Florida football defensive tackle Caleb Banks has opted to take a proactive approach regarding his health status entering 2026 NFL Draft.According to ESPN.com's Pete Thamel, Banks sent a letter to NFL Draft that a CT scan on April 21 on a surgically repaired bone in his left foot is healing and that he's “on pace to be fully cleared for full football activities in early June.”The 6-foot-6, 327-pound Banks played in just three games for the Florida Gators in 2025 due to a broken foot, which he first suffered in training camp in August of 2025. He recovered and raised his draft stock at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, but re-broke the foot at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
On a broken foot, Banks ran a 5.1 in the 40-yard dash at the combine."That's when I started feeling it, like, real, real bad," Banks said at UF's Pro Day last month. "Well, after the first 40, I started feeling real bad. Then I ran the second one, I ran a 5.1.
So, yeah, I tried to do a drill, didn't look good, didn't want to put anything like that on film."After a breakout 2024 season for Florida that included 7 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, Banks entered the 2025 season as a preseason All-SEC defensive lineman before his injury woes. USA Today projects Banks to go 41st overall in the second round to the New England Patriots (draft day trade) in its latest mock draft.Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football DT Caleb Banks updates foot injury prior to 2026 NFL Draft