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Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks is moving up several NFL Draft Big Boards including the Buccaneers / via Instagram

Writing The Ship: Banks Would Be A Big Bet For The Buccaneers

February 26, 2026

The NFL combine is under way and all the big name executives are there to watch it unfold. Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and their head coach Todd Bowles are no exception. Both will be paying close attention in interviews to see what players will fit this team.

One name they have already met with is Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks. This comes after recent comments from Licht saying that the defensive line class isn’t very deep and comment from Bowles saying he wants the team to get bigger. Well at 6 ‘6 and 330 lbs, Banks is one of the few potential top tier talents in the draft.

In terms of where he will be selected, there are a lot of varying opinions. Some believe he should be a top 20 pick in the draft. However, others see him as a second round pick.

So why so much variance? It’s all a matter of risk versus reward. What Banks is now and what he could someday become.

Here’s why Banks would be a big bet for the Buccaneers

Banks entered 2025 coming off a strong season in 2024. He had recorded 4.5 sacks and 7.0 tackles for a loss. The world was excited to see how he would build on his success going into his final college season.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be. Banks broke his foot in mid September which essentially ended his season. Although he did come back at the end of the year, he only played in three games and recorded just one tackle for loss and zero sacks.

So all we really have to judge him on is his 2024 performance. That isn’t a terrible thing because that was a good season. However, we didn’t get to see any growth he might have shown in 2025.

Banks had shown flashes of brilliance when he was on the field. He has rare size and ability to play all over the line of scrimmage. Whether he was at nose tackle, 3 technique or a big defensive end, he consistently popped off the screen at times.

The first thing that stands out is his power. If you want to move Banks off his spot then you’re better off calling a lawyer to evict him because he’s not getting pushed anywhere. He plays to every bit of his size.

Beyond that, Banks looks like a good athlete considering his size. He flashes good quickness off the snap and can use that to get into the backfield. Combine that with long arms and he has the potential to be very disruptive at the NFL level.

Although we didn’t get to see his skills last season, he was able to put them on display for scouts in another way. Banks was a standout for many at the Senior Bowl. He was one of the most impressive players during practices by many accounts and proved that he is still at least the player we remember from 2024, if not more.

Sounds like a no brainer type of pick, right? Here’s where things get complicated.

Banks is inconsistent with a lot of the things that make him a high ceiling player. His hand usage and burst off the line can be hit and miss. Inconsistency is not what you want from a player who has played as long as Banks has.

This was Banks’ 5th year of college football. He will turn 23 in a few weeks, which isn’t particularly young for a rookie in the NFL. It would be one thing if he was a prospect that hadn’t put it all together yet and he was about to turn 21 (like Auburn’s defensive lineman Keldric Faulk). But at 23, you really wonder how much better he is going to get at this point.

Banks really needed this past season to prove that he had become that polished, consistent player that we all want him to be. He has the makings of a game changing defensive talent if he can put it all together. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see that last year with his injury.

What we do know is that he has the physical tools to be great. He’s committed to his craft enough to return from injury at the end of a lost season when he didn’t have to and went to prove himself in a showcase event when he could have rested on his 2024 film. When you combine work ethic with a talent like this then good things usually happen.

But it’s a risk for the Bucs to take him at the 15th overall pick. It’s not like he was a dominant force in 2024, the team would have to bank on growth and development that no one got a chance to see last year. If the Buccaneers were to draft Banks in the first round then it would be a big bet and those don’t always pay off.

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