Pick 18 wasn’t just about Banks
Take a breath. This was the right call. Here’s why:
It’s a weaker draft in general. The premiere OT/CB/DE/QBs? Mostly gone by 18.
The only R1 TE? Gone.
The best IOL? Gone.
We were left with our pick of the DTs, a WR, or Safety. DT was our biggest need by far, and frankly it’s a much deeper pool of prospects at S and WR compared to DT.
The R1-2 DTs are Banks, McDonald, Woods, Miller, and Hunter. I think all of those except maybe Hunter are gone by 49. Banks has the best physical tools, and is right up there for best pass rush. I’ve said several times that he’s the best DT in the class if healthy and would arguably be a top 10-15 pick. It’s also looking like a weaker DT draft next year. If we wanted an elite guy to impact the interior, we needed to take a risk. The only risks worth taking for DT for me were betting that either Banks can be healthy or McDonald can develop more pass rush.
If Banks was their guy, there’s no point waiting or trading down. A bunch of teams after us could have been in the DT market. Panthers, Cowboys, Bears, Chiefs, Patriots all were maybes.
Banks plus a R2-3 WR/S/LB/OL adds more overall talent than taking Thieneman or Lemon and a second tier DT like big citrus, Darrell Jackson, Halton, etc.