Florida tackles Banks, Barber included in latest NFL.com 4-round mock
NFL.com recently released a four-round mock NFL draft, with Gators Caleb Banks and Austin Barber projected to go in the first two rounds.
With just about a month to go before the 2026 NFL draft begins, mock draft season is officially in full swing. NFL. com draft analyst Chad Reuter released his four-round mock draft on Friday and included a pair of Florida Gators on his list.
Reuter projected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to select defensive tackle Caleb Banks with the 15th overall pick, and he has offensive tackle Austin Barber staying in-state with the Miami Dolphins picking him up in the second round at No. 43 overall. "The Buccaneers may very well overlook Banks' recent foot injury — which reportedly will sideline him until June 1 because few humans possess his combination of size (6-foot-6, 327 pounds, 35-inch arms) and agility," Reuter wrote in his first-round breakdown.
"Alongside Vita Vea, Banks will form a wall in the run game and provide some interior pass rush that'll make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Vea is a free agent next year, so a healthy Banks could fill those huge shoes, if needed, in the Bucs' defensive front. " Banks spent most of the season injured, and he suffered another injury before his Draft Combine workout.
Still, he left Indianapolis as one of the breakout stars of the combine, posting a 5. 04-second 40-yard dash, a 32-inch vertical jump and a 114-inch broad jump. There are questions about him being injury-prone, but the perceived upside might be enough for teams to take a chance on him in the first round.