Rookies fit like a glove?
Vikings first-round rookie Caleb Banks participated fully Wednesday to the delight of everyone that waited eagerly this spring for him to finish rehabilitating a foot injury and make his NFL practice debut.
He looked the part, all right. And so did his rookie d-line brethren Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange, who took some reps with the first defense, rotating in at nose tackle for third-year DL Levi Drake Rodriguez.
Orange was handpicked Thursday by FOX Sports draft analyst Rob Rang as Minnesota’s “best schematic fit” among its 2026 rookie class. Rang prefaced his article with a historical lesson, that there are plenty of great impacts made by players selected after Day 1. In Orange’s case, he touted the third-round pick’s tenacity defending the run and his chances to contribute immediately, in the teeth of the unit, after the Vikings parted ways with veteran defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in the offseason.
Rang’s selections for the rest of the NFC North were Bears center Logan Jones, Lions cornerback Keith Abney II and Packers cornerback Brandon Cisse. Jones and Cisse are second-rounders out of Iowa and South Carolina, respectively, and Abney is a fifth-rounder from Arizona State projected to play in the slot.
For what it’s worth, Rang’s article exploring his NFC rookies to watch featured just two first-round talents in Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, chosen 11th overall out of Ohio State, and Seattle running back Jadarian Price, the 32nd pick out of Notre Dame, who is tasked with replacing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.
Check out Rang’s list of players who fit like a glove with their teams here.