Sep 22, 2026 · 33 min
Caleb Banks flashes potential amid a demanding NFL adjustment
Vikings' first-round pick Caleb Banks saw the field more Week 2. How did he fare?
Banks showed disruptive athleticism against Chicago, but his struggles with blocks and double teams reveal the development still required of Minnesota’s first-round pick.
- 1Banks made notable run stops and flashed the athleticism expected from a first-round defensive lineman.
- 2His low PFF grade reflected real struggles against blocks, though the hosts questioned how fully the metric captured his performance.
- 3Chicago targeted Banks in the run game, yet Minnesota’s defense still held the Bears’ rushing attack in check.
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The hosts connect Chicago’s attempts to run directly at Caleb Banks with his struggles against blocks and double teams, while noting Minnesota still controlled the ground game.
The brief
Andrew Krammer and Emily Leiker examine Caleb Banks’ expanded role in Minnesota’s 9-3 win over Chicago, where flashes of confidence and athleticism met the difficulty of adjusting from college football to the NFL.
Banks’ best plays showed size, length and disruptive movement, including run stops that fit the Vikings’ coordinated defensive scheme rather than relying on athletic ability alone.
The review also finds the limits of those tools: Banks struggled against blocks and double teams, while wet conditions, conditioning and a surgically repaired foot added context.
A low PFF grade becomes a point of debate as the hosts separate genuine technical shortcomings from the limitations of evaluating one developing lineman through a single metric.
Jalen Redman’s work against double teams provides a useful contrast, while Chicago’s decision to attack Banks still produced limited rushing efficiency against Minnesota’s excellent overall run defense.
The episode closes with Banks’ possible path forward: more snaps against Tampa Bay if Ty Ingram-Dawkins misses time, and a chance to turn flashes into consistency.