After the Minnesota Vikings used each of their first two picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on defensive players, some assumed the team would use its third selection on a prospect from the offensive side of the ball.
Well, those people were quickly proven wrong, since the Vikings not only used their third pick in this year's NFL Draft on another defender, but they used it on another defensive lineman for the second day in a row.
With the 82nd overall selection in the third round on Friday, Minnesota added former Iowa State nose tackle Domonique Orange. It was a bit of a surprising selection by the Vikings, since they just drafted former Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks in the first round, but it also made the team's intentions for next season very clear.
Good luck to any team that thinks they are going to have a successful day of running the football against Minnesota if they have Orange, Banks, and Redmond on the field for most of the matchup.
NFC North rivals will have to re-think their strategy against the Minnesota Vikings in 2026
All three of the Vikings' NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions, like to utilize a strong rushing attack in their respective offenses. Last season, the Packers, Bears, and Lions all ranked among the top 15 teams in the NFL in terms of rushing yards per game.
Overall, the Vikings' rushing defense wasn't terrible in 2025, as the unit ranked fifth in the league in expected points added when defending the run. However, Minnesota did allow 124.1 rushing yards per game last season, and that ranked 21st in the NFL.
So, that's something that was clearly on the minds of the Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores when they drafted Banks and Orange with two of the team's first three picks this year.
Things weren't going the way they hoped last season for Minnesota, with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave playing a bunch of snaps along the defensive line. So the Vikings decided to release both of them earlier this year, and this week, they replaced them with guys who are younger, hungrier, and most importantly, cheaper.
Banks, Orange, and Redmond weigh a combined 946 pounds, and they're all 27 or younger. If things go as Minnesota hopes they do, there's a chance that this trio of defensive lineman could end up making life miserable for their NFC North rivals and the rest of the NFL for the next handful of seasons.
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