The Minnesota Vikings had the No. 18 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, and they used it to officially select defensive tackle Caleb Banks of the Florida Gators.
Banks was out for nearly the full 2025-26 season in Florida but had a strong showing in 2024, clocking 21 tackles and 4.5 sacks, according to ESPN research. He’s 6-foot-6 and 327-pounds, so he also has a strong build on his side.
Banks’ official NFL profile is glowing but also addresses some concerns, stating he’s a “big-framed, long-limbed interior defender whose play needs more polish to consistently match his traits.” It also notes that “Banks has a quick first step” and can control “single blocks when his hand strikes are timely and accurate, but he needs faster disengagement to increase his tackle count.”
Following the initial round of the 2026 NFL draft, NFL experts and analysts are weighing in with their thoughts, and some of them aren’t happy about the Vikings’ selection. Here’s what people are saying.
What NFL Analysts and Experts Are Saying About the Minnesota Vikings and Caleb Banks
In a reaction piece out following the draft on Friday, April 24, in USA Today, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz gives the Vikings a C grade for the pick. That’s pretty brutal, especially since it’s a first-round pick, which tends to be the most important.
“It’s easy to see the appeal of Banks, a 6-6, 327-pound interior force with unparalleled explosion off the ball,” he notes in the piece. “Yet Banks has been waylaid by multiple foot injuries in the last year, and staying healthy could be a considerable concern.”
He adds: “Banks also struggles to finish plays as a tackler once he gets in range of a ball carrier. There’s massive upside here for him to thrive in Brian Flores’ scheme, but this could also go awry if Banks can’t become a consistent performer.”
Chad Reuter of the NFL’s official website is kinder and gives the move a B+. In general, he likes this player’s potential, stating that he projected Banks to the Vikings in his five-round mock “because of their dire need at defensive tackle after the departures of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.”
“Banks is a top-20 talent when healthy because of his amazing combination of size and agility,” he adds in the feature. “There is risk, however, given that he missed time this season with injury and was reportedly hurt at the NFL Scouting Combine.”
Minnesota Vikings Draft Pick: Is Caleb Banks the Right Fit for the Team?
So, did the Vikings do the right thing by drafting Banks? The main concern, of course, is injury. Banks was injured for nearly the entire 2025–26 season in Florida, and according to the report from Chad Reuters, he was also injured at the NFL Scouting Combine. That’s a red flag, but the good news is that when Banks is healthy, he’s unstoppable.
So, it’s certainly a chancy move to go early for Banks, but there’s also a reason he ranked so high in NFL mocks leading up to the draft. Scouts see his potential when he’s healthy.
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