Grade The Picks: Minnesota Vikings finish off Day 2 of the NFL Draft on opposite ends of the consensus board

It’s a fascinating duo of players, and one that highlights an interesting element of the NFL Draft: both players are on opposite ends of the consensus board.

Caleb Tiernan personifies an upside pick

The Vikings selected Tiernan at 97th overall, and he ranked 67th on Arif Hasan’s consensus board. Finding value at this point in the draft is good for the Vikings, and 30 spots is significant. He’s a multi-year starter, but his evaluation is complicated. Our AJ Schulte highlighted a fascinating player.

“Caleb Tiernan is a polarizing evaluation. He’s one of the most experienced tackles in this class, with nearly 50 starts to his name. That experience shows up in his advanced technique and fundamentals, showing off strong, accurate hands to shut down rushers routinely. His clean footwork allows him to make up for what he lacks in terms of length. However, his fourth percentile arm length might automatically make him a candidate for many to slot him at guard. With his good overall athleticism and advanced technique, there’s a pathway for him to still succeed at tackle in a similar mold to Taylor Decker or Luke Goedeke. If a team is looking to build their “best five” on the offensive line and wants to move him to guard, however, he has the power to still be a quality player there.”

Overall, Tiernan projects to be a depth player for the Vikings with the ability to play four of the five positions. His experience is similar to that of Blake Brandel, who is now the Vikings’ center.

Grade: B

Jakobe Thomas feels like a big reach

This is an interesting one for the Vikings. They selected Thomas at 98th overall with the pick they got from the Greenard trade and used it on a safety. Ultimately, it appears to be a big reach. He is 177th on the consensus board, and a 79-spot reach feels really interesting.

However, it makes sense when you consider what Flores wants. He’s an experienced fifth-year senior who had a tremendous season for the Hurricanes. Thomas is a big hitter who is not afraid to get involved in the run game. Having that is such a big aspect to his game and likely why Flores wanted him. He projects to be a plus blitzer.

However, there were better players on the board, and that is going to cloud the projection here.

Grade: C-