This Florida Gators star has been hit with a rather rough take ahead of the NFL Draft.
The Florida Gators don't have a whole lot of top-tier talent heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, but one name that truly stands out is defensive tackle Caleb Banks.
Banks played in just three games this past season due to a foot injury that required surgery, but during his time at Florida overall, he was impressive.
The 6-foot-6, 330-pound behemoth joined the Gators in 2023 after transferring over from Louisville and proceeded to break out in 2024, finishing with 21 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles.
Banks has been on the NFL radar ever since, and even with the Detroit native missing most of 2025, he is still viewed as a top defensive tackle prospect.
However, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com clearly has concerns about Banks.
While he ranked Banks 39th overall on his list of top 50 draft prospects and wonders if he could potentially slip come April.
Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Banks. Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images."He’s very disruptive but struggles to finish with production," Jeremiah wrote. "He’s frustrating to watch against the run. He flashes knock-back power on the front side and range on the back side. However, there are long dry stretches where he hangs on blocks or gets washed down the line of scrimmage. Overall, Banks has a lot of talent, but his injury history and inconsistency could slide him down the board on draft day."
Obviously, Jeremiah feels that the gargantuan Banks should be a more consistently productive interior defender than he has shown, but it's pretty clear that the 24-year-old has high-end talent.
Banks' age is a bit of a concern, as he is older than most prospects. He spent two years at Louisville before transferring to Florida, so there's that.
But given his size and incredible athleticism, Banks seems like the type of player who could slide into a team's defensive line rotation and produce right off the bat.
Defensive tackles are extremely valuable, so there will surely be a team that selects him on Day 2, at the latest. Some even feel that Banks could get selected in the middle of the first round.
The injury definitely affected Banks' draft stock, but it would not be the least bit surprising if ends up becoming a monster on the NFL level.
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