The Minnesota Vikings nearly had several big names fall to them last night at pick #18 overall but ended up staying in their slot and landing a notable prospect.

Much to the chagrin of some fans, the team passed on the safety position at their pick, and landed a massive defensive tackle.

Caleb Banks, who tips the scales at 327 pounds on a 6'6 frame, was the Vikings pick at #18.

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Banks is an amazing player and prospect, when he's on the field. He has battled injuries in recent years, and played in just three games last season.

Per ESPN.com:

EAGAN, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings made one of the boldest and riskiest selections Thursday in the first round of the NFL draft, choosing Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks at No. 18.

Banks has twice broken his left foot in the past year, costing him most of the 2025 season at Florida and requiring surgery after the NFL scouting combine in March. He sent a letter to NFL teams last week that identified the injury as a broken fourth metatarsal bone and projected he would be ready to resume football activities in June.

Speaking Thursday night, coach Kevin O'Connell would say only that "our hope is that we'll be able to prepare him for the regular season and have him for that."

In large part because of injury questions, ESPN's Mel Kiper ranked Banks No. 62 on his final predraft Big Board. Three other ESPN big boards ranked him between No. 44 and No. 48.

But O'Connell referred to Banks as "a top-10 caliber talent and difference-maker," and Vikings interim general manager Rob Brzezinski added: "If it wasn't for the foot, we would have had no chance of [drafting] him. And so, we're looking at it as an opportunity from that standpoint to acquire a really unique talent."

Brzezinski is serving in a temporary role in part because former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who was fired Jan. 30, conducted some of the NFL's least-productive drafts during his four-year tenure from 2022 to 2025. Adofo-Mensah was aggressive in drafting players with injury histories, believing they represented value on the draft board, and used the same approach in free agency. Two of those players were defensive linemen the Vikings signed during the 2025 free agent market, veterans Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen. Both were released this spring.

Adofo-Mensah's departure suggested the Vikings would take a safer route in the 2026 draft, but they had a need in what has been considered a thin draft for defensive linemen. The Vikings liked Banks' size (6-foot-6 and 327 pounds) and were impressed with his performance at the Senior Bowl. They soon sent defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen to visit him privately -- Banks said Nielsen was the first NFL assistant coach to schedule time with him -- and brought him to Minnesota to have their doctors examine his foot.

The Minnesota Vikings still have eight picks remaining at present in the NFL Draft, including three total in rounds two and three.

Coverage of round two and three of the draft begins tonight at 6:00 CT.

Source: Vikings pick Caleb Banks at 18, hope he's ready for season - ESPN