Kaleb Proctor Could Play A Vital Role On Minnesota's D-Line

The Minnesota Vikings need to bolster their defensive line. After the Los Angeles Rams eliminated them in 2024-25, former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah vowed that the team would address the trenches on both sides of the ball. After adding Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen didn’t work out, the Vikings could take Kaleb Proctor in the draft to fill the need.

Last offseason, the Vikings brought in Hargrave and Allen to solidify their D-line. One season later, they’ve released both veterans, and Minnesota has the same conundrum they had last offseason. This year, instead of looking to free agency to fill the need, they should look to add talent via the draft.

Southeastern Louisiana’s Kaleb Proctor is just 6’3”, 285 lbs., undersized for a defensive tackle. However, while his stature is smaller than most at his position, he hasn’t let his size affect his production. He was an instant-impact player, recording two tackles for loss in his true freshman season while playing limited minutes.

Proctor finished his 2025 season with 43 tackles, nine sacks, and 39 pressures, his best collegiate season. His two-sack performance against then-No. 3 LSU caught people’s attention in a way that players from smaller schools don’t usually experience.

Some might have concerns about the level of competition Proctor has faced in college. However, he performed well against LSU and was selected to the “West All-Practice Team” among his peers at the East-West Shrine Bowl. That should indicate to scouts that he’s at a similar, if not the same, level as these prospects from bigger schools.

Proctor excels as a pass rusher, using his first-step quickness to get into the pads of opposing offensive linemen. From here, Proctor can dig through his bag of pass-rushing moves. From his club, to his swim move, to his arm overs, to his swipes, Proctor is one of the few pass rushers at his age who has all of the weapons in his arsenal. Even more impressive is that he knows when to use them and how to set up offensive linemen, throwing different moves at them throughout the game and rarely using the same move twice.

Proctor has really good hand movement, and, combined with his explosive first step, he forced blockers to be on the back foot from the start of the rep through. When rushing from the 3-tech position, Proctor can cause the pocket to collapse, creating sacks that don’t show up on the box score for him, but that he largely creates.

Proctor’s smaller size comes with its own unique advantages. At his size and with his fluid hips, he can turn the corner and work on the outside and inside at a level that players who are more physically imposing cannot. He can utilize this when asked to be a stunter and a looper in designed pass-rush games, using his incredible speed and bend to work his way through traffic and get to the quarterback.

While I praised what he can do despite his smaller stature, it comes with some obvious drawbacks. He figures to be almost a non-factor when defending against the run.

Although Proctor’s speed is his strength when it comes to rushing the passer, his lack of mass and ability to anchor in the run game becomes evident, especially when double-teamed. His below-average arm length doesn’t help, as bigger, stronger offensive linemen moving forward can wash him out, and he's often the player that offenses look to run at. Teams will likely continue to exploit that in the NFL, where guards are stronger and faster.

Another concerning aspect of his game is the increase in missed tackles in his final season. It felt like, after the LSU game, Proctor went big-play hunting more often than not. Given these issues, it isn’t likely that Proctor will be an every-down lineman at the next level. However, with the insane amount of skill he has as a pass rusher, he could carve out a role for himself as a pass-rush specialist.

One thing the Vikings have shown in recent years is their willingness to bet on traits and players at defensive tackle who outperform their size. While they undoubtedly need a true nose tackle who can be a run-stuffer, if they are looking for a pass-rush specialist to fill a Tom Johnson-type role, they should look Proctor’s way.