Vikings Might Have Found Their Next Anthony Barr
The Minnesota Vikings hadn’t drafted a player in Round 2 in four years before Friday night, and when they made their choice this go-round, the franchise evidently secured some version of Anthony Barr. His name is Jake Golday, a linebacker from Cincinnati.
Minnesota added a long, athletic defender with real Flores traits and a clearer path than expected.
Where’d the Barr comp come from? Simple: another former Vikings linebacker, Ben Leber. Leber would know.
Leber Sees a Familiar Linebacker Blueprint
Get to know Golday; he’ll be around for a while.
Leber Compares Golday to Barr
Leber kept it short and sweet on Twitter (X). He tweeted Friday night, “For those wondering, Golday is a new version of Anthony Barr.”
Minnesota could’ve reasonably drafted a safety — perhaps Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren — a cornerback, wide receiver, or EDGE rusher with the 49th pick, but it rolled with Golday instead. He might just be a Barr redux, per Leber.
The Golday Scouting Report
While Golday presents well on paper, his role in 2026 will likely begin modestly. Some evaluators describe him as “raw,” and with Minnesota’s current depth, early snaps might be limited. This isn’t a major concern, however. Blake Cashman’s tendency to miss several games each season ensures opportunities at inside linebacker often arise, planned or not.
A built-in familiarity also works in his favor. Golday and Ivan Pace Jr. both attended Cincinnati, following Eric Wilson, who played there a decade earlier. This established pipeline might give the Vikings a strong comfort level with Golday’s background, coaching, and projected development.
Beyond that, his impressive traits stand out. With his 6’5″ frame and 4.62 speed, Golday offers Brian Flores a long, rangy defender ideal for playing in space. He handled significant workloads at Central Arkansas and Cincinnati while staying healthy, and even earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2025. Though lean, the rest of his profile suggests a solid fit for the NFL.
The Ringer‘s Todd McShay on Golday: “Golday is a versatile linebacker with powerful hands and excellent speed. He has shorter arms for his frame and he’s on the leaner side, but he has great timing and accuracy in his punch that makes it difficult for blockers to get into his frame.”
“He can stack and shed bigger blockers when he lines up on the edge and beat blockers to the point of attack when he lines up over the slot. He slips blocks with his hands and sifts through traffic between the tackles. He flashes an effective long-arm move and has the ability to get off blocks at the top of his rush. He slips running backs and can deliver big hits when he gets to the quarterback, though they have some success eluding him.”
Golday is the highest-drafted off-ball linebacker for the Vikings since Eric Kendricks — 11 years ago.
McShay continued, “He doesn’t have great reaction time, but his height allows him to see into the backfield and he tracks the ball well. He’s a rangy run defender who chases with great effort. He reads the quarterback and closes quickly in coverage. He can turn and carry tight ends down the seam and he broke up three passes in 2025.”
“Golday has the traits to develop into a starter early in his career and can be utilized in rush packages and on special teams. He’s not as instinctive or fluid as 2023 first-round pick Jack Campbell, but they have similar frames and posted similar and testing numbers at the combine.”
Barr Worked Out Wonderfully
About that Barr comp from Leber — it’s wonderful. Barr played nine seasons for the Vikings, appearing in 102 games and banking four consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015 to 2018. At the time of the 2014 draft pick, many were a bit confused, but it didn’t take long to understand Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer’s fascination with him.
Barr remains vocal on social media to this day, a fervent supporter of the Vikings.
There was also ambiguity about Barr’s role in 2014 — was he an inside or outside linebacker? Zimmer, for the most part, preferred Barr as an inside linebacker, but Barr showed he could effectively rush the passer when called upon. Perhaps those tendencies will emerge from Golday, as Leber hinted.
When Will the Golday Era Begin?
To reiterate, Golday may not be much of a factor in 2026: the Vikings have Cashman, Wilson, and probably Pace Jr. ahead of him on the depth chart. Golday may play special teams and will obviously be available if the starters miss time.
One thing is certain, though: an off-ball linebacker cannot be drafted in Round 2 without a reasonable expectation to start before too long. So, with Wilson getting “up there” in age and Cashman’s contract scheduled to run out after this season, you can pencil Golday in for starter’s duty in 2027.
Otherwise, the pick won’t be worth it.
Golday will turn 23 next month.
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