Lions to host Florida Gators defensive lineman for top-30 visit, one of the draft’s top players

The Lions are showing some interest in the former Gator despite his foot injury in hopes that maybe he falls out of the first round

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Florida DT Caleb Banks
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The Detroit Lions’ top-30 news has been pretty quiet to start, but finally, we have some leads. News has come out that the Lions have one scheduled with a defensive lineman.

Lions to host Florida’s Caleb Banks for top-30 visit

This is a big one for the Lions. Make no mistake about it. Banks is the 23rd-ranked player on our AtoZ Sports big board, and his average draft position is 21st. The thing Lions fans won’t like is that he spent a lot of last season on the shelf with a broken foot, and then he reaggravated that injury at the NFL Combine.

So what the Lions are likely looking for here is going to be the same thing the rest of the league is going to be curious about. Can they get a first-round player in a later round? If Banks were to fall to the second or third round, the Lions would be wise to jump on him since they’re a best-play-available type of team.

Banks fits what the Lions love to do on their defensive line. He’s played both defensive tackle and edge rusher at Florida, and he’s shown the ability to get pressure from both spots. In 2024, he had 29 pressures, four and a half sacks, seven tackles for a loss, and two forced fumbles in the SEC. That’s not easy to do, and that is why, despite the injury, teams are still looking at him as a first-round pick.

We’ll see what happens, but I would not look at Banks as a potential 17th overall pick. I would look at him for 50 though if he’s still there. Broken foot or not, he’s one of the best players in this draft.

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