EAGAN, Minn. — Caleb Banks has answered the biggest health question facing the Minnesota Vikings’ top draft pick: the defensive lineman has recovered from three surgeries to repair a broken left foot. He has missed only one practice, a planned rest day, and played 47 defensive snaps across the first two preseason games.
Questions remain about whether Banks can perform at the level the Vikings expected when they selected him No. 18 in the 2026 draft. Observers at training camp have noted opponents getting lower on his 6-foot-6 frame and moving him backward, and Banks acknowledged after a practice that “I’m definitely not in shape” after missing most of his final college season and all of Minnesota’s spring practices because of the injury.
Despite the conditioning concerns, Banks appears to have earned a regular spot in the Vikings’ initial defensive-line rotation alongside third-round pick Domonique Orange. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores praised Banks’ work ethic, saying players who continually try to improve typically do so.
Banks drew intrigue in the draft process; interim general manager Rob Brzezinski had him ranked among the top 10 prospects and some in the organization mentioned him alongside franchise defensive greats. The left-foot injury limited Banks to four games in his final season at Florida and resurfaced at the NFL combine with another fracture, but the Vikings’ medical staff examined the foot at a pre-draft visit and came away confident it would fully heal. That prognosis has held, though the residual loss of conditioning is evident.
On the field, Banks has shown flashes and some growing pains. He joked after a 13-3 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens that he needed to start running more post-practice gassers. In a 13-10 preseason win over the New York Giants, Banks used a swim move to beat guard Francis Mauigoa and reach the backfield, but missed the tackle on Cam Skattebo, who was “faster than I expected,” and the play gained seven yards. Flores noted that his scheme often asks linemen to focus on assignments that do not produce splash plays and that rookies must learn what NFL game conditions feel like on the fly.
