Story perspectives

Vikings pick DT Caleb Banks at 18, shoring defensive line.

4/25/2026

Summary

Vikings Draft Banks

The Minnesota Vikings selected defensive tackle Caleb Banks with the No. 18 pick in the 2026 Draft.
DL coach Ryan Nielsen met Banks one-on-one in Gainesville and lunched with him.
Interim GM Rob Brzezinski said the team trusts its doctors and noted Banks was seventh in mock-drafts with 2.74% of selections.
The selection addressed a defensive-line need after losing Hargrave and Allen, despite 40.5% of mocks projecting safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 18.

Summary

Vikings Draft Night

Night 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft begins at 6:00 PM Central Time, earlier than Thursday’s opening round.
The Vikings have three Night 2 picks: a second-round choice (first since 2022) and third-round slots at 82 and 97.
ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network each air a telecast while streaming is on NFL+, Disney+, Hulu, and YouTube TV.
Radio coverage includes KFAN, SiriusXM NFL Radio Channel 88, ESPN Radio, and Westwood One affiliates.

Summary

Vikings Target Banks

Analyst Mel Kiper Jr. listed Banks No. 62 as a “big-time reach,” and The Athletic gave him a C-plus while warning of foot-injury bust risk.
Interim GM Rob Brzezinski said the Vikings have “the best doctors in the country,” while Michael Long of Gator Wire noted Banks can play three-man and four-man fronts.
The Vikings cut veteran defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave last month to free salary-cap space.

History

Historical Context

After ESPN secured the NFL’s first live-stream of the draft in 2015—drawing about 5.5 million concurrent viewers—the league moved the event to broadcast television in 2018 with Fox/NFL Network and handed all three days to ABC in 2019. The 2026 draft, featuring the Minnesota Vikings, GM Rob Brzezinski and analyst Mel Kiper Jr., continues the multi-platform rollout on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

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Vikings Draft Banks

The Minnesota Vikings selected defensive tackle Caleb Banks with the No. 18 pick in the 2026 Draft.
DL coach Ryan Nielsen met Banks one-on-one in Gainesville and lunched with him.
Interim GM Rob Brzezinski said the team trusts its doctors and noted Banks was seventh in mock-drafts with 2.74% of selections.
The selection addressed a defensive-line need after losing Hargrave and Allen, despite 40.5% of mocks projecting safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 18.

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