Caleb Banks visited with the Arizona Cardinals
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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 13: Nic Anderson #4 of the LSU Tigers is tackled by Caleb Banks #88 of the Florida Gators at Tiger Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
As the combine ends, private workouts begin for teams wanting to get more time with draft prospects. The Arizona Cardinals worked out an intriguing prospect.
According to Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Banks’ Instagram, he visited the Cardinals this week.
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Caleb Banks visited the Cardinals
While ESPN has Banks as their No. 51 prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, and fourth at his position, he possesses an immense level of talent.
At 6-foot-6, 330 pounds, Banks is an imposing figure on the defensive line. The senior from Detroit will be entering the draft after coming out of an injury-plagued season, playing just three games.
What Would Banks Bring to the Arizona Cardinals?
Banks played on the Florida defensive line the last three seasons, accumulating 5.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss.
Before playing for the Gators, Banks played for Louisville.
According to his combine draft profile made by NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein, he is compared to Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr.
“Big-framed, long-limbed interior defender whose play needs more polish to consistently match his traits,” Zierlein wrote. “Banks has a quick first step. He can stun/control single blocks when his hand strikes are timely and accurate, but he needs faster disengagement to increase his tackle count. His high center of gravity allows double teams to generate displacement, so a move to odd-front end could be in his best interest as a run defender. Like a grappler without submission knowledge, Banks is still learning to unlock his physical advantages so he can turn them into sacks.”
Banks ran a 5.04 40-yard dash, a great show of athleticism for his size.
While he only played three games in 2025 due to a foot injury, he is considered to be a late first or early second-round prospect.
With the Cardinals owning the No. 34 overall pick, they can trade up if they like Banks enough. He could also be available at their second-round pick.
How Would Banks Fit in the Desert?
Banks would immediately slide into an Arizona defensive line that needs a lot of work. The Cardinals had just 30 sacks in 2025. Just 9.5 of those came from defensive linemen, with 6.5 of them being Calais Campbell.
Arizona has spent heavy resources on the defensive line in recent offseasons. Arizona has spent first-round picks on Darius Robinson and Walter Nolen III, while signing names like Dalvin Tomlinson and others.
Banks has those injury concerns, but so do Robinson and Nolen. Robinson and Nolen played just six games each in their rookie seasons.
While both have shown flashes, it just hasn’t been enough to get to the quarterback. Josh Sweat had 12 sacks in 2025, but he needs more help.
Campbell, who is entering his age-40 season, is undecided on his future with Arizona and the league.
It would be wise for the Cardinals to spend early draft capital on a defensive line that has been injured much of the last couple of seasons, while being inconsistent when healthy.
If Banks is the answer, the Cardinals should jump on selecting him.