Vikings Select DL Caleb Banks with No. 18 Overall Pick in 2026 NFL Draft
PHOTO/LORENZO VASQUEZ
PITTSBURGH, PA (KVRR) – The Minnesota Vikings used the No. 18 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks Thursday night.
Banks, 23, began his college career at Louisville, where he played for two seasons before transferring to Florida and spending the next three years there. He stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 327 pounds.
Injuries have been a recurring issue for Banks. Last season, he didn’t make his debut until Week 3 against LSU due to a lower-body injury, where he started on the defensive line. He later returned against Tennessee after another setback and ended his senior year appearing in just three games, including two late in the season. Most recently, he suffered a broken bone in his foot at the NFL Scouting Combine but is expected to be healthy in time for training camp.
During the 2024 season, Banks recorded 21 total tackles (10 solo), including seven tackles for loss, along with 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery across 10 starts.
Minnesota targeted the defensive line with its first-round pick, adding Banks despite his recent foot surgery. Reports indicate he’s on track to be fully cleared for football activities by early June. The injury stems from a fracture he suffered at the Combine, and it’s the same foot that limited him to just three games last season.
Even with the injury concerns, Banks is considered one of the top five defensive tackles in this year’s draft class. In addition to his 2024 production, he also appeared in 12 games in both 2023 and 2024, finishing with 19 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in 2023.
The Vikings have a need along the defensive front after losing Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen in free agency, while Jonathan Greenard’s future with the team is still unclear.
