Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos have a lot going for them on both sides of the ball. The great teams sustain the level of performance the Broncos have shown over the past season-plus. A player like Florida’s Caleb Banks could help the Broncos do that.
Denver boasts top-10 units in the run and pass games on defense. Banks, a massive presence along the defensive line, can be a factor in both.
Moreover, he could be an ideal fit for what the Broncos have already built defensively.
Broncos Projected to Draft Florida Gators DL Caleb Banks
GettyCaleb Banks #88 of the Florida Gators celebrates a defensive stop against the LSU Tigers.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projected Banks, a fifth-year player who began his collegiate career at Louisville, to the Broncos, with the No. 30 overall pick of the 2026 draft.
Brugler noted a foot injury that derailed Banks’ 2025 season, but has not dimmed “high” hopes.
“The intrigue and interest are still there for the 6-6, 330-pounder, who has 35-inch arms and can impact both the run game and passing game,” Brugler wrote on December 3. “Banks would give the Broncos important depth at multiple spots in their various fronts.”
Banks was only available for the Gators for three contests this season. He missed seven straight outings from September 13 until November 22.
He finished the season with 3 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 fumble recovery.
“Banks is a humongous human with verified measurements that will make him one of the NFL’s largest defensive linemen the moment he is drafted. That size is a strong selling point, but I was even more impressed with Banks’ dogged effort and ability to create force. Straight out of the Chris Jones playbook, Banks uses his length to create movement, and his effort from the backside is outstanding,” Brugler wrote in his preseason profile in July.
“On a per-snap basis, Banks was one of the most disruptive interior defensive linemen in college football last season due to his ability to generate force to the football.”
The most encouraging part of Brugler’s projection was arguably that he has the Broncos picking 30th overall. That indicates a deep playoff run, albeit one that admittedly falls short of the Broncos’ stated goal. They have made it clear they want to reach (and win) the Super Bowl.
Caleb Banks a Worthwhile Project
GettyCaleb Banks #88 of the Florida Gators celebrates a fumble recovery against the LSU Tigers.
Before the season, Brugler listed Banks as his No. 2 DT prospect, citing “downhill force” as his “best trait.” Brugler listed his “pad level” as needing improvement.
“Standing over 6 feet 6, Banks unsurprisingly struggles with leverage issues at times when blockers can get underneath and stand him up,” Brugler wrote. “He has problems with angle blocks, which can cause him to move out of the run lanes. Banks has superb chase skills in the run game, but he can improve as a run-game finisher in close quarters.”
Banks has “No. 1 criterion” Brugler seeks from defensive line prospects, though.
“Draft the guys who hate to be blocked. Banks qualifies because of the different ways he can unwind from blocks or power through contact,” Brugler wrote in the July profile. “Although he is a work in progress in several areas (both on and off the field), Banks is long and strong and still has plenty of untapped potential. Several NFL teams have stamped him this summer with second-round grades.”
The Broncos have 2024 Second Team All-Pro Zach Allen signed through 2030 on a four-year $102 million contract. Nose tackle D.J. Jones is signed through 2027 on a three-year, $39 million pact, while “sixth man” DT Malcolm Roach received a three-year, $27.8 million extension.
However, starting defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers is on an expiring two-year, $15 million contract. The Broncos have shown no interest in extending him so far.
Rookie third-round pick Sai’vion Jones has only played one game this season.
Banks could offer the Broncos a more immediately impactful player. Moreover, he would join when they need to replace Franklin-Myers in the starting lineup or replace Roach off the bench. That is, assuming Denver does not have big plans for Eyioma Uwazurike and Jordan Jackson.
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