Some fans had no problems with the Minnesota Vikings “reaching” for defensive tackle Caleb Banks in Round 1 one week ago and loved the pick. Others believe running back Demond Claiborne was the best value in Round 6. CBS Sports? According to that website, Round 3 offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan represented the wisest selection by the Vikings.

Minnesota may have found a ready-made depth piece with real starting experience.

Tiernan may not play right away, but before too long, he’ll get a chance to prove if CBS Sports has it right.

A Swing Tackle Arrives with Long-Term Upside

He’s the highest-drafted offensive tackle by the Vikings in five years.

Josh Edwards: Tiernan Is the Vikings’ Best Pick

Edwards found one best pick per team this week, and for the Vikings, Tiernan got the nod.

He wrote, “Tiernan was at the top of that second tier of offensive tackles in the personal rankings. He is a smart, technically refined lineman who should bring value as a swing tackle early in his career.”

Elsewhere in the NFC North, Edwards named cornerback Domani Jackson as the Green Packers’ best-value choice: “Jackson has the size and athletic ability to be a starter in this league. Although Green Bay’s vision for last year’s secondary did not come to fruition, they have some intriguing young cornerbacks. Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton in the fourth round was great value as well.”

The Skinny on Tiernan

The Northwestern alum’s calling card is his exceptional pass protection. Possessing a rare build at 6’8,” 320 pounds, he has started five full seasons at both tackle spots. Ready for the NFL now, he will be just 24 during next year’s playoffs.

His basketball background is also evident in his movement and body control.

The Ringer‘s Todd McShay on Tiernan: “Early in his career, Tiernan could fill a swing tackle role while also providing guard depth as he develops into a potential starter. Players like Bernhard Raimann, Luke Goedeke, and Braden Smith have overcome similar length limitations to stick at tackle.”

“There’s also a Northwestern precedent for shorter-armed tackles moving inside and thriving — Peter Skoronski is already among the league’s best. If Tiernan follows that path, Sam Cosmi is a strong stylistic comparison. Tiernan is an athletic, experienced, and versatile offensive lineman who may need to transition from tackle, where he played in college, to guard in the NFL.”

It’s worth noting that the Vikings love versatile offensive linemen. See: Blake Brandel.

McShay continued, “As a pass blocker, he remains effective despite his shorter arms and high center of gravity. He gets into his set quickly and smoothly, working with independent hands and rewrapping quickly if he initially misses inside placement. Inside moves don’t faze him — he mirrors well, recovers quickly, and becomes difficult to disengage once he’s locked on. Although power can push him back, he typically regains his leverage and holds up.”

“Even with his limited length, he rarely overextends and consistently picks up stunts and blitzes. In the run game, he shows enough strength to lift and drive defenders when he lands inside. He generates movement on combo blocks, including knocking defensive tackles into adjacent linemen.’

When Will He Play?

Here’s the big mystery: a 3rd-Round pick should play before too long, a rule applicable to almost every position. But the Vikings already have Christian Darrisaw at left tackle and Brian O’Neill on the right side. Darrisaw is under contract for four more years. O’Neill’s contract is up next offseason, though most expect an extension.

Therefore, Tiernan is basically on the roster for a rainy day. He feels like a “best player available” pick for the club, which usually turns out to be helpful.

If Darrisaw gets hurt in 2026, Tiernan is the next man up. Suppose O’Neill is not re-signed. Well, Tiernan would get tapped on the shoulder for RT duty.

Other Best-Value Selections

Per the NFL draft media community, Minnesota snagged a view “best value” picks on Friday and Saturday. Many love running back Demond Claiborne because of his stature similarity and stylistic parallels to Miami Dolphins tailback De’Von Achane. Claiborne has 4.37 speed, and the Vikings haven’t employed a promising young running back since Dalvin Cook or Alexander Mattison.

Others enjoy Stephen F. Austin rookie cornerback Charles Demmings, a scrappy defender who felt hand-picked by Brian Flores.

Cincinnati center Gavin Gerhardt could also end up with a starter’s job before too long, after Ryan Kelly retired and Minnesota signed no veteran players at the position.

The Vikings now have ample depth at offensive tackle, including Darrisaw, O’Neill, Tiernan, Blake Brandel, Walter Rouse, and Ryan Van Demark.

Manchester City are hoping the top tier of the North Stand will be at 100 per cent capacity for the final home game of the season against Aston Villa

Nobody will be happier than the Manchester City boardroom if the North Stand top tier is fully open for the final game of the Premier League season against Aston Villa. More than 7,000 extra fans will be housed in the expanded North Stand if it passes the necessary test events.

The major one will come on Wednesday, May 20 when more than 3,500 fans will be granted access to the new section for the first time. City have pulled out all the stops to attract supporters to the stadium on a non-matchday. There will be live entertainment, a photo opportunity with the Carabao Cup and appearances from former players.

It is vital for City that this goes well so that their multi-million pound investment begins paying for itself. For City’s hierarchy, the opening of the North Stand will be seen as a success so long as it is full and, for the Villa game, it undoubtedly will be.

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However, that is not the final hurdle it must overcome. It must also gain fan approval. There has been a lot of scepticism around the North Stand expansion, particularly considering attendance issues for midweek fixtures at the Etihad Stadium.

Many matchgoing supporters see this new tier as another opportunity for the club to bring in ‘fans’ who care more about the half-time food offering, rather than the result. Of course, City cannot be naive in this modern football landscape where every penny counts towards Financial Fair Play (FFP).

Expanding the Etihad Stadium to a capacity of more than 60,000 means City’s home will be on a par with the likes of the Emirates Stadium and Anfield. It also opens the door to further revenue streams like concerts and the new 401-room hotel, that will open at the end of 2026, gifts City an all-year round income.

But to the average supporter who feels left behind by the increasingly money-driven nature of the sport, this does little to warm their hearts. The fear is that City will eventually go the way of some of their Premier League rivals.

Fulham’s Riverside Stand is exclusively for hospitality with the club’s owners happy to rake in the money while losing long-standing supporters. Even across the city, Manchester United have come under fire for moving season ticket holders out of their seats to make room for a brand new hospitality area.

Against Villa, the hospitality sections of the stand will not be open and the fans housed in that tier will be there on a general admission ticket. The only thing current matchgoing supporters want is for the expansion to enhance the matchday experience.

They want those extra fans to create a cauldron of noise and make the Etihad Stadium a more imposing fortress than it already is. If it becomes just another money making scheme, it will be panned and add to the narrative that the club is no longer interested in the regular supporter.

Last week, Pep Guardiola rightly praised the ownership group for freezing season ticket prices for another season. City now have one of the most affordable season tickets in the Premier League and they are also working on ways to boost midweek attendances.

There is a lot of goodwill from that announcement that will go to waste by overlooking existing fans’ wishes for the North Stand. There is a way both the club and fans get what they want but it relies on City resisting temptation and looking for the big bucks.

If they avoid that, the new tier will be welcomed by all and boost City’s coffers in the process.

Zelina Vega seemingly left social media after sharing a message about mental health. A former WWE star has sent her a message.

CJ Perry has reached out to Zelina Vega. WWE recently performed its annual routine of releasing a bunch of its talent due to budget cuts. This time, some prominent names also made the list of releases. Among those released were the Wyatt Sicks, Kairi Sane, Santos Escobar, Aleister Black and Zelina Vega.

Following her departure from the WWE, Vega took to social media to share a message about mental health. Following this, she has not posted anything else on the platform, indicating that she has left social media.

“Mental health first 🖤 love you.”

Former WWE star CJ Perry responded to her message and said that she is there for her.

“It’s going to be ok. Mental health is a journey. I’m on the road with you ❤️you guys are not alone”

Check out her tweet here:

Zelina Vega revealed the exact time she found out that she was released

This round of WWE releases came as a bit of a surprise to many, espcially since the sports entertainment juggernaut has been boasting about record-breaking profits. Therefore, the Stamford-based promotion and Triple H received a lot of backlash for releasing more than 20 stars. Fans were especially not happy about Kairi Sane’s release, and they demanded she be brought back.

Zelina Vega opened up about her WWE release on her Twitch stream. She said she usually receives a call from Stamford, but this time, she received a call from TKO at 5:09 PM.

“When people call me from there, usually it would say Stamford calling you,” Vega said in a Twitch livestream on Friday. “That’s when you’re heart is like, ‘Oh, f**k.’ But this time it’s a TKO, which sounds like, ‘Ah, very telling.’ 5:09 p.m. is when I found out.” [H/T – TJR Wrestling].

It remains to be seen if WWE will release more talent in the coming weeks. It will also be interesting to see what the future holds for those who were released from the sports entertainment juggernaut.