Matt Fries

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images With the 18th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Caleb Banks, DT out of the University of Florida. In a draft full of surprises, Banks was nevertheless one of the most surprising picks of the first round, ranked 37th by the consensus board and taken in front of two other interior defenders ranked ahead of him in Peter Woods and Kayden McDonald.

Jalen Thompson #34 of the Arizona Cardinals runs onto the field before the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on October 05, 2025, in Glendale, Arizona. The Titans defeated the Cardinals 22-21. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images The NFL’s content machine keeps on churning. It’s been less than a month since the Super Bowl, but everyone has already moved on.

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images In Part 1 of this series, we looked at how the Vikings can create enough salary cap space to operate in 2026. In Part 2, we looked at which of their various free agents the Vikings should bring back. With those decisions in mind, we will now look at what needs the team has heading into the offseason. Obviously, the 2025 season did not go as planned for the Minnesota Vikings.