All Minnesota Vikings players will report to Eagan for training camp on July 28, with rookies arriving two days before to get their feet wet. VikesNow is previewing each position during the build-up to the event, and the party starts at defensive tackle.
DT just so happens to be one of the deepest roster positions for the Vikings – – so long as Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange don’t flame out – – even after the club cut ties with veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in March.
Alas, here’s the lowdown on Minnesota’s DTs.
Vikings’ Defensive Line Is Betting on Youth
Jalen Redmond
Redmond is the Vikings’ main claim to fame at defensive tackle, showing up out of nowhere in 2024 and carrying that success through 2025. Fans no longer wonder if he’s the real deal; they just know it.
He tabulated 6 sacks last year, and because of his unsung trek to the NFL – – passing first through the UFL – – he’s still not on the national radar as a legitimate Pro Bowl contender. That may change in 2026.
The next guy on the list has more possible star power, but Redmond is the anchor of the DT group, especially with Allen playing for the Cincinnati Bengals and Hargrave on the Green Bay Packers’ roster.
Caleb Banks
Banks’s main goal at training camp? Participate.
The rookie suffered two foot injuries in six months before the draft, and once a lock for the 1st-Round, draft heads deemed Banks a 2nd-rounder because of the setbacks. But the Vikings’ brass disagreed, picking Banks in Round 1 and seemingly unfazed by the foot maladies.
Due to poor drafting habits in the last four years, Minnesota cannot afford to have a redshirted 1st-rounder. Banks must get rolling at training camp and then trend for regular season snaps in September.
The good news? He has All-Pro upside if the injury concerns turn out to be a nothingburger.
Domonique Orange
Minnesota found its nose tackle. No one expected the Vikings to draft two DTs in the first three rounds, but that happened in April.
Nose tackles often acclimate to the NFL quicker than non-NT defensive tackles, so there’s a chance that Orange is ready to rock by Week 1. He’s in town to stuff the run; everything else is gravy. Orange will battle the next guy on the list for the starting NT assignment.
Levi Drake Rodriguez
The Vikings drafted Rodriguez in 2024, and he hit his groove as a contributor last season, totaling 461 defensive snaps. He only notched a 57.8 Pro Football Focus grade, meaning the 2026 campaign will be pivotal for his career trajectory.
Rodriguez can be the man who played too well to let Orange see the field, or he can establish himself as a potential career-long backup nose tackle. Barring a surprise cut, he’ll make the 53-man roster.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Ingram-Dawkins’s very placement in this article could be incorrect, believe it or not.
He teased a conversion to outside linebacker at organized team activities (OTAs), and if the coaching staff agrees, Ingram-Dawkins could do damage off the EDGE this season. He played 250 defensive snaps as a rookie, a noteworthy amount for a 5th-rounder.
On Ingram-Dawkins, the main question is: DT, OLB, or both?
Isaiahh Loudermilk
Minnesota signed Loudermilk late in free agency, and he’s likely in town as depth in case others encounter injuries. The 28-year-old usually plays 100-200 snaps per season, an outlook that seems fair considering the Vikings’ DT depth.
He’s not at training camp to steal anyone’s job. He’s break in case of emergency.
Elijah Williams
Williams, an undrafted free-agent rookie in 2025, looked great last summer, so much so that some fans called him the next big thing. He’s battling for a roster spot in Eagan.
Eric Johnson II
Johnson played 131 defensive snaps for the 2025 Indianapolis Colts. He’s on the roster bubble and might end up on the practice squad.
Taki Taimani
Taimani is another possible option as a backup nose tackle and will likely be a practice-squader by early September.
Smith Vilbert
Vilbert is notable because he came from the University of North Carolina – – where Bill Belichick runs the show. Belichick has extensive past coaching ties to Vikings defensive boss Brian Flores. If Belichick signed off on Vilbert, who’s to say he’s not the real deal?
Jahvaree Ritzie
New general manager Nolan Teasley signed Ritzie in mid-June. Until proven otherwise, he’s a standard “camp body.”
VikesNow Projection for DTs on 53-Man Roster:
- Jalen Redmond
- Caleb Banks
- Domonique Orange
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Isaiahh Loudermilk
- Elijah Williams
Ingram-Dawkins may end up “officially” with the OLBs; that’s the angle here. He can obviously still play a tweener DT-OLB role when the rubber hits the road.
───────────── ─────────────
VikesNow Verdict: Minnesota is making a calculated bet that youth can replace experience along its defensive front. Redmond provides the foundation, while Banks and Orange supply the upside. The talent is there, but the Vikings need Banks healthy, Orange ready to contribute, and at least one reserve to emerge before this group can truly be considered a home run.
───────────── ─────────────
About The Author
