Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Banks has been selected by an NFC North team.
Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Banks was one of the most polarizing prospects heading into this year's NFL Draft, and on Day 1 Thursday night, he found a home.
The Minnesota Vikings have selected Banks with the 18th overall pick, which was somewhat of a surprise given Banks' health status.
Banks was viewed by some as a potential top-10 pick a couple of months ago, but he suffered a fractured foot the night before the Scouting Combine. He did a partial workout in Indianapolis not knowing of the injury, and then underwent surgery.
It marked the second time in six months that the star defender was forced to undergo foot surgery, as he sustained a very similar injury early in the 2025 campaign.
This was obviously a significant red flag for plenty of NFL teams, especially given Banks' sheer size at 6-foot-6, 330 pounds.
But clearly, it did not deter the Vikings — who had an obvious need on the interior — from taking him in the first round.
Banks is definitely a boom-or-bust type of talent.
The 22-year-old began his collegiate career at Louisville in 2021 and spent two seasons with the Cardinals before transferring to Florida in 2023.
He actually did not post a whole lot of production throughout his NCAA tenure, with his best season coming in 2024 when he registered 21 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Clearly, Minnesota is betting on his potential rather than what he did on paper, because the latter was not entirely impressive.
Still, it's hard to ignore just how tantalizing of a prospect Banks is.
Not only does he possess incredible size, but he also has tremendous athleticism and could develop into a dominant force on the professional level.
Banks has been likened by some to Calais Campbell, who is probably a future Hall-of-Famer. Whether or not he ever comes close to reaching that level remains to be seen, but the comparisons are valid from a size and freakish athleticism standpoint.
The Gators have a few other players who may come off the board on Day 2 of the NFL Draft on Friday night, but that's likely it for them on Day 1.