Did the Vikings land a 'game-wrecker' in Caleb Banks?

The Minnesota Vikings saw their run defense become a shell of itself in 2025, and Brian Flores seemingly said, "never again. " With the team lacking a general manager, the coaching staff had its fingerprints all over this 2026 NFL Draft class. Thus, Flores was able to land some players he deemed to be able to help defend the run this season and beyond.

His plan to stop the run is going to depend upon the play of first-round pick Caleb Banks, and already, some folks are whispering how much of a homerun pick this can be for the Vikings. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer shared some notes from scouts and front office folks he spoke to after the NFL Draft. When it came to Caleb Banks, he shared, "Most scouts I talk to think he has the best chance to become a game-wrecker of the class’s interior defensive linemen—and may be the only one with that potential.

I had one compare him to Jeffery Simmons coming out, which seemed a bit rich, but gives you an idea on his ceiling. " One thing is going to make or break, no pun intended, for Banks, and it is his health. He has missed so much time on the field, and through the draft process, you can't help but think how risky a pick this was at 18.

However, if he can be healthy, this could be one poeple look back on and ask, "how did he last that long in the draft? " This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Caleb Banks could be a 'game-wrecker' for the Vikings