This Florida Gators star has landed himself a surprising NFL Draft outlook.
Heading into the 2025 college football season, many were on the lookout for Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Banks, who was coming off of a very strong campaign the year prior.
As a result, Banks was tabbed as a very intriguing NFL Draft prospect, and big things were expected from during his final season at Florida.
However, a foot injury that would ultimately require surgery limited Banks to just three games in 2025, ruining his chance of improving his NFL Draft stock.
Many had Banks slipping into the second round during mock drafts throughout the campaign, but suddenly, Banks appears to be rising once again.
In fact, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus has ranked Banks 14th on his list of the top 315 NFL Draft prospects.
"Banks is a big, strong, and violent player with the size and strength to be an impactful defensive lineman in the NFL," Sikkema wrote. "He brings a strong club move that he relies on to get past blockers and into the backfield as a go-to option."
Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Banks. Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images.Sikkema added that Banks must realize that he won't simply be able to overpower offensive linemen on the professional level, however.
"Right now, Banks just wins with power," Sikkema wrote. "He must improve his pass-rush diversity and pad level, areas that have held his career pass-rush win rate below 12.0% heading into 2025."
Banks actually began his collegiate career at Louisville in 2021 and spent two years with the Cardinals before transferring to Florida ahead of 2023. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024, racking up 21 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
At 6-foot-6, 330 pounds, Banks possesses tremendous size but also incredible athleticism for the NFL.
His talent and physical archetype isn't the question. The problem for Banks is that he barely got to play during his final collegiate campaign, and the foot injury may give NFL teams some pause when thinking about drafting him.
That being said, it's hard to overlook Banks' potential, and there is a chance he could end up being the top interior defensive lineman from this draft class.
More and more mock drafts now have Banks going in the first round this April, so we will see what becomes of the Detroit native.