2026 NFL Draft: Contract details revealed for Vikings 1st-round pick Caleb Banks

After going No. 18 overall to the Minnesota Vikings in the 2026 NFL Draft, Caleb Banks’ contract details have been revealed. He is set to sign a four-year contract worth $20.4 million, which also includes a fifth-year option, according to Spotrac.

Banks only appeared in three games this past season at Florida due to injury. When he was healthy in 2023 and 2024, though, he was a force on the Gators’ defensive line with 40 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks during that time.

Banks had the best season of his collegiate career in 2024, when he notched 21 tackles, a career-high 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Banks logged 19 tackles for the Gators in the 2023 season.

Before transferring to Florida, Banks began his collegiate career at Louisville. As a true freshman in 2021, Banks only played in one game and ultimately redshirted. Banks made six appearances in 2022, but entered the transfer portal after the season.

Caleb Banks played high school football at Southfield (MI), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 990 overall player and No. 98 EDGE in the 2021 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Banks posted a 5.04-second 40-yard dash. While the number didn’t shatter any record, it was impressive for the 6-foot-6, 327-pound standout.

Further, Banks logged a 32” vertical leap and a 9’6” broad jump. He notched the fifth-best athleticism score on NFL.com of all defensive linemen in attendance.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Caleb Banks

Banks’ collegiate statistics don’t always jump off the page, but his potential is undeniable. Ahead of the draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided an in-depth analysis of Banks’ game, while weighing in on the former Gator’s future in the league.

“Big-framed, long-limbed interior defender whose play needs more polish to consistently match his traits,” Zierlein wrote. “Banks has a quick first step. He can stun/control single blocks when his hand strikes are timely and accurate, but he needs faster disengagement to increase his tackle count. His high center of gravity allows double teams to generate displacement, so a move to odd-front end could be in his best interest as a run defender.

“Like a grappler without submission knowledge, Banks is still learning to unlock his physical advantages so he can turn them into sacks. His traits and flashes at the Senior Bowl make him an enticing prospect, but injury concerns are a potential stumbling block for him.”