Three thoughts on Vikings' surprise decision to draft Caleb Banks in the first round
The pick both serves as an indication of Brian Flores' power inside the building, and will give ownership plenty to think about as they consider whether Rob Brzezinski should get the GM job.
The Vikings’ first draft with interim general manager Rob Brzezinski at the helm yielded a first-round pick that shocked many.
Defensive tackle Caleb Banks of Florida was considered a Top 10 talent at one point, but a broken left foot limited him to only three games last season. He broke the foot again at the NFL Scouting Combine, forcing him to undergo a second surgery.
The Vikings are counting on Banks returning to his 2024 form when he started 10 of 12 games and had seven tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and forced two fumbles.
The Vikings will be thrilled if Banks can return to that form. If he can’t, Banks will go into the Vikings’ bin of first-round busts.
Here are three thoughts on the selection:
WORTH THE RISK?
Brzezinski said Banks was the best player on the Vikings’ board when they made their pick at No. 18, but talent doesn’t matter if it’s not matched with durability. What’s hard to figure is why the Vikings didn’t trade back, add draft capital, and then select Banks later in the first round?
Was there a team that was going to swoop in and take a chance on a 6-foot-6, 327-pound lineman with a foot problem? Another defensive tackle didn’t go until the Kansas City Chiefs selected Clemson’s Peter Woods at 29. There’s a case to be made that no other team would have taken Banks until the second round.
Brzezinski said the Vikings have complete faith in their medical team — “I think we have the best doctors in the country, if not the world,” he said — but the reassurance of the medical staff won’t mean a thing if Banks limps off the field next season.
For the Vikings’ sake, hopefully Banks becomes a force on the defensive line and his foot never bothers him again. But a franchise that shouldn’t tempt fate appears to be doing just that a time when they absolutely can’t afford a miss.
BRIAN FLORES’ POWER