The Minnesota Vikings are heading into their third and final preseason game of 2026 on Friday night in Denver against the Broncos, and while the starters probably won’t be out there much, one rookie is still worth watching closely: first-round pick Caleb Banks.
Banks, taken No. 18 overall in April, was already a polarizing choice when the pick was made. Four months later, the criticism hasn’t faded - and now the noise is coming from inside the building.
NFL insider Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports reported Thursday that Minnesota’s new regime, led by recently hired general manager Nolan Teasley, is growing more frustrated with Banks after an inconsistent training camp. Pauline’s sources say some people in the front office believe the previous regime should have gone in another direction with the 18th pick and that Banks is not providing the immediate impact they expected.
“Sources tell me some in the front office believe the prior regime should’ve gone in a different direction with the 18th pick and feel Banks will not offer them the immediate impact needed. They have not been impressed with the lineman, as he’s been inconsistent on the field.”
Pauline also tied the criticism to former Vikings decision-makers, naming longtime executive Jamaal Stephenson and former assistant GM Demitrius Washington as part of the group that was questioned. Both were let go in June, after the draft. Washington had been hired by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, while Stephenson had been with the Vikings since 2002.
“After firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January, assistant G.M. Demitrius Washington and senior personnel executive Jamaal Stephenson were among the bigger names the franchise cut loose in June, more than a month after April’s draft. Some of the newer decision-makers now running the organization are questioning that group’s choice of defensive lineman Caleb Banks in the first round.”
The strange part is how broad the blame seems to be. The report appears to pin the regret on former leadership, even though one of the names floating through the story is defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who still has major influence in the organization. Pauline said sources pointed to Flores when discussing what Minnesota hoped Banks would become.
“When all the world was predicting the Vikings would take a defensive back in the first round, I wrote that sources were telling me defensive coordinator Brian Flores wanted pass-rush help in the opening frame, and that’s what they hope Banks will do. Flores carries a lot of weight in the Vikings organization.”
Banks’ college résumé adds another layer to the concern. He spent most of his final season injured and dealt with injuries and surgeries through the offseason, which makes his early inconsistency more noticeable.
That doesn’t mean the story is finished, though. Banks still has the talent to shift the mood around him if he starts showing it on the field. For now, though, the report adds a fresh wrinkle to a pick that was controversial from the start.
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