Some Minnesota Vikings fans thought the franchise would leave the NFL draft with Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy in Round 1 or perhaps Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds in Round 2. Instead, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski waited until Round 5, picking Stephen F. Austin’s Charles Demmings.
Minnesota waited out the board and landed an athletic FCS cornerback with real developmental appeal.
A possible small-school gem for Flores’s defense, Demmings turned purple on Saturday. Vikings.com’s Rob Klefield wrote, “The Vikings have added some serious athleticism to their secondary. Minnesota tabbed cornerback Charles Demmings out of Stephen F. Austin. Called ‘one of the most intriguing FCS prospects’ in this year’s draft class by Pro Football Network, Demmings twice led the Lumberjacks in interceptions and passes defensed.”
“Demmings flew largely under the radar but received an invitation to the Senior Bowl — as the only FCS defensive back — and the NFL Scouting Combine; at the latter, his traits garnered positive attention. His vertical jump of 42 inches was second best among cornerbacks, and he impressed in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.41 seconds.”
There’s reason to believe Demmings could blossom into a meaningful contributor, solely because of the fact that the Vikings haven’t drafted a corner who stuck around past a rookie contract since Xavier Rhodes — 13 years ago. By sheer probability, a CB is destined to work out for Minnesota. It has to happen at some point.
Demmings is 6’1″ and 195 pounds with 4.41 speed. He’s an interception machine, banking nine in college. He’s known for his length, tackling improvement at SFA, and ability to stay with explosive wide receivers on vertical routes.
Weaknesses? His competition in college wasn’t much to note, and he got too “grabby” by a defensive back’s standards.
NFL Draft Buzz on Demmings: “The coverage production from his final two college seasons was strong, and nine interceptions over four years tells you this is a player whose hands show up when the ball is in the air. He will need time to improve his off-coverage reads, but in a press-heavy system he can contribute early.”
“The competition jump from the Southland Conference to the NFL is the fair question with this evaluation, and it cannot be dismissed. But Demmings did everything he could at his level, and the athletic testing backs up what the tape shows.”
The best NFL comp for Demmings is Ahkello Witherspoon or diet Tariq Woolen.
TBD added, “He has real tools to work with at the next level, and the nearly 2,000 career snaps at one program give him a foundation of experience that matters when the game speeds up. He should be able to push for a CB3 or CB4 spot relatively quickly while contributing on special teams from day one as a gunner.”
“The man coverage ability and ball production are real enough to earn defensive reps in sub packages, and there is room to grow into a reliable outside corner in the right system. The off-coverage and play strength concerns are worth monitoring, but the overall package here is a roster-worthy corner with a clear development path ahead of him.”
The Vikings needed an extra cornerback — from somewhere — so nine draft picks on the 2026 menu came in handy.
Heading into organized team activities (OTAs), this is Minnesota’s CB group:
Demmings imminently projects as the CB4 for 2026. It’s also worth noting that the Vikings will likely add a cornerback or two from undrafted free agency on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
GophersGuru‘s Daniel House on the Demmings selection: “The Vikings ended up with Charles Demmings. He gives them a longer CB who moves very well. Not only can he provide value in man, but he has the movement ability and length to make plays from zones.”
“He can confidently play the flat/re-route WRs in Cover 2, react from Cover 3 and also has the range to invert deep for some unconventional zones. Gives them man/zone versatility, physicality and length. They needed that type of skill set in the room.”
Demmings joins this class of rookies before the start of Round 6:
The Vikings have two more selections on tap for Round 7 to be completed Saturday afternoon.