Rookies Banks & Orange Refine Impact
https://www.vikings.com/news/rookies-caleb-banks-domonique-orange-impact-vs-ravens
Vikings Rookies Caleb Banks & Domonique Orange Refine Impact vs. Ravens
MINNEAPOLIS — Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins started waxing on Caleb Banks' development — and physicality and versatility — when the 6-foot-6, 327-pounder crept up and snuck in a comment:
"You know ball."
The rookie Banks said it playfully with a grin on his face, feeling good about his second exhibition, a 13-3 loss to Baltimore in which he and fellow rookie DL Domonique Orange had some big moments.
Banks and Orange started Saturday's game and played the first six series, including one in the second half. They helped the second-wave defense play well, forcing five Ravens three-and-outs.
It was both players' first time, in any capacity believe it or not, at U.S. Bank Stadium.
"It was crazy," Orange said with gratefulness in his voice as he recalled his gaze hitting the turf and the 66,000-plus-seat stadium. "It was a good experience, I think, from top to bottom, a life-long dream."
Banks flashed early, shocking and shedding a block by tight end Matt Hibner when Baltimore began its second series backed up at the 1-yard line. The former Florida Gator chomped Jonathan Ward as soon as the Ravens back stepped out of the end zone, and Banks wrestled him through the whistle.
"It was pretty cool," the No. 18 overall draft pick Banks said of his statement wrap-up. "I was just trying to make a play. Trying to do something cool, man, so I wouldn't get yelled at on the sideline."
On still adjusting to the NFL, Banks said, "I'm just taking it one play at a time, just enjoying it, just kind of just living the dream that the younger me is really excited and kind of just dancing around on the inside about, so just taking it one game at a time, one play at a time, and enjoying it."
Banks noted that his preparation throughout the week, primarily two solid days of joint practices, helped set him up for a positive performance. He also admitted he's not in shape, yet, and quipped and looked over at Orange when he said, "I definitely need to go out there and run — me and Dom."
Orange stabbed him back with a brotherly eye dagger.
Minutes before Banks addressed media, Orange did so in front of their side-by-side lockers and spoke highly of his rookie partner: "It's been great. We play like we've been playing, like, forever. It seemed like we went to college together. But no, it's been great playing with him, playing alongside him. He's a dog, man. I mean, I can't ask for a better teammate. But he's one of the best for sure."
"It's been cool just having somebody there with you. Just being able to kind of vent or decompress to a little bit," Banks added about growing with Orange. "And then picking each other up when something goes wrong or even when something's going right. You know what I mean? Just making sure we stay focused, locked in, and making sure we're doing the right thing on and off the field."
Orange popped a bit later, on Baltimore's final drive of the first half — and in the least likely manner.
Aligned over the right guard on second-and-9 at the Ravens 15 with 2:15 until the break, Orange zipped out of his stance to rush rookie QB Joe Fagnano and then slammed the brakes and diverted course the opposite direction. That's right, "Big Citrus" hopped into a backpedal, even swiveled his hips both directions and dropped deep enough to get within a few feet of receiver LaJohntay Wester.
Nimbly, improbably — successfully! — Orange squeezed the throwing window for an incompletion. Afterward, he faced the Vikings benches and whipped out a strapping-the-seat-belt celebration that defensive backs use any time they lock up a receiver. Amazingly, he performed the move on the fly.
"I ain't going to lie. I looked at the sideline, and I'm like, I've got to do something, let's go hard," Orange drew laughs. "It was energy, the energy of the sideline, all the vets looking at me, waiting for me to do something. I'm going to have to throw something out there, so I threw that out there."
The big man told reporters he couldn't remember a time sinking into coverage since high school and pivoted to commending Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores' defensive schemes for putting his versatility on display.
"The stuff that coach Flo' allows us d-linemen to do is incredible, and that's the reason why he's arguably one of the best defensive coordinators in the league," Orange said, doubling down on the latter take. "Of course, it's a little hard [to pick the system up]. Like I said, I'm going to say it again, best defensive coordinator in the league, and I'm not even trying to be biased."
Orange is catching on at a good pace and prioritizing doing his 1/11th on defense.
"The older I get, the more mature I get, I'm going to start learning the [responsibilities of other positions] of the defense, not only what my job is," Orange expressed. "That's what I'm getting into right now, understanding what the back end is doing, what the linebackers are doing, how the linebackers are flowing, how my certain step might affect their play, stuff like that. So that's kind of, you know, the hardship I'm dealing with right now — but it's definitely coming along."
Head Coach Kevin O'Connell referred to Orange as "a heck of a moving screen" in pass coverage. O'Connell spoke more in length about Banks and his progression from Preseason 1 to Preseason 2.
"I think he just continues to [understand] it's all about pad level. It's all about understanding there's a way you have to play in the NFL that the consistency of it for him will just give him more opportunities to make some plays," O'Connell commented. "And I thought he really showed up early on and he's starting to really get his football legs back underneath him. And days like this are great for it. Stack as many reps as we can. We want to be smart with him. But today was another really good step in the right direction to get him where we want to have him" before the season opener on Sept. 13.
Baltimore's offense had 4 net yards on its three possessions in the first quarter, then opened the second with a 23-yard catch-and-run. The Ravens notched another chunk pass for 17 yards during a double cornerback blitz but eventually had to settle for a Tyler Loop 49-yard field goal after linebacker Jacob Roberts shot through a gap and dropped Ravens runner Dontae McMillan for no gain.
When Banks and Orange, and other players who have taken first- or second-team reps throughout camp rotated out of the game in the seventh series, the Ravens marched 63 yards for a touchdown.
During the third quarter, General Manager Nolan Teasley participated in the game broadcast with Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen and color analysts Pete Bercich and Ben Leber, and he offered his thoughts on the tandem first-year defensive linemen and Top 100 2026 Draft selections.
"Well, there's only so many people on the planet that look and can move and have the ability of Caleb Banks," Teasley stated, before adding, "He's going to be a two-phase player in this league."
Teasley called Orange's pass coverage impressive, and he loved the impromptu celebration.
"He started really fast for us," Teasley said of the 6-foot-2, 322-pound Orange, who was the 82nd overall pick, "and he's going to be really important as we get underway here [in the regular season]."
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
medaille wrote:
I like when players know where they are. I think a large chunk of the fanbase dislikes when players do that. It ruins the ideal image they have of the players when they admit they are a work in progress rather than perfection. For them it’s like admitting they were lazy and didn’t work hard enough. If things don’t go perfectly, this could be his 9 moment, albeit to a lesser degree, where fans get a glimpse behind the curtains and hold it against the players later on.
Yep, heaven forbid their role model/super hero, etc. admit to anything that could cause any disillusions. It's like a mental discomfort to them when something clashes with/goes against their image of that player/person. Fans tend to forget that they are only human too.
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
“The consensus after watching Banks move through his first training camp is that he is not yet ready to dominate NFL offensive lines. Opponents have found ways to get lower position on his 6-foot-6 frame and push him backwards, and Banks himself acknowledged last weekend that… pic.twitter.com/PRJgQSTcmA
— SleeperVikings (@SleeperVikings) August 28, 2026
I’m sitting him down and have him watching Calais Campbell film on a continuous loop.
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here”
Shakespeare
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49742848/nfl-minnesota-vikings-caleb-banks-brian-flores
Is Vikings rookie Caleb Banks healthy and ready to perform?
EAGAN, Minn. -- The biggest question facing the Minnesota Vikings' top draft pick this summer was clear: Is defensive lineman Caleb Banks healthy after undergoing three surgeries to repair a broken left foot?
The answer has been a clear affirmative. Banks has missed only one practice, and that was a planned rest day, while playing 47 defensive snaps in the first two preseason games.
Which brings us to the second-biggest question: Can he play at the level the Vikings projected when they made him the No. 18 selection of the 2026 draft?
That answer is less obvious.
The consensus after watching Banks move through his first training camp is that he is not yet ready to dominate NFL offensive lines. Opponents have found ways to get lower position on his 6-foot-6 frame and push him backwards, and Banks himself acknowledged last weekend that "I'm definitely not in shape" after missing most of his final college season and all of the Vikings' spring practices because of the foot injury.
At the very least, however, Banks appears to have joined nose tackle Domonique Orange -- a third-round draft pick -- in earning a regular spot in the Vikings' initial defensive line rotation.
"The one thing about [Banks] is he works and it's important to him," defensive coordinator Brian Flores said. "And in my experience, guys who work at it and continually try to improve, they improve and develop."
Banks was one of the more intriguing draft decisions in the NFL this spring. Under the leadership of interim general manager Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings had Banks ranked among the top 10 prospects in the draft. Some people in the organization mentioned him in the context of a long line of Hall of Fame-level defensive linemen in franchise history, from the Purple People Eaters to John Randle to Kevin Williams. But after the foot injury limited him to four games in his final season at Florida and then resurfaced at the NFL combine with another fracture, Banks' draft value grew less certain.
The Vikings' medical staff examined his foot during a predraft visit and emerged confident that it would fully heal in time for the season. That projection has proved accurate, but the residual loss of conditioning has been obvious to all. Banks joked after Saturday's 13-3 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens that he needed to start running more post-practice gassers.
Flores concurred with that assessment, but believes it puts Banks in a category with many other players.
"He's right that he may not feel like he's in the best of condition," Flores said, "but I'm not sure he really even knows what that looks like, just like any other rookie. And I don't blame him for that. It's something he's going to have to learn on the fly. He's gotten a little bit of a feel for it in these preseason games, what the first half looks like, what starting the third quarter looks like.
"With these rookies, there's no way for them to step in and think that they're going to have the experience to really know what NFL football's like. But I would say our group's doing a good job. Our coaches are doing a really good job of trying to get them prepared and as ready to go as we possibly can, knowing that we can't mimic what an NFL game is like. And so I think he's right to feel like, 'Hey, I'm not where I need to be.' And I don't think he'll really know until we're really in it."
Judging Banks' play as the season begins will require the recent context of Flores' scheme, which has often asked defensive linemen to focus on assignments that don't result in splash plays.
Banks did some gentle freelancing in the 13-10 preseason win against the New York Giants on Aug. 15. After recognizing that he was not going to be double teamed, he used a swim move to get past guard Francis Mauigoa and into the backfield as the Giants handed the ball to running back Cam Skattebo. But Banks missed the tackle, later saying that Skattebo was "faster than I expected," and the play went for 7 yards on first down.
Asked about that decision this week, Flores smiled. He made clear that he wants players to have an "element of freedom" and to experiment in training camp and the preseason, in part to learn the value of carrying out the original assignments.
"That's part of the learning process though," Flores said. "And I ask those guys to try to jump inside. See if you can get there or take the edge. But if you're [past] the quarterback, now you've learned that you probably shouldn't do that. Or you jump inside and they get outside of you, now you've learned. It's like a little kid with a hot stove. He doesn't know it burns until it burns. But that's what training camp is for. That's what preseason's for."
LIVE WELL ~ LOVE MUCH ~ LAUGH OFTEN
purplefaithful wrote:
They're NFL babies in big boy bodies...
I hope they both end-up taking a similarly large chunk of our cap space one day down the road...
This. We forget how blessed we were with Phat Pat and K Will. They just shut down the middle on run plays and collapsed pockets non stop. Lofty goals but I like their attitude and it's a good thing they can grow together. The Williams wall thrived on their relationship and the communication and having eachothers backs. Hoping for more of the same
Two preseason games and we’re wondering if he is worthy of his draft position.
Mercy
Someone else mentioned it and I think it’s worth repeating: his development arc is probably going to be similar to Dallas Turner. I think it will be a bit faster due to the nature of the positions, but he’s going to get there. I’d…bank on it.
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here”
Shakespeare
I think everyone's overreacting on this one. I think Banks will have an early career about like Jordan Davis. Davis started only 5 games as a rookie and played only 26% of the snaps. That went up to 45% his 2nd season. Last year he broke out, playing 61% of snaps and getting 4.5 sacks. Conditioning was an early problem for him too.
But Davis wasn't completely useless as a rookie and I don't think Banks will be either. I see a rotation with Banks, Williams, Orange, and LDR. As always, Flores will keep everyone guessing.
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."
—George Orwell
StickierBuns wrote:
https://x.com/tonypauline/status/2092652959913951665?s=46&t=ohFAAgt56m6anXyDpx1btQ
So what did we learn from this article. The obvious being Banks has been injured what we already knew and his conditioning isn't quite up to snuff and he is still a tad raw. What we also know, he has size speed and quickness that you can't teach. He was projected as a late 1st pick. So then the juicy part - some in the organization are questioning why he was picked. Preferring immediate help vs something that may take a little more time to develop. Then throwing in that Dominique Orange is doing well (Great - but he doesn't play the same position).
Ultimately it all comes down to this key part - Flores carries a lot of weight - Flores wanted pass rush from the interior not just for this year (yes he is going to be here for significant amount of time) but for the long haul. Banks even with being unrefined already has shown an ability to shed tacklers. What he has struggled with is getting pushed around a bit. If Flores gave his stamp of approval I think we should all just let it be. Even if it doesn't work out. This defense has a lot of really good young talent.
So ultimately if someone in the front office wants to challenge Flores - good luck with that one. Tinsley you are going to lose that argument everyday including on Sunday. Also Tinsley if you are leaking this information - good luck with that as well. I thought we were going to be decreasing the drama. Either that or you have someone throwing crap against the wall which is also a possibility.
Kmerry82 wrote:
So ultimately if someone in the front office wants to challenge Flores - good luck with that one. Tinsley you are going to lose that argument everyday including on Sunday. Also Tinsley if you are leaking this information - good luck with that as well.
lmao, hey I just broke myself of this habit! I don't know what it was, but I kept typing Tinsley instead of Teasley until comet said something about it. Nolan Teasley! 😂
This time of year, you decide which hype to believe: positive or negative because we get both ad nauseam. Shit is constantly being thrown against the wall for clicks and views. The more negative, the higher the engagement is sadly. By a large margin.
MaroonBells wrote:
I think everyone's overreacting on this one. I think Banks will have an early career about like Jordan Davis. Davis started only 5 games as a rookie and played only 26% of the snaps. That went up to 45% his 2nd season. Last year he broke out, playing 61% of snaps and getting 4.5 sacks. Conditioning was an early problem for him too.
But Davis wasn't completely useless as a rookie and I don't think Banks will be either. I see a rotation with Banks, Williams, Orange, and LDR. As always, Flores will keep everyone guessing.
I HOPE Banks has a higher ceiling in this D then 4.5 sacks by yr3.
Doesnt Davis play more of a Big Citrus position than what Banks is projected to play here?
I agree the learning curve may be similar...
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
JustInTime wrote:
Two preseason games and we’re wondering if he is worthy of his draft position.
Mercy
Someone else mentioned it and I think it’s worth repeating: his development arc is probably going to be similar to Dallas Turner. I think it will be a bit faster due to the nature of the positions, but he’s going to get there. I’d…bank on it.
Are you calling this for your next username?
greediron wrote:
Are you calling this for your next username?
Ooooohhhhhh
Now that you mention it.
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here”
Shakespeare
In my best Rod Serling voice:
“What if I told you there was a time when we didn’t judge prospects until they actually played a season or two?”
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here”
Shakespeare
JustInTime wrote:
Two preseason games and we’re wondering if he is worthy of his draft position.
Mercy
Someone else mentioned it and I think it’s worth repeating: his development arc is probably going to be similar to Dallas Turner. I think it will be a bit faster due to the nature of the positions, but he’s going to get there. I’d…bank on it.
Yup, I've been saying Flores would bring him along slowly like Turner since the day he was drafted. He's a project with big upside, but not a finished product or guaranteed to succeed.
I had the over/under on someone somewhere declaring "bust!" at preseason game one. It looks like with all the hand wringing articles out there that I was only a week early. 🙂
JustInTime wrote:
In my best Rod Serling voice:
“What if I told you there was a time when we didn’t judge prospects until they actually played a season or two?”
You're entering a world beyond time and space, a world of imagination where a single, shaky throw earns a ticket to Canton; where one missed tackle in garbage time ends a career that hasn't even started. Where every fan is a veteran reporter who coaches pro football in their spare time, and every random tweet is a pronouncement from Football Moses chiseled in granite...Your next stop: the Preseason Twilight Zone.
I saw a little bit of what could have been interpreted as an effort issue but I'm pretty sure was a conditioning problem in the last game. Given his college stats were a bit pedestrian in relation to his draft position, he's an easy target for clickbait writers. Especially those with an anti Viking bias!
I see a guy with sky high potential who has conditioning and technical issues, that should be markedly improved with coaching and time. It's going to take a little time but wouldn't be surprised if the lightbulb goes off earlier than some think. Flores won't put him in the rotation until he thinks he is ready.
JustInTime wrote:
Ooooohhhhhh
Now that you mention it.
I like Big Navel and call dibbs
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
MaroonBells wrote:
I think everyone's overreacting on this one. I think Banks will have an early career about like Jordan Davis. Davis started only 5 games as a rookie and played only 26% of the snaps. That went up to 45% his 2nd season. Last year he broke out, playing 61% of snaps and getting 4.5 sacks. Conditioning was an early problem for him too.
But Davis wasn't completely useless as a rookie and I don't think Banks will be either. I see a rotation with Banks, Williams, Orange, and LDR. As always, Flores will keep everyone guessing.
Agreed
FWIW Chris Jones didn't do much until year 3
Don't trade JJ.
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