The Question Brian Flores Didn’t Want to Answer
Vikings DC Brian Flores has seen some things in his NFL coaching career. As a result, he can dig into his mental Rolodex for player comparisons. Goodness, he did so back in 2024 when insisting that Dallas Turner is reminiscent of Dont’a Hightower.
The Caleb Banks pick didn’t prompt any notable name comparisons.
Coach Flores did a sitdown interview with the Minnesota media during the draft. He handled plenty of questions, offering sophistication and charm from within a range of answers that spoke to Minnesota’s DT decision in the 2026 NFL Draft. “He’s a very rare type of guy,” Flores said in response to the possible Banks comparison before making a joke, “You’re trying to get me to throw a name out here.” There’s then a mention of Banks being “big” and “smart” before noting the need to get to work.
Brian Flores, Caleb Banks, & Being a Unique Talent
To be sure, there’s good reason to be cautious with player comparisons.
Insisting that a new safety is going to be like Harrison Smith means that the player is going to face huge expectations. Maybe that player does become like Smith, but that’s a high bar to clear. Quite possibly, the move is to let a young fella be a young fella. Put differently, let the newcomer move through football unburdened by these comparisons, simply playing his own game.
But then there’s the merit of player comparisons, at least for those from the outside looking in.
NFL fans who don’t have a huge knowledge of college ball can sometimes find it difficult to understand what a new player is going to offer. These fans see the speed, size, and stats but can’t quite get a grasp of how that player plays. So, compare Jordan Addison to Stefon Diggs insofar as both are smaller receivers who can break a corner’s ankles. The comparison isn’t perfect — Addison is a better athlete, Diggs runs viciously-precise routes — but there’s a concrete example that will help fill the knowledge gap for the uninitiated.
Brian Flores wasn’t particularly keen about playing the game.
Part of what makes his non-answer fascinating is that he has an extensive history in the NFL. The long-time Patriots coach has also worked with the Dolphins, Steelers, and Vikings. There has been a ton of digital ink spilled on the possibility of Christian Wilkins — who stands at 6’4″ and 310 pounds — in Minnesota. Would he be a good example as a different 1st-Round DT from Coach Flores’ history?
If so, the coach wasn’t willing to connect those purple dots, at least not publicly. Rather, there was an emphasis on what makes Banks unique while praising his potential.
Mr. Banks comes in at 6’6″ and weighs roughly 325 pounds. Do note, though, that Banks wants to shrink his weight down a touch, dropping somewhere around ten pounds so that he can play within the 315-320 range.
Caleb Banks only played in three games in 2025. His stats show 6 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery. In 2024, Banks played in a dozen games. His final stats show a tackle tally sitting at 21 to stand alongside his 4.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. Even better, Banks created 2 forced fumbles.
Brian Flores (and Ryan Nielsen) will be instrumental in pushing Banks toward becoming a truly unique player in the NFL.
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