GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks is returning to the field in hopes of impressing NFL scouts.
The 6-foot-5, 330-pound senior injured his left foot in training camp and reinjured it during his season debut, a Week 3 loss at LSU. Once projected as a potential first-round draft pick in 2026, Banks spent the last two months recovering from surgery and plans to play the final two games for the Gators (3-7, 2-5 SEC).
“It’ll be nice to get him back, another big body in front to come help us in that run game as well,” Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales said.
Banks has plenty to prove, beginning with Saturday’s rivalry game against No. 20 Tennessee. It’s a common theme for players in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.
With the NFL draft five months away, the SEC looks like it could have its fewest number of first-round picks since sending just seven to the stage in 2015. Up for debate is whether it’s a one-year fluke or the direct result of revenue-sharing and name, image and likeness payments causing the top talent to be spread across more programs.
“The SEC is basically indicative of what the 2026 draft is going to look like,” said longtime NFL evaluator Tony Pauline, who spent the last three years at Sportskeeda Pro Football. “It’s disappointing and filled with a lot of players who have not met expectations.
“It’s no coincidence that the NFL draft is going to be an uninspired one, especially at the top, and it goes hand in hand with that’s exactly what’s happening with the SEC.”
The SEC has enjoyed at least 10 first-round selections in five of the last six years, and adding Texas and Oklahoma in 2024 was only supposed to increase the league’s draft dominance.
The conference landed 15 players in the first round — nearly half the opening-night picks — in April. But that number is expected to drop next year, according to several NFL decision-makers who spoke to The Associated Press.
First-round locks in 2026
The general consensus is the SEC won’t reach double digits in the first round, and maybe even more surprising, won’t have a top-five pick for the first time since 2018.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has been the league’s biggest riser thanks partly to his 22 touchdowns and two interceptions. He joins Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor, Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk, Georgia linebacker CJ Allen, LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas, Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell and Tennessee cornerbacks Colton Hood and Jermod McCoy.
McCoy, a preseason All-America selection who intercepted four passes in 2024, hasn’t played since tearing a knee ligament in January but is considered talented enough that NFL teams won’t hesitate to call his name in the first round.
“I don’t think it’s fair for me to put a timeline on it,” Volunteers coach Josh Heupel said. “He had a real injury that he’s been working hard to get back from. He continues to make progress, a great teammate in the way he’s tried to get himself back.”
Guys on the outside of the first round looking in
Alabama receiver Germie Bernard, Crimson Tide defensive linemen Tim Keenan and LT Overton, Arkansas defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr., LSU outside linebacker Harold Perkins and Texas linebacker Anthony Hill seemingly have work to do to move into the first round.
“None of the Alabama guys except for Ty Simpson has really elevated their game, and this is a down year for Georgia,” Pauline said. “When the SEC’s top prospects have not played up to expectations, it affects the draft as a whole.”
Biggest disappointments of 2025
Auburn left tackle Xavier Chaplin, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers and Texas quarterback Arch Manning have been the league’s biggest disappointments.
Chaplin has been a “human penalty flag” and has “probably got to go back to school,” Pauline said. Chaplin, a highly touted transfer from Virginia Tech, has been penalized repeatedly for false starts this season. It was such a problem that the Tigers had his hearing tested during an early season bye week and discovered an issue.
Nussmeier, Sellers and Manning were Heisman Trophy front-runners to open the season, but they rank 12th, 13th and 10th in the league, respectively, in QB rating.
SEC future is bright with these players
While the 2026 draft might be a step back for the SEC, the future appears bright, with a number of sophomores with first-round potential. The list includes Alabama receiver Ryan Williams, Alabama linebacker Yhonzae Pierre, Auburn receiver Cam Coleman, Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, Texas receiver Ryan Wingo and four running backs: Florida’s Jadan Baugh, Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy, Mississippi’s Kewan Lacy and Tennessee’s DeSean Bishop.
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