What Caleb Banks Needs to Do to Ensure He Doesn’t Follow the J.J. McCarthy Path

Rookie DT Caleb Banks is going to be as good as he wants to be. Part of what’s standing in his way is his pad level, a point that has already been made multiple times.

So, the onus shifts to the young lad to adjust. Getting coached up by Brian Flores and Ryan Nielsen means that the rookie doesn’t lack for guidance. Similarly, TCO Performance Center is a dream work environment, meaning he’s got an edge there, as well.

Nobody expected Mr. Banks to be a finished product by Week 1 of his rookie season. However, there have been several rough moments in training camp and the preseason, creating concern about how ready he is to contribute as a rookie. Worse yet, some of the ways in which he is being discussed brings back recollections of J.J. McCarthy insofar as the same point is being repeated for a gifted 1st-Round pick with promise.

Caleb Banks, J.J. McCarthy, & Being a Diamond in the Rough

Part of the plan was to get younger in the trenches. Moving on from Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen was with an eye toward saving money and adding a bit more youthful pop.

Double dipping along the defensive line involved sinking No. 18 into Caleb Banks and No. 82 into Domonique Orange. Of the two, Orange — who boasts the phenomenal nickname Big Citrus — appears ready for a heartier workload. A major part of the reason why is due to his capacity to address the shortcomings in his game (real or perceived).

Indeed, Orange is proving more slippery and effective as a pass rusher than many scouts insisted going into the 2026 NFL Draft. Back at training camp, Orange told Vikings Territory that he didn’t agree with the characterization that he offers zero pass rush. Several moments have proven that he’s got some upside here and won’t be a repeat of Harrison Phillips.

Again, Orange isn’t a finished product. But, to be sure, he’s a product who has shown that he’s able to get polished up.

Every so often, Caleb Banks looks far too lackadaisical on the football field. When partnered with getting too high, Banks becomes quite movable.

In the above clip, the issue isn’t simply that Banks is too high. More concerning, perhaps, is that he appears far too comfortable seeing Denver’s backup blockers ride him out of the play. Banks is a 6’6″ player who tips the scales at a hulking 325 pounds. He cannot allow himself to be pushed around so easily. The best football players play with controlled urgency.

Over and over again, McCarthy has been described as a talented player who needs to correct flaws in his game. In particular, there has been the focus on improving his “layered throws” as he learns to operate with “touch.”

Entering his third season, McCarthy is still a flamethrower looking for figure out how to activate his warm setting.

Caleb Banks is his own man and deserves to be judged as such. What’s nevertheless concerning is seeing the Vikings’ fixation with remarkable athletes in the opening round of recent drafts — Lewis Cine, J.J. McCarthy, and (to a much lesser extent) Dallas Turner — who fail to live up to their draft slots.

The task in front of Caleb Banks is to ensure he commits to his craft, pouring a pile of work into the game so that he can counter concerns by becoming the dominant force he’s capable of becoming.

Banks, 23, looks like he’ll be a backup in Week 1.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.