Was this the right move?
The Minnesota Vikings have forsaken the mock draft gods. Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman was available at pick 18 and the Vikings passed on the Harrison Smith replacement for DT Caleb Banks from Florida. Banks did sparkle at the combine scoring the fifth highest athleticism score from Next Gen Stats for all defensive tackles.
It's head scratching because Thieneman and even Emmanuel McNeil-Warren were available to man the safety position for ten plus years. Even Jermod McCoy was and still is available. To make matters worse, Chicago selected Thieneman. So, he won't be far from their view and the two players will be compared for the rest of their careers.
Here is what Banks brings to the Vikings, according to Lance Zierlein.
Overview
Big-framed, long-limbed interior defender whose play needs more polish to consistently match his traits. Banks has a quick first step. He can stun/control single blocks when his hand strikes are timely and accurate, but he needs faster disengagement to increase his tackle count. His high center of gravity allows double teams to generate displacement, so a move to odd-front end could be in his best interest as a run defender. Like a grappler without submission knowledge, Banks is still learning to unlock his physical advantages so he can turn them into sacks. His traits and flashes at the Senior Bowl make him an enticing prospect, but injury concerns are a potential stumbling block for him.
Strengths
- Outstanding physical traits with good short-area quickness.
- Uses long arms and heavy hands to stun blockers.
- Has power to press and separate at the point.
- Controls the action convincingly when he lands first.
- Above-average first-step quickness and pursuit movements.
- Rush traits waiting to be unlocked as a pro.
- Combines step fake and slap to create pressure opportunities.
- Above-average burst to close on the quarterback.
Weaknesses
- Looked heavier and slower in 2025, when he dealt with foot injury.
- Plays with high hips, losing ground to double teams.
- Hands get a little sloppy working from blocker to blocker.
- Takes time to disengage and tackle his gaps.
- Lacks openings and closings as a pass rusher.
- Fatigues and sees his rush effectiveness decline.
For now, Banks will begin as a two-down defensive tackle. It's hard to justify a run defender with that high of a pick, which makes the selection all the more baffling. Perhaps all that Thieneman and safety talk was a smokescreen. If it was then who was it meant to mess with? The Bears still ended up with Thieneman and nobody jumped Minnesota for him in a panic.