Vikings Rookie Roundup: Checking in on 2026 NFL Draft class through five games, including quantifying Caleb Banks and Jake Golday
The Minnesota Vikings’ rookie class hasn’t played much so far this season, but that doesn’t mean it’s in dire straits at all.
The Minnesota Vikings are five games into the 2026 season, and their rookie class has barely touched the field. None of the nine draft picks have played a high snap count, and that’s not a bad thing. Ideally, rookies earn their spot on the field rather than get thrown into the fire out of necessity, and Minnesota has seen exactly that.
When taking a look at how the rookie class has been doing through the first five games, it’s important to understand the context of where things are at. They don’t need to be on the field immediately to be successful draft picks
DT Caleb Banks
Caleb Banks was always going to be a unique case. At 6-6 5/8 and 327 pounds, his size is rare for a defensive tackle. He’s a good player overall, but he still has issues with pad level and with controlling how he gets off blocks. His conditioning has also been rough early on, since he spent roughly a year rehabbing a broken foot.
Banks has played 82 defensive snaps, including just seven against the New Orleans Saints. His biggest workload came in the second game, when Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins went down. However, early snaps shouldn’t be the measuring stick. Banks will likely play more in the second half of the season or as a Year 2 player because the Vikings are trying to get him back to his pre-injury form while also cleaning up his technique.
Is it ideal for a first-round pick to be this developmental at 23? No. This was also a weak draft class, and Minnesota found a unicorn with a massive ceiling. He’s already flashed with three pressures and a few tackles for loss, and he’s slanting well. Limited trust right now isn’t the worst thing for his development.
ILB Jake Golday
Second-round pick Jake Golday has played just seven defensive snaps and another 95 on special teams. His skill set fits Brian Flores’ system perfectly because he’s comfortable and confident in coverage. The problem is that he has nowhere to play. Ivan Pace Jr. finally took the step forward everyone wanted, and the duo of Eric Wilson and Blake Cashman ranks among the best in the NFL. Golday’s lack of snaps has nothing to do with his ability. Players at 6-4 and 240 pounds with his coverage instincts don’t come around often, and that should pay off long term under Flores.
The other underrated element with Golday is that he doesn’t have a lot of time as an off-ball linebacker. At Cincinnati, Golday played mostly in the slot as an overhang. With him sitting behind Wilson and Cashman, he will have plenty of opportunity to learn.
NT Domonique Orange
Dominique Orange has logged 78 defensive snaps. It feels like more, but that production has come from Levi Drake Rodriguez. He has one pressure on 34 pass rush reps, and he’s been solid without a wow factor. Plenty of fans got excited because of the “Big Citrus” nickname and his flashes at Iowa State.
His realistic outlook is a reliable zero or one technique in this 3-4 base defense. He should hold up at the point of attack, handle double teams, and make plays on running backs. Orange hasn’t shown that with elite consistency yet, but nobody should expect it right away from a third-round pick. Years 2-4 are the real window for his true impact.
OT Caleb Tiernan
Caleb Tiernan, the 97th overall pick, measures 6-8 and 323 pounds with 32 1/4-inch arms. Those numbers land in the 6th percentile for arm length and the 4th percentile for hand size, which isn’t great for a potential future tackle. That being said, he’s a good football player who projects as a swing lineman with inside-out versatility. Tiernan has played just eight snaps, and one included an illegal formation penalty. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell called out the player responsible, and it didn’t sound like Tiernan. Most people believe O’Connell was referring to Jauan Jennings. As a seventh or eighth offensive lineman, Tiernan is right where he should be.
S Jakobe Thomas
One pick later, Minnesota took safety Jacoby Thomas. After transferring from Middle Tennessee State, he spent one explosive year at Miami as a hard hitter who produced interceptions. Thomas hasn’t played a single snap, partly because of a back injury suffered in camp and partly because the safety room is crowded. It’s a little disappointing not to see more of him, and this may end up being a redshirt season for him, which is a pretty big disappointment.
FB Max Bredeson
Fifth-round pick Max Bredeson leads all Vikings rookies with 85 offensive snaps, three more than Banks has on defense. He’s been a nice run blocker, but nothing special. He’s run only 11 routes without a target. Fullback dump-offs should come eventually, but likely won’t be a major feature in the offense, which would mirror C.J. Ham’s usage. Minnesota may have its fullback of the future, but for now he’s an average role player. Pretty good for a fifth-round pick.
CB Charles Demmings
Four picks after Bredeson, the Vikings took cornerback Charles Demings. He made play after play during training camp and the preseason, even earning early reps with the starters. Once he got that shot, Demmings ran with it and continued to make play after play against the first and second teams.
We knew that Demmings was going to be a depth player this season with Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre, but that has been somewhat stunted with his hamstring injury. A redshirt season always made sense coming from the FCS level, but the future is very bright.
RB Demond Claiborne
I wasn’t a fan of Demond Claiborne before the draft, and nothing so far has changed that. He has six carries for 13 yards. His 4.37 speed doesn’t help much if he can’t break tackles or see running lanes. He’s also played only four special teams snaps, all in punt coverage, and none as a returner. That is another big question.
Minnesota gave up a sixth-round pick to move up for him. If the Vikings don’t trust him to do much of anything, why are they holding on to him?
C Gavin Gerhardt
This one is very simple: he was released on final cut, signed to the practice squad and subsequently released from it. He then signed with the Houston Texans’ practice squad. Kind of disappointing, but it’s pretty normal for the 244th overall pick to not work out.
