Banks at No. 18.

Kiper Jr. continued, “Everyone thought that pairing made sense. Harrison Smith is still uncertain to return for 2026, and even if he comes back, he’s 37 years old. Thieneman would have been perfect in Brian Flores’ defense. Not sure I understand this one.”

Thieneman ended up in Chicago and will play against the Vikings at least twice annually.

CBS Sports Assigns’ D’ Grade

Kiper Jr. wasn’t alone with disdain. CBS Sports‘ Mike Renner assigned a ‘D’ mark to the draft pick and noted, “Banks is the most prodigious physical talent in this defensive tackle class. At 6-foot-6, 327 pounds with an over 7-foot wingspan, when he fires off low into contact, he’s nearly impossible to block.”

“The worry is that we never saw it consistently before his 2025 season was cut short with a foot injury that required surgery. He then had another foot surgery after an injury suffered during the combine week. That’s a big swing for the Vikings to take at 18.”

The grade represented the single-lowest grade handed out by Renner all evening. In short, he claims the Vikings’ draft pick was horrid.

USA Today Unimpressed

Ready for more? USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz followed suit, grading Minnesota’s selection of Banks as a ‘C.’

“It’s easy to see the appeal of Banks, a 6-6, 327-pound interior force with unparalleled explosion off the ball. Yet Banks has been waylaid by multiple foot injuries in the last year, and staying healthy could be a considerable concern,” he opined.

“Banks also struggles to finish plays as a tackler once he gets in range of a ball carrier. There’s massive upside here for him to thrive in Brian Flores’ scheme, but this could also go awry if Banks can’t become a consistent performer.”

Middlehurst-Schwartz rendered four C-or-lower grade, and the Vikings grabbed one.

Why Folks Are Low on Banks

When the draft cycle began in December and January, Banks was envisioned by the draft community as a 1st-Round pick. He has a boom-or-bust trajectory in the pros. Banks even cooked at the Senior Bowl, and right after that event, mock drafts placed him in the back half of Round 1. Life was good.

Fast forward to the NFL Combine, and Banks broke a bone in his foot, sending his draft profile to Round 2, and he never left that spot. In fact, his stock fell each week, as no one knew whether the guy who played through injuries in 2025 would be trustworthy after a broken foot at the Combine.

Banks then became a possible Vikings’ draft target in Round 2, not Round 1. For example, Minnesota will pick 49th on Friday night. One week ago, Banks graced Vikings mock drafts at that spot. Minnesota picked him in Round 1 instead.

So, Banks has a familiar mission ahead of him: play well, stay healthy, and no one will care in two years where he was drafted.

Then there’s Tottenham‘s abundance of promising youngsters – many fans would relish seeing them given a good crack at the Championship.

The club already boast a number of regulars under the age of 21 in Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, while goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky has just turned 23. Spurs would surely love to keep hold of those.

Meanwhile, homegrown starlet Mikey Moore has impressed on loan at Rangers this season and teenage centre back Luka Vuskovic has been a revelation for Hamburg in the Bundesliga. Will Lankshear is scoring goals in the Championship, too.

And supporters always want to see local academy prospects flourishing.

Next off the “he’s one of our own…” production line could be the much-lauded Luca Williams-Barnett, who made his debut earlier this season, while defenders Jun’ai Byfield and James Rowswell and midfielder Callum Olusesi have also featured.

Indeed, my dad and uncle still talk about being wowed by a young Glenn Hoddle when they first started going to White Hart Lane regularly as teenagers during the 1977-78 season, the last campaign Spurs spent in the second division.

The playmaker turned 20 that season and, despite having featured regularly in Spurs’ relegation year, his 12 league goals and majestic displays inspired the north London outfit to promotion at the first time of asking.

Maybe a year in the second tier could see a ‘new Hoddle’ really come of age?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru spinner Suyash Sharma dismissed Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill during an IPL 2026 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Friday. The leg-spinner’s celebration after taking the wicket hogged the limelight. On the fourth ball of the 13th over of GT’s innings, Suyash bowled a short googly and Gill hit it into the hands of Devdutt Padikkal at long-on. He fell after scoring 32 off 24 balls. While celebrating the wicket, Suyash came up with a ‘bow down’ gesture – a trademark style of Gill when he scores a century.

Check out some of the reactions here:

suyash warne sharma did the shubman gill celebration after getting his wicket, own him my boy pic.twitter.com/mgphGh2GWe

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— sir jacob bethell era (@bet_helll) April 24, 2026

SUYASH SHARMA STRIKES FOR RCB!

– Much-needed breakthrough

GT captain Shubman Gill departs for 32 (24) #RCBvsGT #IPL2026 #SuyashSharma #ShubmanGill #Cricket pic.twitter.com/Xh3ESY4xqO

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— Akaran.A (@Akaran_1) April 24, 2026

Suyash sharma cooked Shubman gill pic.twitter.com/19ksWTAXDO

— (@Sneaky_45ix) April 24, 2026

Suyash doing Shubman Gill’s celebration after dismissing him pic.twitter.com/4rF41o6qYQ

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— Pari (@BluntIndianGal) April 24, 2026

Virat Kohli punished Gujarat Titans for dropping him on nought with a blistering half-century as RCB breezed to a five-wicket victory in the game against GT.

Left-handed opener Sai Sudharsan’s third IPL hundred was the cornerstone of Gujarat’s 205 for 3 after they were put in to bat by Rajat Patidar at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

However, Kohli (81) and Devdutt Padikkal (55) tore into the bowling during a rollicking 115-run second-wicket stand to delight a full house in Bengaluru’s final league match of the season at the venue.

Kohli was put down by Washington Sundar at mid-wicket off the first ball he faced from Mohammed Siraj, in the opening over of the chase, and made Gujarat pay for their largesse with a thrilling exhibition of stroke-making.

Bengaluru lost Englishman Jacob Bethell, playing his first game of the season in place of injured compatriot Phil Salt, in the third over.

That was the cue for Kohli and Padikkal to put on a delightful exhibition of stroke-making, marked by timing and silken grace rather than raw power.

Rangy left-hander Padikkal did the early running with a stunning array of sixes as he used his long levers to great effect, with Kohli only marginally behind.

Padikkal was the first to reach his half-century, off 20 deliveries, while Kohli took 30 balls to reach the landmark before the former was bowled by Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan.

Kohli continued to make merry, going past Abhishek Sharma to become the tournament’s leading run-scorer (328) and claim the Orange Cap.

His dismissal – bowled off the inside edge by West Indian Jason Holder – sparked a mini-collapse before Australian Tim David and Krunal Pandya got the job done with little fuss.

Gujarat’s innings was dominated by the punchy Sudharsan, who hogged the strike in the early stages, with skipper Shubman Gill facing just three balls in the first five overs.

Clearly the dominant partner in an opening alliance of 128, Sudharsan shrugged off a modest start to the tournament with boundaries galore.

The base was set for a total in the region of 220, but Bengaluru surged back towards the end through their experienced seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Australian Josh Hazlewood, along with the impressive Rasikh Salam.

Gujarat needed two sixes from Holder in the final over, bowled by Pandya, to sneak past 200 – a total that was competitive but far from adequate.

(With AFP inputs)

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