‘Felt like they were doubling down’ — NFL executives react to Vikings’ NFL Draft with mixed feelings, including one that fails to understand Brian Flores
The main criticisms of the Minnesota Vikings’ NFL Draft class completely contradict their praise of Brian Flores
There have been significant differences with how people view the Minnesota Vikings’ NFL Draft haul.
Most of the criticism comes from the selection of defensive tackle Caleb Banks. He was one of the more intriguing players in the NFL Draft, being 6-6 and 327 pounds with 35″ arms, but he carries a major risk with multiple foot fractures. The Athletic’s Mike Sando gathered some quotes from executives across the league, and they paint a fascinating picture.
While one, like a scout ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke with, believed defensive coordinator Brian Flores had a lot of pull in the organization, another wasn’t a fan of the Banks selection.
“Caleb Banks is really talented but does not play with great desire and is hurt all the time,” a different exec said. “Scares me to death.”
The Athletic’s Mike Sando
It’s fascinating to see the reaction about the pick, but it’s obvious the potential is sky high. Players don’t move like Banks does, and his upside is something you can’t get at 18th overall. However, it’s what another executive said that is the most baffling.
Rival executives don’t understand the Minnesota Vikings
Let’s look at what another executive said about the class. They hit the nail on the head when talking about Jake Golday, but were off the mark with the 18th overall pick.
“Jake Golday is a perfect scheme fit for what Flores wants to do on the edge there,” another said. “It’s just interesting that they chose Banks over Dillon Thieneman, who could have been their next Harrison Smith. It just felt like they were doubling down on their defensive coordinator.”
The Athletic’s Mike Sando
It’s a fascinating take to talk about how Thieneman should have been the pick with the need at safety, but also talk about doubling down on Flores like it’s a negative. Not taking a safety early on and waiting on Jakobe Thomas in round three IS doubling down on Flores just as much as the Banks selection. So much about playing in Flores’ defense is about intelligence over athleticism, which means the Vikings can get those players late in the NFL Draft. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that they passed on the consensus choice for the second year in a row.
It’s fascinating to see people look at the Vikings from multiple perspectives, but there is a lack of understanding of what they are doing overall. Flores hasn’t prioritized safety one bit since he took over from a high-end talent standpoint. Banks is obviously a home run swing that could miss, but not selecting Thieneman always made sense.