Last week, we touched on how new defensive addition Jake Golday has shades of Ben Leber. This week, we are going to talk about the Minnesota Vikings’ next pick in the 2026 draft: Domonique Orange, a defensive tackle from Iowa State.
By drafting Orange and Caleb Banks with two of their top three picks, the Vikings are clearly making an effort to address a need that opened up this offseason after the team moved on from Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. The defensive line group was in major need of young talent to fill those gaps.
Looking at Orange’s skillset, it’s hard not to be reminded of Jerry Ball, a blast from the past. Ball was with the team from 1997 to 1998, then returned to the squad in 1999 after a brief stint in Cleveland. Orange and Ball are massive human beings, with Orange sitting at 6’2”, 322 lbs., and Ball measuring 6’1”, 330 lbs. during his playing days. They also share similar play styles and strengths.
“Big Citrus” excels against the run. Using his massive frame, he can anchor the interior of the line and hold his ground in those run lanes. Once he is in those gaps, Orange uses his extraordinary strength and power to routinely wrap up the runners for little to no gain. That helped him earn All-Big 12 honors three out of four years with the Cyclones. Also, his rare blend of traits at the defensive tackle position landed him on the 2025 Bruce Feldman’s College Football Freaks List.
Similarly, Ball made an impressive 13-year career out of being a run-stopping phenom, earning three Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro honor. Using the same traits as mentioned above for Orange, Ball anchored the middle of the line. If Ball wasn’t able to make the stop the run, he routinely opened up the lanes for linebackers to make the tackles. Taking up space and getting double or triple-teamed by run blockers in the name of the game for these undervalued giants, and Ball was one of the best at doing that.
Given that the Vikings struggled against the run more this past season, Orange will be able to see the field early. Add in that the defensive line room is missing some established talent, and Orange could immediately be a staple in Brian Flores’ defense. Expect projected starting linebackers Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson to be very happy about that.
Aside from being a run-stuffing expert, Orange has been highlighted for promising pass-rushing tools, including active hands and impressive quickness on initial steps. These traits translate well for generating pressure from the interior of the line on quarterbacks, another area Minnesota struggled with in 2025. Ball also showed promising pass-rushing traits early in his career, as evident from his 1989 season with the Detroit Lions, where he accumulated nine sacks from the interior.
Jerry Ball was known as one of the best defensive tackles of his era, and his play paired perfectly with Hall of Famer John Randle. The duo shone brightest during the 1998 season, when both helped lead a stingy Minnesota defense that propelled the team to the NFC Championship game. Ball played an undervalued role on that squad, taking up blocks and being a space-eater, which helped players like Randle thrive.
The Vikings hope to replicate that formula by pairing Domonique Orange with Caleb Banks in 2026 and beyond. Similar to that pairing in the ‘90s, this new Vikings duo will be asked to take the defense to the next level. Let’s hope it has the same results as in 1998, but this time the team gets over the hump.
