Video: Paolo Banchero effortlessly breaks tackles and looks like future NFL star in throwback clip from middle school
Paolo Banchero is among the top prospects in the NBA draft, but he was once a football standout with NFL potential.
Before becoming an NBA prospect or leading the Duke Blue Devils, Banchero was a typical teenage athlete. As with many elite youth athletes, Banchero played multiple sports.
While Banchero will soon be one of the top picks in the NBA draft on Thursday, he might have been a top NFL draft pick. In middle school, he showed a level of athleticism that was comparable to other future NFL prospects.
Back in middle school, Paolo Banchero was on an elite traveling football team that played against many future D1 athletes.
Here's what he looked like:
https://t.co/f99DaI3srh
The future Division I athletes on the field in that middle school game all developed as the years went on, but so did Banchero. Banchero was one of the best pure athletes in college basketball last season, and that would translate on the football field.
Despite Banchero's height (6-foot-10) making it difficult to play in the NFL, he still showed pro potential. Players have had to choose between football and basketball, and height can be a factor.
He's no Jalen Suggs, but #Duke's Paolo Banchero won a state championship in Washington as a 6'9 freshman dual-threat QB.
He stopped playing football after, but all signs pointed to a college, maybe NFL, future as a QB.
Instead, he'll be a top-3 pick in the #NBADraft. Not bad. https://t.co/K4GJraZe1n
Jalen Suggs was the best basketball and football player in Minnesota as a senior. While being an athletic dual-threat quarterback would give Banchero a chance at the NFL, his case was not guaranteed.
As athletic as Banchero is, there is a reason why there have only been a handful of giants in NFL history. Only one player has ever been taller than Banchero.
Still, many of the factors that made Banchero great at football are giving him a chance to be a top pick in the NBA draft.
Paolo Banchero's skillset gave him a chance to reach the NBA or the NFL
One of the significant reasons why Paolo Banchero is a top prospect in the NBA draft is his size and athleticism. Banchero's size and athleticism also gave him a chance at being an NFL quarterback.
As I'm revisiting some of my earlier notes and prepping for the @LockedOnRockets draft profiles of the top prospects, I genuinely think I've been too down on Paolo Banchero.
I still have Jabari & Chet ahead of him, but his combination of size, athleticism and skill is legit.
Banchero, the son of University of Washington tight end Mario Banchero, shined in junior high, high school and college basketball as a pure athletic prospect. Few people built like Banchero have the skills to match what he can do on the court.
There appears to be growing confidence in Banchero as Thursday's NBA draft approaches.
Paolo Banchero’s No. 1 overall pick odds have been moving drastically.
The Duke forward is now +200, after Jabari Smith at -150, per @fdsportsbook. https://t.co/Z5peGcCVv1
The odds for different prospects constantly flux during the leadup to the draft. Still, Banchero's odds have moved significantly and reflect growing confidence that he is the top prospect.
While the movement does not mean Banchero will be taken higher, it is a good sign for him. The more confidence oddsmakers have in a top prospect, the more the player receives praise from influencers.