Caleb Banks Is Starting to Lose Ground in DL Competition at Vikings Camp

The Vikings surprised people when they selected defensive lineman Caleb Banks with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Concerns about his foot injury worried many fans and experts, while others saw the pick as a poor value at that point in the first round.

The fastest way for Banks to silence his critics was to prove he was healthy during training camp and play at a high level. His foot hasn't been an issue yet for Minnesota, but the 6-foot-6, 327-lb University of Florida standout has yet to put together a solid preseason.

The Vikings gambled heavily on their defensive line when they released Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave after the 2025 NFL season. The veteran defensive linemen struggled to defend the line of scrimmage last year, prompting Minnesota to draft Banks in the first round and Domonique Orange in the third.

Unfortunately, Banks is looking more like a problem rather than a part of a potential solution.

Unless Caleb Banks can prove he is ready to start, he must be a backup defensive lineman

When a player is selected in the first round of the draft, many fans will expect that individual to be ready to start as a rookie. So far, Banks hasn't shown that he is prepared to take on the Green Bay Packers in the season opener at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Banks has talked about the areas he needs to work on to improve his game, yet he didn't seem to make much meaningful progress in his development between Minnesota's first and second preseason games, as highlighted by his Pro Football Focus grades:

Game	Overall grade	Run stop	Pass rush	Tackling	Coverage
Week 1	30.4	32.0	51.6	69.5	60.0
Week 2	48.1	42.8	69.9	60.6	60.0

The Vikings are forced to play their first-round pick in the team's preseason finale against the Broncos on Friday. The team needs to see more from the 23-year-old defender before they can feel comfortable putting him on the field when wins and losses start counting toward the postseason. According to PFF, he's only recorded one pressure so far, which was a quarterback hit against Baltimore.

If Banks can't convince Minnesota that he is ready for action, it could be up to Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins to step into that role. It would be disappointing to see the Vikings' top rookie sitting on the sidelines against the Packers, but it would be better than playing him before he is ready to take the field.

A solid performance against the Broncos, where Banks looks like a capable defensive lineman, could go a long way toward proving that he is trending in the right direction and is learning from his struggles in Minnesota's first two preseason games. If not, it'll be interesting to see what the first-round pick's role on the team looks like come Week 1.

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