MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings selected Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks with the 18th pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night, adding some interior bulk and athleticism with a raw prospect whose recent injury likely pushed him down the board.
The 6-foot-6, 327-pound Banks cracked the fourth metatarsal bone in his left foot in February while practicing for the 40-yard dash the night before the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
He had surgery on it last month, his second procedure in six months. Injuries to his left foot caused him to miss games in both 2023 and 2025 for the Gators.
The Vikings signed veteran defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in free agency last year but cut them both for salary cap savings last month. Neither Allen nor Hargrave generated much of a pass rush in defensive coordinator Brian Flores' system. If Banks is healthy, he could form a sturdy tandem for the future with budding standout Jalen Redmond.
After finishing 9-8 amid persistent quarterback problems with both health and performance, the Vikings missed the playoffs and fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Longtime salary cap executive Rob Brzezinski has taken over the role on an interim basis, in charge of fostering consensus between the coaching staff and the scouting department in the preparation for and direction of the draft. Brzezinski spoke several times this spring of the importance of not prioritizing a pick for present need over long-term value, making clear the Vikings in this transition would be content to let the talent fall to them and focus on restocking their depth with four top-100 picks.
The Vikings will take three picks into the second night of the draft on Friday, 49th overall in the second round and 82nd and 97th overall in the third round.
___
AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell contributed.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
