With the 2026 NFL Draft quickly approaching, this mock draft has the Chicago Bears selecting Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks. Here is why that would be a risky selection for head coach Ben Johnson's team.
The Chicago Bears' window to compete for NFC North titles and make deep playoff runs is officially open.
After a successful 2025 season with Ben Johnson as head coach, the team has its sights on recreating another memorable year, but doing so from ground zero and forgetting the NFC North championship and playoff win that highlighted last season.
To help the Bears remain competitive, selecting players who can become Day 1 contributors will be important.
In a recent mock draft, Pro Football Focus has the Bears taking Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks with the 25th overall pick. Although a talented prospect, there are some serious questions about him.
His physical makeup is off the charts: 6-foot-6, 327 pounds.
Banks wins with heavy hands and generates some serious power when engaging with opposing offensive linemen.
He ran a 5.04 40-yard dash and registered a 1.76 10-yard split at the NFL Scouting Combine. Those numbers are impressive for a player his size and that explosiveness translated on the football field. His first step helps him win instantly.
What's even more impressive with those combine numbers is that Banks broke his foot the day before he competed at the combine, but that is also one of the biggest issues.
Banks hasn't be healthy. His most recent foot injury will sideline the massive defensive tackle until June. Banks had surgery to repair a fracture in his fourth metatarsal on March 16.
His final season at Florida was cut short because of a previous foot injury. He played in just three games. Despite starting his college career in Louisville in 2021, Banks has just 929 total defensive snaps played.
The basketball idiom "million dollar move, 10 cent finish" also applies to Bank. The Florida defensive tackle does a great job of getting into the backfield, winning his blocks, but he consistently misses tackles on ball carriers. Banks ended his collegiate career with a 25.5% missed tackle rate.
With his size, it shouldn't take much to bring down down any opposing player, but Banks showed that isn't the case. NFL coaching should help this part of his game, but something has fundamental as tackling shouldn't have to be the focus for a first-round draft pick.
There's also scheme fit questions with Banks. He has a much bigger frame than what defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has usually had in his interior defensive lineman. This might not matter all too much, but according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, Banks' NFL comparison is Bears IDL Gervon Dexer Sr.
The previous Bears regime drafted Dexter, and there were mixed results from him in the first season with Allen.
General manager Ryan Poles needs to continue adding instant playmakers to the roster, especially in the first round. Banks would be a risky selection if Chicago elected to make him the team's first selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.