Does Foot Injury Take Star DT Prospect Off Vikings' Board at Pick 18?

In theory, Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks makes a lot of sense as a Vikings target if he's on the board when it's time to make the 18th overall pick in next month's NFL draft.

Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave were both released for cap savings within the last week, meaning the Vikings have a need for another standout DT alongside Jalen Redmond. Banks is a remarkable athlete at 6'6" and 327 pounds, with long arms and plenty of explosive power. He has a chance to be a game-wrecker in the NFL, which is why he was the pick we made in a three-round Vikings mock draft shortly after the Super Bowl.

But if the Vikings are going to pick Banks, they'll be taking a risk. He was limited to three games last season due to a foot injury that he suffered in Florida's fall camp and then aggravated in his season debut in mid-September. And now, according to The Athletic's Dane Brugler, Banks will be sidelined until June after suffering a broken foot at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

Sources: DT Caleb Banks suffered a broken foot at the Combine that will sideline him until June.

The injury happened the night before his on-field testing. He performed a partial workout not knowing the extent of the injury. The fracture of the fourth metatarsal was surgically…
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 12, 2026

There are two ways to look at that news. The first is that it could be an opportunity to come away from round one with a great player. After performing well at the Senior Bowl and then putting up good numbers at the combine, some mock drafts earlier this month had Banks going off the board before the Vikings' pick at 18. It now seems quite likely that he'll be available at that spot.

The other way to view it is that the risk might be too great for the Vikings to even consider taking Banks. With a player of his size, for whom explosiveness is a big part of his game, a foot injury is scary. Two significant foot injuries in the last eight months is particularly scary. The Vikings will undoubtedly try to learn as much as they can about Banks' injury situation before the draft, but they may need to go with a player they feel has a safer floor.

It'll be a fascinating decision. The fact that Banks broke a bone in his foot the night before the combine makes it more impressive that he ran a 5.05 40-yard dash and put up big jump numbers for a 327-pound DT. This is a guy who had 4.5 sacks, a couple forced fumbles, and a pressure rate above 12 percent during the 2024 season. He could perhaps be the next great interior pass-rusher that every defense is looking for.

The gut feeling here is that after this injury news, Banks won't end up in Minnesota. The risk just feels hard to stomach. Peter Woods could still be an option for the Vikings if they want a pass-rushing DT at 18. Or they could trade down and target more of a run-stuffing DT in Lee Hunter or Kayden McDonald. There will also be safeties, cornerbacks, and maybe some pass-catchers who intrigue Kevin O'Connell and company in the first round.

Never say never, but Banks' latest foot injury seems pretty likely to slide him at least into the 20s on draft night — if not out of the first round completely.