There’s One Clear Comp for the Vikings’ New Nose Tackle
The Minnesota Vikings drafted nose tackle Domonique Orange in Round 3 of last month’s draft, and they might just have the next Dalvin Tomlinson.
Minnesota finally invested premium draft capital into a true nose tackle archetype.
Tomlinson played for the Vikings from 2021 to 2022, so purple fans will understand the comp quite well.
Orange Fits the Mold Minnesota Has Missed in a Tomlinsonesque Way
SI.com: Orange Comp = Tomlinson
Will Ragatz rolled out comps for each Vikings rookie this week, landing on Tomlinson for Orange.
He wrote, “At Alabama, Tomlinson had just 10.5 TFL and 4 sacks. Orange, the Vikings’ first of three third-round picks, had just 7 TFL and 1 sack at Iowa State, but his impact went well beyond the box score. Both are big, physical nose tackles who do a lot of the early-down dirty work of eating up blocks and being hard to move.”
“The Vikings believe ‘Big Citrus’ has the traits to develop some pass-rush ability, and it would be a win if he becomes a guy like Tomlinson with strong run defense and 2-3 sacks per year. An even loftier comparison for Orange would be former three-time Vikings Pro Bowler Pat Williams, an elite run defender who formed half of the Williams Wall in the late 2000s.”
Ironically, Tomlinson isn’t the purest nose tackle in the world, but the comp still works.
Confirming VikingsTerritory’s Initial Take
After Minnesota drafted defensive tackle Caleb Banks in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, VikingsTerritory did not expect the club to draft another defensive tackle the following night. But it did.
Now, the Vikings have two promising young DTs, one with a Chris Jones- or Jordan Davis-like upside in Banks, and Orange, who fits a prototypical nose tackle profile.
In fact, when we unpacked the Round 2 and 3 picks on Friday, April 24th, our initial comp after watching the Orange tape and studying the measurables was … Tomlinson. You can read that article here.
VikingsWire‘s Garrett Burroughs noted on Orange this week, “There are many questions about Caleb Banks’s health and his foot. Should there be lingering issues to begin the season, Domonique Orange could see ample playing time early. He is a massive nose tackle, drafted to support in the run game, but brings upside as a pass rusher. Should he rotate in early, there’s a chance he could develop quickly.”
More on the Orange-Tomlinson Similarity
Tomlinson was never a stat-sheet monster in Minnesota, but his true value lay in making life easier for his teammates. He took up space, absorbed double teams, stopped the run cold, and provided a crucial anchor for the defensive line.
Orange’s role is remarkably similar: he’s built to clog lanes, take hits, and make running up the middle a daunting task. This is particularly vital given the Vikings’ run defense troubles, at times, in 2025.
Orange likely won’t be expected to be a sack machine right away; Banks can chase quarterbacks. Instead, Orange’s primary contribution will be the “dirty work” — serving as an anchor, squeezing gaps, and keeping linebackers untouched. This mirrors Tomlinson’s impact, indicating Minnesota likely drafted Orange to bring back a big, reliable presence.
Staving Off Levi Drake Rodriguez as a Rookie
Rodriguez’s best opportunity for a long-term starting role evaporated the moment the Vikings drafted Orange.
Prior to Round 3, Rodriguez’s scenario was promising. He could have developed steadily into the nose tackle position, eventually becoming Minnesota’s primary player in the heart of their defense. The existing depth chart strongly supported this trajectory.
Few anticipated, however, that Minnesota would then draft a second defensive tackle before the end of Round 3, especially after already selecting Banks. With Orange’s arrival, Rodriguez’s situation quickly shifted. Orange appears to be the clearer long-term choice at nose tackle, and if he develops as the team hopes, Rodriguez will likely serve as NT2 for most of his rookie contract, which is two more years.
His role still holds value, as teams require robust interior depth. Nevertheless, Rodriguez’s perceived potential has diminished.
Still, Orange will have to prove that he deserved the immediate NT job over Rodriguez. It’s also worth noting that during the Kevin O’Connell era, rookies don’t habitually see the field right away.
This sets up an intriguing camp battle between Orange and Rodriguez.
Tomlinson, meanwhile, signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in March and is expected to start for John Harbaugh’s team if he can fend off 5th-Round rookie Nick Barrett from South Carolina. Tomlinson turned 32 this offseason.
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