The Minnesota Vikings selected University of Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks with the 18th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They added another big man to the interior in the third round with Iowa State space-eater Domonique Orange.
Adding them to Minnesota’s already strong front four gave the Vikings one of the league’s best defensive tackle rooms.
With the Vikings sitting atop the loaded NFC North at 6-1, many believe they might add firepower and inject some life into their 29th-ranked offense. However, there is also speculation surrounding them potentially bolstering their already strong DT unit.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer mentioned that they’re one of a few teams still looking into defensive tackles ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
“The defensive tackle market has been hot, with big names DeForest Buckner and Jeffery Simmons already moved—to the 49ers and Bears, respectively—and teams like the Giants, Jaguars and Vikings still turning over rocks looking for help,” Breer wrote.
The Rookies Have Struggled To Carve Out A Role For Themselves
Jalen Redmond’s 351 snaps are the most among Vikings DTs by a wide margin. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Levi Drake-Rodriquez follow behind him at 259 and 252 snaps, respectively. From there, Orange has played the fourth-most snaps at 117, and Banks has seen the fifth-most at 107. Both rookies have seen roughly 25% of the team’s defensive snaps.
We knew Banks was a raw prospect who would require some time before reaching his potential (a notion that was reinforced with him struggling throughout training camp), but Orange not having a bigger role has been somewhat surprising. He showed legit skills as a run defender throughout the preseason, and that was also one of his top calling cards at the collegiate level.
Sure, having strong depth up front is a good thing. You’d still like your highly-drafted rookies to demand more playing time, though.
Minnesota has some interesting decisions to make at the position if they don’t think the rookies can handle increased roles in 2027. Redmond is playing out a one-year deal, and Drake-Rodriguez will be entering the final year of his rookie contract next season.
The Vikings’ Rush Defense Is The Only Area Where They’ve Struggled On That Side Of The Ball
The Vikings boast one of the league’s most dominant defenses. Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores deserves a world of credit for how they’ve performed on that side of the ball.
They’ve given up the second-fewest yards per game (271.6 yards), and their 13.3 points allowed per game are the fewest by a wide margin. However, if the defense has one weakness, it would be their run defense.
While they’ve had a few quality performances against the Packers, Buccaneers (surprisingly, considering their status as the league’s best rushing offense), and Saints, they’ve also given up over 120 yards on the ground in their other four contests. They also allowed at least 4.3 yards per attempt over those four games.
Their offense deserves the brunt of the blame for last week’s uninspiring 19-15 defeat against the division rival Detroit Lions, but their defense also allowed 230 yards on the ground (with 5.9 yards per attempt) in that matchup. If the Vikings strike a deal to improve their interior, it’s safe to assume that performance was the biggest reason why.
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