Watch: Vikings make their first-round selection of Caleb Banks
The Vikings made their selection of Caleb Banks and it was site to behold.
With the 18th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft , the Minnesota Vikings dropped a bit of a shocker when they selected Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks. The Gator defender missed most of the season but saved his draft stock with arguably the best practice of any player, regardless of position, at the Senior Bowl. Despite all the smoke screens, the Vikings chose to add defensive line help rather than to draft a safety as we all expected.
As a result, we wanted to share a video of the Vikings making the pick that shocked some folks on the broadcast. . @GatorsFB DT Caleb Banks is on his way to the @Vikings !
2026 NFL Draft starts on NFLN/ESPN/ABC Stream on @NFLPlus pic. twitter. com/aRrzi6H4Fo ā NFL (@NFL) April 24, 2026 The Vikings, as we said, needed the defensive line help, but this pick was not expected.
Either safety Dillon Thieneman or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. One of them remains on the board as we head into day two of the draft, so perhaps they can now get the best of both worlds. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Watch the Vikings make their first-round pick