The Kansas City Chiefs have prioritized improving their pass rush, and DT Caleb Banks of Florida would definitely help.
The Kansas City Chiefs have made it fairly obvious that improving their pass rush is a priority in the upcoming NFL draft, but taking a top edge rusher isn’t the only way to get this done. The Chiefs have also had a pre-draft visit with defensive tackle Caleb Banks of Florida, and he’s a fascinating possibility after his sudden rise up the draft board, according to Nikhil Mehta of ProFootballRumors.com.
Banks has been busy doing a lot of visits lately. So far he’s talked to the Chiefs, the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals, and his itinerary will also have him visiting the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Chargers, so he’s clearly covering all the bases.
All of this has been precipitated by his outstanding performance at the NFL combine, which featured a 5.04 40-yard dash and a 9’6” broad jump by the 327-pound interior lineman. Banks' draft stock had cooled based on some medicals that reveled a foot fracture he suffered before taking the field at the combine, according to Mehta, and teams were understandably reluctant to use a top draft pick on Banks, even though his impressive performance occurred while he was still injured.
But Banks underwent surgery to fix the problem in mid-March, which also raised his stock despite the fact that he’s expected to miss some of his first NFL offseason program regardless of which team takes him. His busy schedule is almost certainly designed to reassure teams about his medicals, Mehta added, but Banks is a prime prospect in terms of talent and upside.
His arm length is 35 inches, which is a strong number, and Banks’ size and athleticism overwhelmed many of the offensive linemen he faced in college, even in the powerhouse SEC. He’ll need to fine-tune his technique, but evaluators feel Banks has all the necessary tools to succeed at the next level.
Banks would be something of a surprise selection for Kansas City, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility given the Chiefs' draft positions. The Chiefs added Khyiris Tonga in free agency to bolster the middle of their line, but they have more than enough draft capital to move around the board and land Banks if they have him rated highly. He’s a bit of an outlier for the Chiefs right now, but that could easily change when the Kansas City takes to the podium on April 23 to announce their picks.