The Minnesota Vikings surprised fans and draftniks alike with their second pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting linebacker Jake Golday from the University of Cincinnati.
At first, many media members and fans questioned the pick. However, Minnesota traded Jonathan Greenard shortly after, perhaps offering context for the pick. Golday is a different type of linebacker than Greenard, but his versatility is something Brian Flores will love. In fact, his game reminds me of former Vikings do-it-all linebacker Ben Leber.
Golday is similar to Leber in multiple ways, from their play style to their measurables, which we will dive into. If Minnesota can generate similar production from Golday as they did from Leber, it will be a great win for an organization that has struggled in the draft the past few seasons.
Diving into Golday’s draft profiles, his game screams versatility. The guy did it all for the Bearcats this past season. He played in the box and slot in certain schemes and also played edge. That helped him gather First-Team All-Big 12 honors this past season.
As we all know, Flores loves players who can play multiple positions. With his elite 6’4” 239 lb. frame and athletic measureables, Minnesota will be able to play Golday all over the field. His athletic profile was enough to land him at No. 48 on Bruce Feldman’s College Football Freaks List for 2025.
Also, due to his versatility, Flores doesn’t need to wait to use him. With Eric Wilson and Blake Cashman likely locking down both inside linebacker positions, Golday will be able to carve out a role in other areas while providing depth.
Golday also has the perfect athletic profile for special teams, which is likely where he’ll start. He possesses elite acceleration and sideline-to-sideline range. Both of those traits are desired by teams in their special team players.
I am sure Leslie Frazier had similar thoughts about Leber back when their tenures overlapped from 2007 to 2010, because he deployed Leber in a similar role in his defense. Using Leber’s 6’3”, 245 lb. frame, Frazier assigned him to a role that included using his coverage skills and undervalued ability to rush the passer. That resulted in five interceptions and 12 sacks during his Vikings career. They asked him to play a specific role, but he always flashed major playmaking abilities when he got out there.
Like Leber, Golday is also good in coverage. Multiple draft experts praised Golday for his ability to drop into zone coverage with fluid hips. The Vikings love to run zone coverage, finishing in the top 10 this past season in zone rate percentage, according to Sharp Football Analysis. Golday will need to fill this hole on the roster as a versatile edge defender with Greenard now in Philadelphia.
Like Leber, Golday has notably had the ideal tools and measurables to be a productive pass rusher. He has a defensive end background, so he can also bring that experience to the Vikings.
Finally, we can’t compare Leber and Golday without noting that both are consistent and always put in effort. Leber demonstrated this by consistently playing through injuries for several seasons with the Vikings and serving as a sure tackler for the Frazier defense.
Golday is similar, posting a 100-tackle season for the Bearcats in 2025, the first since his now teammate Ivan Pace Jr. did it in 2022. Across five college seasons across two programs, he posted an elite 10.5% missed-tackle rate, demonstrating his consistency.
Leber was one of the most underrated Vikings of the mid-2000s, and his esteem has only grown since the end of his playing days and his transition into a role as a radio host, analyst, and all-around media personality. If the Vikings need one thing for 2026, it is young talent to step up, and Golday bringing back a little of that Ben Leber magic would be a huge asset for a Vikings team in flux.
Golday might have seemed like an odd pick at the moment. However, I believe he can bring versatility and consistency to the defense and grow into a jack-of-all-trades like Leber. Maybe interim general manager Rob Brzezinski saw the same potential in Golday as he saw in Leber back in 2006.
