NFL teams received a letter Wednesday saying Caleb Banks is on pace to be fully cleared for full football activities by early June, a notable step for the defensive tackle as the draft approaches. Banks, who is recovering from a repaired bone in his foot, underwent a CT scan Tuesday as part of the update.
The news matters because Banks had once been viewed as a top 10 prospect before injuries complicated his rise. He was limited to three games last season at Florida because of the same foot, and he broke that bone again at the NFL scouting combine in February after a strong showing at the Senior Bowl in January.
Before the injury, Banks produced seven tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2024, numbers that helped keep him in Round 1 conversation even as some teams wondered whether he would be available on Day 2. Houston has been linked to Banks throughout the draft process and owns eight draft picks, including four in the top 70, giving it more than one path if it decides the upside is worth the medical uncertainty.
The Texans still need long-term help at defensive tackle even after signing Sheldon Rankins, and the interior remains thin beyond 2026 after the team lost Tim Settle in free agency and cut Mario Edwards Jr. That leaves Banks' updated timeline in a cleaner light for clubs weighing him against the risk that followed him through his final two college seasons.
If his recovery keeps moving the way the letter says it will, Banks should enter the draft as one of the more intriguing talents on the board, with the medical questions no longer as severe as they looked a few weeks ago.
