Florida football DT Caleb Banks raises NFL Draft stock at Senior Bowl

Former Florida football defensive tackle Caleb Banks entered Senior Bowl workouts eager to prove to NFL Scouts and personnel executives that he was healed from a broken footthat sidelined him the majority of the 2025 season.

Mission accomplished, The 6-foot-6, 360-pound Banks capped a strong week of workouts by recording half a sack in the Senior Bowl game in Mobile, Alabama, on Jan. 31.

Banks displayed his pass rush skills throughout the week, consistently knifing through double teams against some of the top college football offensive linemen in the country.

"I feel like I have the God-given talent to be able to go out there and dominate," Banks told the Detroit Free Press in an interview on Jan. 30.

Banks enjoyed a breakout junior season for the Florida Gators in 2024, recording 7 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He was a preseason All-SEC defensive lineman entering his senior year, but a broken foot limited him to just six tackles and one tackle for loss in three games for UF.

The strong week for Banks at the Senior Bowl re-established him as a potential first round pick in this April's NFL Draft, Banks will get more chances to showcase his skills at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in late February and at Florida football Pro Day in March.

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: How Florida football DT Caleb Banks helped rise draft stock at Senior Bowl