To the surprise of just about everyone who published a mock draft this offseason, the Minnesota Vikings did not select Dillion Thieneman with their top pick in this year's NFL Draft on Thursday. Instead, the Vikings used the 18th overall selection on former Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks.
Minnesota had multiple paths to take on Thursday, and ultimately, they decided to fill a need on the team's defensive line with Banks.
The former Florida defender has some injury concerns, but if he's able to play for most of the 2026 season, the duo of him and Jalen Redmond on the Vikings' defensive line could create nightmares for opposing offensive lines.
Minnesota Vikings select Caleb Banks with the No. 18 pick in 2026 NFL Draft
Some eyebrows were likely raised throughout the Minnesota fan base on Thursday when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn't announce that Thieneman was the team's pick at No. 18.
Just about every notable mock draft for the last two months had the former Oregon safety landing with the Vikings. But Banks was clearly someone that Minnesota wanted on its roster more than Thieneman.
Help along the defensive line became a need for the Vikings earlier this year when they parted with veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
Minnesota spent a bunch of money in free agency on Allen and Hargrave in 2025, but they quickly decided that the duo wasn't worth the price to keep around for another season.
With Banks, the Vikings now have a player who can join forces with Redmond and help fans immediately forget about the expectations that Allen and Hargrave failed to meet during the 2025 campaign.
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