Good article today. I think Flores had his eye on drafting Caleb long before any draft analyst. Brian has more insight into the details of good defensive structure and preparation than probably anyone else in the NFL. How could a CBS draft analyst grade the Viking pick as a D without taking the aforementioned into consideration. I thought Golday was a stretch also, until I read his specs. Flores is a genius.
Taking a DL in the 1st is great--but day 1 picks should have (i) high levels of athleticism; and (ii) shown they are really good at playing football.
A gentle reminder: Cam Heyward produced in college--15.5 sacks in four years. Dallas Turner produced in college--22.5 sacks in *three* years. Banks had 6.5 sacks in five years. It's fine to need time to adjust, but there is a big difference between adjusting and repeating high level performance vs achieving it for the first time.
It's possible that Banks is able to stay healthy going forward, but that's not the most likely outcome. And, even if he does, then he needs to learn how to translate this athleticism into actual production. He's here now, so hopefully it works, but that's a lot of (too much) risk for such a high draft pick.
Maybe I’m underselling TID, but I think Banks will have to see a decent number of snaps unless they bring somebody else in. I know they like Levi, but even if you started the year out with Levi, Redmond, and TID or Orange as the starting line, you’re going to have to mix Banks in there more than we saw Turner. I’m starting to turn the corner on going full homer with the pick. Foot is just bone that should be ok if they let it heal properly (best medical staff in the multiverse) and he seems like a good, smart dude who should take well to coaching.
Without mentioning self-nicknaming QBs, there are myriad players whose bodies make it clear they cannot play in the NFL. It's an incredibly difficult feat and most human bodies cannot do it. Banks's foot has said twice that it is not strong enough to support that body playing football.
Can anything strengthen a bone? This isn't similar to achilles or acl repairs, where medicine developed material changes in the procedures and we see vastly improved results. Banks makes abundant sense as a late 2nd or early 3rd--that was Kiper's point, he could be a great player, but there needed to be a discount for the material injury risk.
I don’t know, man. The people who know what they’re talking about all seem to say a broken foot is probably less of a re-injury risk than you’d think. He was 37 on the consensus board, which was probably skewed a bit by the injury being well known and the rankers not being medical experts. The most concerning thing to me by far is the PFF run/pass grade stuff Coller put out there.
Recovery from any injury brings us to the difference between "it's healed" in the sense that there is nothing more to do, and "it's healed" meaning "he's the same preternatural athlete he was beforehand." Javon Kearse broke his foot in 2002; he played another 7 years and never had double-digit sacks again. Michael Bennett (the RB) had a pro bowl year, then broke his foot. He played 8 more years but was never close to the same guy. Neither one--to my knowledge--suffered a reinjury, but the ones that were "healed" took a toll.
I'm not an orthopedist, nor do I play one on netflix. Anyone can agree zero or one breaks >> two, but no-one can see the future. It would be much nicer for all involved, especially the Banks family, if he keeps all of his previous athleticism and doesn't suffer break no. 3. That's certainly one possible outcome. It's a heck of a lot to count on, though, with the 18th pick.
Agreed, as noted in another comment, that the disconnect between testing and on-field performance itself is also a concern. Even if there were no injuries, no-one wants the next in a long line of Mike Mamulas.
Seems like a plan.... I guess will he be better the end of the season vs the start.... In Turner`s case he was (and still is kind of) young and that also affects his power (though in year 3 he should closing in on his max power.
Banks has got all the tools.. As a FLorida coach said... "Can he put it all together".
Listened to the podcast today and yeah, if he is decent his contract will be large while a safety, unless elite are not hard to find at a decent price
Great article. I love Flores. I don't think that Viking fans know how to have patience.
Good article today. I think Flores had his eye on drafting Caleb long before any draft analyst. Brian has more insight into the details of good defensive structure and preparation than probably anyone else in the NFL. How could a CBS draft analyst grade the Viking pick as a D without taking the aforementioned into consideration. I thought Golday was a stretch also, until I read his specs. Flores is a genius.
Taking a DL in the 1st is great--but day 1 picks should have (i) high levels of athleticism; and (ii) shown they are really good at playing football.
A gentle reminder: Cam Heyward produced in college--15.5 sacks in four years. Dallas Turner produced in college--22.5 sacks in *three* years. Banks had 6.5 sacks in five years. It's fine to need time to adjust, but there is a big difference between adjusting and repeating high level performance vs achieving it for the first time.
It's possible that Banks is able to stay healthy going forward, but that's not the most likely outcome. And, even if he does, then he needs to learn how to translate this athleticism into actual production. He's here now, so hopefully it works, but that's a lot of (too much) risk for such a high draft pick.
Maybe I’m underselling TID, but I think Banks will have to see a decent number of snaps unless they bring somebody else in. I know they like Levi, but even if you started the year out with Levi, Redmond, and TID or Orange as the starting line, you’re going to have to mix Banks in there more than we saw Turner. I’m starting to turn the corner on going full homer with the pick. Foot is just bone that should be ok if they let it heal properly (best medical staff in the multiverse) and he seems like a good, smart dude who should take well to coaching.
Without mentioning self-nicknaming QBs, there are myriad players whose bodies make it clear they cannot play in the NFL. It's an incredibly difficult feat and most human bodies cannot do it. Banks's foot has said twice that it is not strong enough to support that body playing football.
Can anything strengthen a bone? This isn't similar to achilles or acl repairs, where medicine developed material changes in the procedures and we see vastly improved results. Banks makes abundant sense as a late 2nd or early 3rd--that was Kiper's point, he could be a great player, but there needed to be a discount for the material injury risk.
I don’t know, man. The people who know what they’re talking about all seem to say a broken foot is probably less of a re-injury risk than you’d think. He was 37 on the consensus board, which was probably skewed a bit by the injury being well known and the rankers not being medical experts. The most concerning thing to me by far is the PFF run/pass grade stuff Coller put out there.
Recovery from any injury brings us to the difference between "it's healed" in the sense that there is nothing more to do, and "it's healed" meaning "he's the same preternatural athlete he was beforehand." Javon Kearse broke his foot in 2002; he played another 7 years and never had double-digit sacks again. Michael Bennett (the RB) had a pro bowl year, then broke his foot. He played 8 more years but was never close to the same guy. Neither one--to my knowledge--suffered a reinjury, but the ones that were "healed" took a toll.
I'm not an orthopedist, nor do I play one on netflix. Anyone can agree zero or one breaks >> two, but no-one can see the future. It would be much nicer for all involved, especially the Banks family, if he keeps all of his previous athleticism and doesn't suffer break no. 3. That's certainly one possible outcome. It's a heck of a lot to count on, though, with the 18th pick.
Agreed, as noted in another comment, that the disconnect between testing and on-field performance itself is also a concern. Even if there were no injuries, no-one wants the next in a long line of Mike Mamulas.
Seems like a plan.... I guess will he be better the end of the season vs the start.... In Turner`s case he was (and still is kind of) young and that also affects his power (though in year 3 he should closing in on his max power.
Banks has got all the tools.. As a FLorida coach said... "Can he put it all together".
Listened to the podcast today and yeah, if he is decent his contract will be large while a safety, unless elite are not hard to find at a decent price