Caleb Banks Is Climbing the NFL Draft Boards - and Fast
Every draft cycle features a late riser - a player who turns heads just in time to shake up the first round. This year, that player might just be Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks.
Once seen as a solid Day 2 pick, Banks is now making serious noise as a potential top-10 selection in April’s NFL Draft. And if recent buzz is any indication, teams are starting to view him as much more than just a developmental prospect with upside - they’re seeing a difference-maker in the making.
At 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, Banks is hard to miss. He’s got the kind of size that makes defensive coordinators salivate and offensive linemen sweat.
But it’s not just his frame that’s turning heads - it’s what he did with it at the Senior Bowl. Going up against some of the best offensive linemen in the country, Banks held his own and then some.
He flashed power at the point of attack, showed surprising quickness for a man his size, and demonstrated the kind of disruptive potential that’s increasingly valuable in today’s NFL.
That performance, paired with his physical profile, has scouts re-evaluating his ceiling. One recent mock draft even has him going ninth overall to the Kansas City Chiefs - a team that knows a thing or two about building through the trenches. It’s a notable leap for a player who, not long ago, was projected to hear his name called sometime on Day 2.
Of course, there are still questions. Banks doesn’t have a long track record of college production.
After spending three years at Louisville, he transferred to Florida in 2024 and put together his most complete season: 21 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles. Solid numbers, but not eye-popping.
Over his entire college career, he totaled just 48 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. That’s not a ton of tape to work with, especially for a player now being discussed as a top-tier pick.
But this is where scouting becomes an art as much as a science. When you turn on the film from 2024, you see flashes of what Banks could become.
The raw power. The ability to collapse the pocket.
The flashes of quickness off the snap. He’s not a finished product, but there’s a foundation there that NFL coaches will be eager to build on.
And it’s not like he’s the only big name in this defensive tackle class. Clemson’s Peter Woods, Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter, and Georgia’s Christen Miller are all in the mix.
For most of the year, Woods was widely viewed as the top dog in this group. But as Banks has surged, Woods has seen his stock cool off a bit.
It’s a reminder of how fluid draft boards can be - and how much weight teams place on late-season evaluations, all-star games, and pre-draft interviews.
Banks’ medical history and consistency issues - particularly with pad level - will still be under the microscope as teams do their homework. But when you stack him up against his peers, his physical tools stand out. And in a league that’s always hunting for interior disruptors who can wreck a game plan, that’s a big deal.
There’s still plenty of time between now and draft night, but one thing’s clear: Caleb Banks isn’t flying under the radar anymore. He’s squarely in the spotlight - and climbing.