Pro Football Rumors
Brian Flores‘ three-year run as defensive coordinator of the Vikings has not featured much in the way of rookies finding an immediate role. There is a strong chance that could change in 2026.
Four of Minnesota’s first five draft picks were defensive players. That list includes first-round defensive lineman Caleb Banks, who faces injury concerns entering his rookie season. Banks is expected to return at some point during training camp, and a starting role should await him at that time.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert writes the Vikings view Banks as an immediate starter provided he is healthy in time for Week 1. The Florida product flashed considerable potential in college, but injuries represented a talking point in his case leading up to the draft. Nevertheless, Banks could emerge as a key figure along the defensive interior. The same could also be true of third-rounder Domonique Orange, as Seifert notes he is set to compete for the first-team nose tackle spot with incumbent Levi Drake Rodriguez.
In between the Banks and Orange picks, the Vikings selected linebacker Jake Golday. Seifert notes the second-rounder worked as an off-ball linebacker during practices, to no surprise. That means the Cincinnati product is likely slated for backup duties behind Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson on the depth chart. On the other hand, safety Jakobe Thomas – taken with the No. 98 pick – is a candidate for an immediate starting role as things stand. Thomas will be counted on to handle a full-time gig in the event Harrison Smith chooses to retire.
“I talk to our guys about it all the time,” Flores said when speaking about the challenge of adapting to his defense right away in the NFL. “This is a unique system. It’s a demanding system. We’ve got high standards, high expectations. For some people it’s a lot… There’s a lot of calls. There’s a lot of techniques. A lot of fundamentals.”
That factor (along with the Vikings’ recent draft habits, of course) has limited the number of rookies who have found themselves playing notable defensive roles. In 2026, however, Minnesota’s new-look defensive line and secondary could include three full-time starters from among the team’s draft class.
