With Rare Optimism, Vikings Draft Earns Some Praise for DT Pick
Plenty have expressed pessimism about the decision to draft DT Caleb Banks at No. 18. What about using No. 82 on Domonique Orange later on in the Vikings draft?
The hulking nose tackle is referred to as “Big Citrus,” an apt nickname due to his size (6’2″ and 320 pounds) and last name (Orange <—> citrus). Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic sees the selection in the 3rd as a nice decision since he was projected as a late-2nd by draft wizard Dane Brugler.
“Most of the defensive tackles came off the board in the ranges we expected,” Baumgardner writes, “but Orange felt like great value toward the bottom of the third round. Interestingly enough, the Vikings also snagged Caleb Banks in the first round — if that works out, Banks and Orange could be quite a force together.”
Quite possibly, Mr. Orange is great choice, somebody who gives the Vikings an edge on early downs while looking to raise his ceiling on 3rd and long.
Vikings Draft Pick Named a Great Value
Some of the doom-and-gloom thinkers around the Minnesota Vikings will point toward the lack of pass rushing production.
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Orange played his college ball for Iowa State, getting into fifty games from 2022-2025. Within all of that football, Orange had just a single sack to toss onto his stat sheet. So, don’t expect the second coming of Aaron Donald.
What’s worth remembering, of course, is that being a great pass rusher (or even a competent one) involves more than just earning sacks, as great as those are.
Indeed, Domonique Orange can be a nice part of the team’s overall pass rush effort if he can consistently get the center on his heels. Doing so will lead to uncomfortable surroundings for the passer since there will be less room to step up. As a result, the edge rushers will have an easier time of getting home.
Think of Orange as being a player who gets an assist on the huge goal rather than someone who is going to pop the water bottle by sniping the top of the net. Or, perhaps, he’s the crucial net-front presence on the power play while the more skilled guys work the puck around the zone. Still important, right?
Ask a defensive coordinator and there will often be an emphasis on sacks being a team statistic. Sure, Andrew Van Ginkel may be the one who wallops the passer, but he’s not able to do so unless his teammates do their jobs. Orange, a huge defensive tackle who is going to be tasked with gobbling up blocks, could end up being key to freeing his teammates to get home.
Plus, Caleb Banks is being looked at as the pass rushing specialist, as the above blurb suggests. Minnesota’s ideal scenario therefore involves a future where the new version of Kevin Williams and Pat Williams have been added. A lofty goal, to be sure, but a goal that’s worth pursuing.
In nine games in 2025, Domonique Orange has 18 tackles, with 0.5 tackles for loss. These modest statistics follow a 2024 season where he boasted 24 tackles (4.5 for loss) and a sack. He has had a single pass defended in each of the past two seasons.
Domonique Orange, 22, has a chance at starting as early as Week 1.
