One of the reasons the Minnesota Vikings faced such strong criticism for drafting Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks in the first round was his health status. Banks underwent surgery on his left foot this spring after suffering a broken bone during the NFL combine in February.
Prior to the 2026 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Banks was on track for doctors to fully clear him for football activities in early June.
On Friday, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell emphasized the positive mental strides Banks will be able to take with his development in May. At the same time, though, O’Connell appeared to change the return timeline for the first-rounder.
“We’re happy with where he’s at, all things considered,” O’Connell told reporters. “It might, and I can keep you guys updated on that as we go, but you’re really already into a chilly month of May here. So, you’re already into a point where we want to have our eyes on that end-of-July date, so he can hopefully have a seamless transition into training camp and work backwards from there.”
The Vikings selected Banks at No. 18 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Vikings Preparing for Caleb Banks to Be Ready for Training Camp
Whether O’Connell’s update on Banks’s status at rookie minicamp Friday should be considered a positive or negative depends largely on one’s perspective.
Banks not being ready for offseason workouts in June isn’t a great thing. But it isn’t likely to stunt his rookie development too much as long as he is back for training camp.
It’s also important to note that the Vikings never stated Banks would be ready in June. That prognosis came from the defensive tackle’s own doctor. It was also before Banks joined the Vikings.
On Friday, O’Connell started his answer on Banks’s injury status, saying “I don’t know if it changes the timetable” before then stating the goal was for Banks to be back in July.
It is possible the Vikings drafted the defensive tackle with the expectation he would not participate on the field until training camp.
What Vikings Will Get in Banks
Minnesota made one of the biggest surprising selections on night one of the draft with Banks.
The Vikings picked Banks despite a majority of pundits linking the team to safeties at No. 18 overall.
Also, pundits, such as NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, projected Banks to be a second-round pick. Zierlein cited the defensive tackle’s resume of injuries as cause for concern.
“Big-framed, long-limbed interior defender whose play needs more polish to consistently match his traits,” wrote Zierlein. “Banks has a quick first step. He can stun/control single blocks when his hand strikes are timely and accurate, but he needs faster disengagement to increase his tackle count.
“His traits and flashes at the Senior Bowl make him an enticing prospect, but injury concerns are a potential stumbling block for him.”
Banks dealt with a broken left foot during the 2025 campaign. As a result, he only played in three games last season. The defensive tackle has been dealing with ailments in his left foot since 2024.
But while the Vikings didn’t address safety in the first round, it wasn’t like defensive tackle wasn’t a need. The team lost defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen as cap casualties this offseason.
Once healthy, Banks is expected to help Jalen Redmond and the rest of the Vikings defensive linemen replace those two veterans.
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Offers Injury Update on Rookie Caleb Banks