Analyzing Vikings Hire of Brian Flores as Defensive Coordinator

Offensively at the Shrine Bowl, Sikkema identified Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers as a potential first-round selection. He wrote:

“Flowers was on every single ‘watch list’ heading into the Shrine Bowl, and he did not disappoint. He simply moved at a different speed than the other receivers on the practice field. He had some first-round buzz going into All-Star week, and now it feels more likely than not that he’ll crack the top 31 picks in the draft. His tape has plenty of dynamic route-running and after-the-catch highlights, and he was able to showcase that again on many occasions during Shrine Bowl week.”

At the Senior Bowl, Sikkema added a pair of Big Ten defensive linemen — Wisconsin’s Keeanu Benton and Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore – posted high pass rush grades. He wrote:

“Benton was very impressive during Senior Bowl practices. He made a note to get better at pass rushing this past season and certainly did so, jumping from a 74.9 pass rush grade in 2021 to an 83.6 pass rush grade in 2022. At the Senior Bowl, he continued to improve in that area with great reps where he flashed fast and violent hand movements, good rip and swim moves and an ability to overpower some interior players. He can’t be seen as just your average nose tackle anymore. He showed he’s bringing the juice in pass rush, too.”

“Speaking of interior players who can collapse the pocket, no defensive lineman at the Senior Bowl posted a higher pass rush grade than Adebawore (91.8). He measured in at 6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, making him a unique player who can win with both leverage at the snap and length on his pass rushes. Senior Bowl week was his best showing as a pass rusher, as his career-high pass rush grade at Northwestern was 80.0 this past season. Even if it was a small sample size, NFL teams got a good look at what is possible for a player with Adebawore’s build and skill set. That should boost him to a Day 2 selection.”