While so much was made about Caleb Banks' surgically repaired foot throughout the draft process, it seems as though Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is more concerned about what he can do, as opposed to what he cannot do. Banks was an athletic marvel in high school and at Florida. He started out at wide receiver, then quarterback, then tight end, all before playing defensive tackle.
O'Connell responded to Pete Bursich of KFAN's question about if Banks will play in goal-line spots.
"Well, Pete, where I'm sitting right now is just inside my office, and I can see into the draft room and across the hall and see Brian Flores, so I don't want to answer that question with honesty at this moment because, yes, the answer is yes. He's got the athleticism to do a lot of things. But you know what? He's got the athleticism to do is wreck the pocket, provide, be a real difference maker."
Not to say that Bursich put O'Connell on the spot here, but yes, whenever you have a high-end player who can do all sorts of things on the gridiron, it is usually better for your team. This does not mean the Vikings will use Banks like the New Orleans Saints have for years with Taysom Hill, but adding an interesting wrinkle into goal-line spots could be huge for the Vikings. They need to create some juice.
With it being the first draft after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's departure, there is a lot to like about this pick.
Kevin O'Connell raves about Caleb Banks' versatility over injury concerns
Where things stand now, the Vikings will have their work cut out for them to get back into good graces in the deep NFC North. Moving on from Sam Darnold after one season was a disaster. While J.J. McCarthy looked absolutely pitiful at times, Darnold helped Seattle win its second Super Bowl in year one with the franchise. O'Connell is an offensive guy, but he knows defense wins in Minnesota.
One of the big advantages he has is an elite coaching staff behind him. Brian Flores is so grossly overqualified to be a defensive coordinator at this point, it is ridiculous. His tenure running Miami has done irrefutable damage to his coaching career, but Flores knows ball. The same principle applies to Ryan Nielsen, who has led one great defense after another wherever he has worked at in the NFL.
At this time, this upcoming season should be all about integrating Banks into a new NFL system, being productive whenever he is out there, and above all else, staying healthy. For as intriguing of a player as he could be in goal-line situations, he was a first-round pick to wreak havoc in the trenches defensively. Minnesota is always at its best when it can do damage disrupting the opposing offenses.
The good news in all of this is O'Connell does not seem overly concerned about Banks' bill of health.
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