Caleb Banks didn’t make much noise in his first game as a Viking, and for a fan base that’s already been on edge, that’s enough to start the panic button talk. But the opener against Green Bay may have said more about Minnesota’s defensive depth than it did about Banks himself.
The rookie finished Week 1 with no tackles or pressures on 16 defensive snaps in the Vikings’ win over the Packers, according to PFF. That kind of line is the sort that gets “BUST!”
tossed around fast, especially after a preseason that already had people uneasy about the 18th overall pick. Still, the bigger picture on Sunday gave Minnesota a reason not to rush the verdict.
Brian Flores dialed up pressure all afternoon, and the result was a defense that kept Jordan Love uncomfortable. The Vikings came away with five sacks and a 54.3 percent pressure rate on Love’s 46 dropbacks, per PFF.
Dallas Turner set the tone with a team-high nine pressures and a sack. Andrew Van Ginkel added four pressures and two sacks.
Even Harrison Smith, back for his 15th season after skipping training camp, chipped in with three pressures on blitzes.
Inside, the rotation was busy too. Jalen Redmond had four pressures in his starting role, while Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins each logged two.
Fellow rookie Domonique Orange only played 22 snaps, but he delivered the game’s biggest stop, stuffing Love on 4th-and-inches with 13:17 left in the fourth quarter. That play helped set up the go-ahead drive that finished with an Aaron Jones touchdown.
That kind of production all over the line makes it harder for Banks to force his way into the mix right away. It also creates a setting where Minnesota can afford to be patient, which may be exactly what this pick needs.
Banks was always something of a project. He played only 47 defensive snaps in his first two college seasons at Louisville.
At Florida, he handled more of the workload in 2023 and 2024, but he topped out at 422 snaps before a foot injury late in the 2024 season. Last season was even rougher, with just 96 defensive snaps as he dealt with a broken foot.
He also missed the offseason program, so he entered the NFL with real work ahead of him in both technique and conditioning.
That’s where the current setup in Minnesota matters. Banks does not have to be thrown into the fire if the defensive line keeps producing like it did against Green Bay.
The Vikings already showed a version of this approach with Dallas Turner. Turner came into the league with more college experience than Banks, but he still needed time behind Jonathan Greenard and Van Ginkel to sharpen his game. That meant just 310 snaps as a rookie and 702 in his second season, but the early returns have reinforced the value of sticking with the plan.
Banks is older than Turner was when he entered the league, but the idea is the same: let the front do its job, let the rookie develop, and don’t force the issue before he’s ready. If that blueprint works again, Minnesota may end up being glad it stayed patient.
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Justin Jefferson Hit Could Soon Bring NFL Discipline
Justin Jefferson took a hard shot from Packers safety Evan Williams during the game, drawing an unnecessary roughness flag and immediately putting player safety back in the spotlight. The hit came on a play in which Jefferson was considered defenseless, the kind of contact the league routinely examines after the fact as part of its discipline process.
The NFL is expected to review the play and could fine Williams if it decides the hit crossed the line under its safety rules. Jefferson stayed in the game and finished with seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown, but the incident is still the sort of moment the Vikings will notice, especially in a rivalry matchup where every collision tends to linger beyond the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Already Face A Kyler Murray Concern They Feared
A Week 1 win can still leave a team with an immediate concern, and for Minnesota it starts with Kyler Murrays health after the hit he took while sliding on a quarterback sneak against Green Bay. The play sent him into concussion evaluation, and the Vikings had to finish the game without him after he was officially ruled out for the rest of the afternoon.
Kyler Murrays status now becomes the kind of issue Minnesota feared when the contact happened, because the next steps hinge on how he comes through recovery and whether the NFL concussion protocol keeps him sidelined. For a team trying to settle in early, losing its quarterback even briefly would be more than a short-term inconvenience, especially with the uncertainty that always follows a head injury. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Just Created A New J.J. McCarthy Debate
J.J. McCarthy had a much more personal moment off the field this week, joining his wife, Katya, in celebrating their son Rome Micah McCarthys first birthday with an Instagram tribute. It was a reminder that even as the Vikings sort through their quarterback plan, McCarthys life away from the facility is moving through some major milestones, and he remains part of the conversation in Minnesota as he works through his next steps.
On the football side, Kevin OConnell made the call to go with Carson Wentz as the Week 1 backup, pointing to Wentzs experience. McCarthy is still on the roster and is expected to keep getting practice reps, but the decision has already stirred the kind of debate Vikings fans know well, especially when it comes to how quickly the team should be leaning into its young quarterback. [Read more 🡒]