EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings offense added speed you can't teach in the sixth round.

Minnesota selected former Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne with the 198^th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday, jolting its backfield with a Second-Team All-ACC runner who has red-hot wheels.

The Vikings vaulted up the draft board to snag Claiborne, sending No. 234 and a 2027 sixth-round pick to New England in exchange for 198, which Minnesota twice previously owned (the third time's the charm).

"I was shocked! These last three days have been long for me," Claiborne said excitedly on a video call afterward. "And so when they called up and they did what they did, it definitely put a smile on my face.

"I felt a little at ease," he added, noting he spoke with Head Coach Kevin O'Connell and others. "All of them let me know, 'Hey man, we're excited you're here. It doesn't matter what round you get picked in. We're going to support you. We're going to have your back, and we're going to go have success.' And that's just a testament to that coaching staff and who they are as people, seeing that ability in me and letting me know, like, 'Hey, we're still going to be great and we're still going to do big things together.'"

Director of College Scouting Mike Sholiton was asked first about Claiborne during his post-draft recap with members of the media, and he touted Claiborne's quick feet and explosiveness, plus his mindset.

"There was an example back in '24, the Louisiana game, that coincidentally Kyle Caskey who's our new assistant running backs coach was coaching on the opposite sideline and he dislocated his kneecap — gruesome injury — [but] came back after halftime and went back to work, finished the game," he said (Claiborne had a 60-yard TD in the second half). "So it's just that competitive spirit, the passion for the game, the toughness to match with that speed and juice that he brings that we're really excited to add."

Claiborne, 22, led Wake Forest in rushing each of the past three seasons and followed up 1,049 yards on the ground in 2024 with 907 in 2025. In total, Claiborne carried 558 times in college for 2,599 yards and 26 touchdowns, including double-digit TDs in his final two go-rounds. He also chipped in as a receiver, catching 55 passes for 424 yards and two scores (both in 2024) and as a returner, averaging 26.3 yards on 22 kickoffs; he fielded 10 and 11 in 2023 and 2024, and he ran one back for six points in both campaigns.

"I'm willing to do it all," Claiborne said of his third-phase chops. "I'm happy to be a guy to produce on special teams. Being able to get my feet wet in the return game, catching punts or returning [kickoffs] is definitely something that I can't wait to have an opportunity to [do]. … I'm just ready to get an opportunity to shoot my shot at both of those, and potentially get my shot on the field playing [there]."

Claiborne measured in at 5-foot-9 3/4 and 188 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine and added to his résumé with a 4.37 40 and 10-foot-2-inch broad jump. His 40 time fared third among running backs this year after Arkansas' Mike Washington, Jr. (4.33), and Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love (4.36), who was selected 3^rd overall by Arizona on Thursday. Washington was picked by Las Vegas at 122 on Saturday.

As far as rankings, The Athletic's Dane Brugler pegged Claiborne as his 151^st overall player and seventh running back, whereas ESPN's Jordan Reid classified Claiborne a bit higher, as his RB6 and 130^th prospect.

Brugler compared Claiborne to a "diet" version of Dolphins Pro Bowl RB De'Von Achane, who was drafted 84th overall in 2023 and has already amassed 4,334 career scrimmage yards and 35 touchdowns. Brugler labeled Claiborne a "bursty athlete (both linearly and laterally) who can give defenders the slip with his violent cuts, although his size profile likely will limit his role [in the NFL] and landing spots."

Claiborne isn't buying that he's too small to be great. He knows his speed sticks out. He's strong (500-pound squat!!) He said he tries to emulate Saints RB Alvin Kamara and employs an "underdog mentality."

"Being a smaller back with a smaller frame, people definitely had questions and concerns about that, but overall, the Minnesota Vikings trusted it, they believed in me and they wanted me be here with them," Claiborne said shortly after laughing as his phone was blowing up. "That's what I'm super excited about."

Claiborne said he was amazed by his Top 30 visit with the club earlier this month.

"When I initially got out there, I was definitely surprised to see how gorgeous everything was. It's kind of on its own island. The team hotel is great. All those saunas are something that I love to get into for some recovery stuff. And just very nice people, coaches, you know, met all the coaches and that was also great," Claiborne explained excitedly. "Minnesota is definitely one of those places where they do care a lot about their players. I actually got a chance to talk to the head coach, Kevin O'Connell, and we got to sit down and have a 1-on-1 about some of his players and his vision as a head coach and how much he truly cares about his players and wanting them to have success. That was a great time, a great meeting. Those are great people. And like I said, I'm happy to be a Viking and I'm ready to get to work."

A four-star recruit at tiny-sized King William High School in Virginia (Brugler noted an enrollment of fewer than 700 students), Claiborne racked up 52 TDs (47 rushing, four receiving, one returning) as a senior, one shy of the single-season state record achieved by Patriots 2025 first-round pick TreVeyon Henderson.

Claiborne will enter a Vikings RB room that returns all-purpose veteran Aaron Jones, Sr., and bruising burster Jordan Mason (he shared high praise for both vets), as well as nifty runner/receiver Zavier Scott.

Vikings history in NFL Draft

Claiborne is the fifth player ever picked out of Wake Forest by Minnesota and the second during Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's tenure after interior offensive lineman Michael Jurgens was selected in Round 7 (230^th overall) in 2024; they were teammates on the Demon Deacons for a couple seasons — Jurgens helped road grade for him — and Claiborne shared he can't wait to see him and "give him a big old hug."

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