The Green Bay Packers head into the 2026 offseason with a crowded-but still unproven-interior defensive line room. Ten players are under contract, yet none have more than four years of NFL experience.
That makes Devonte Wyatt, entering his fourth season, the veteran presence by default. It’s a group loaded with youth and potential, but light on established production.
And that’s a concern for a franchise with postseason ambitions.
General manager Brian Gutekunst has some decisions to make. The current roster might be deep in bodies, but it’s thin on long-term answers.
That’s why it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Packers invest multiple draft picks into the interior defensive line this April. Free agency could be in play too, but the draft offers a chance to build a foundation - and potentially land a game-changer.
One name that’s starting to generate real buzz in draft circles is Florida’s Caleb Banks. He’s not just another big body in the trenches - he’s a 6-foot-6, 330-pound athletic anomaly with rare movement skills for his size. Banks has been climbing boards since the Senior Bowl, where he reportedly got better with each practice rep, flashing a blend of power, quickness, and raw disruption that’s hard to ignore.
Now, let’s be clear - Banks isn’t a perfect prospect. He’ll turn 25 in October, which is older than most first-rounders.
He also has a foot injury in his recent past, which could cause some teams to pause. But in a league where interior pressure is at a premium, his upside keeps him firmly in the Round 1 conversation.
The Packers, however, don’t currently pick until No. 52 overall. And under Gutekunst, they’ve only selected one interior defensive lineman inside the top 100. That trend raises a legitimate question: would they be willing to break from precedent and spend significant draft capital on a player like Banks - one who’s older, has an injury history, but also offers sky-high potential?
If they do, it’ll be because of what Banks brings on the field. His 2024 season at Florida showed why teams are intrigued.
After a quiet start to his college career at Louisville, where he played sparingly in two seasons, Banks transferred to Florida and began to shine. He played in all 12 games in 2023, then broke out in 2024 with career-best numbers, including 4.5 sacks - a solid mark for an interior lineman.
More importantly, he consistently flashed traits that translate to the next level.
We’re talking about a player with 35-inch arms who can line up across the line, power through double teams, and win one-on-one matchups with a combination of burst and hand usage. His 20% win rate on true pass sets in 2024 is a strong indicator of his ability to disrupt from the inside - something the Packers have lacked since the days of peak Mike Daniels.
Even when he wasn’t racking up stats, Banks was making his presence felt. He was one of the top pressure producers among interior defenders in the SEC when healthy, and that’s no small feat in a conference loaded with NFL-caliber offensive linemen. Scouts and analysts alike have taken notice - some even believe he has top-10 talent when fully healthy.
So why might he still be available when the Packers are on the clock? Age and injury history, plain and simple.
Those are factors that tend to push players down boards, especially for teams that prioritize long-term durability and development windows. But for a team like Green Bay - one that’s inching closer to contention and could use an immediate contributor in the trenches - this might be the year to take a calculated swing.
The Packers haven’t had a true tone-setter on the interior in a while. Kenny Clark has been a steady presence, and Devonte Wyatt has flashed, but the group lacks a dominant disruptor who can collapse the pocket and force offenses to adjust. Banks, if healthy, has the tools to be that guy.
It’s still a long shot that Green Bay uses a top-100 pick on him, especially given their draft history. But if Banks slides - and if the Packers are serious about fortifying the heart of their defense - he’s a player worth watching closely. Because when you find a 330-pounder who moves like a tight end and hits like a freight train, you don’t let that kind of talent slip by without a long, hard look.