While Ryan Poles has added some veteran depth to the Bears’ defensive line, at this point in the offseason, fortifying that position group still seems to be the fifth-year general manager’s most pressing task.
With that being the case, taking a defensive lineman with the 25th overall pick seems not only possible, but likely for the Bears when the NFL Draft rolls around this April.
One of the defensive line candidates to be that 25th pick, though, might no longer be an option. Florida’s Caleb Banks, who some see as the top interior defensive lineman in this draft class, suffered a fracture in his foot at the NFL Combine a few weeks ago and had that fracture repaired on March 9, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Sources: DT Caleb Banks suffered a broken foot at the Combine that will sideline him until June.The injury happened the night before his on-field testing. He performed a partial workout not knowing the extent of the injury. The fracture of the fourth metatarsal was surgically…
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 12, 2026Is Caleb Banks Off The Board For The Chicago Bears?
It’s tough to sugarcoat this one for Banks. The foot surgery will almost certainly cost him his 1st Round draft position and could very well slide him down to Day 3. According to Brugler’s report, the injury is expected to sideline Banks until at least June, which would keep him out for rookie workouts in the spring and have him questionable for minicamp.
This is the second time in less than a year that Banks suffered a foot injury that has caused him to miss some time. Last summer, he suffered an injury to his foot that kept him out of Florida’s first two games of the season. He then tried coming back for Week 3, only to re-aggravate the injury, and was then sidelined until November.
That said, Banks did go through a partial workout in Indy at the Combine. He ran the 40-yard dash and did the vertical and broad jumps as well before ending his workout early. According to the report, the foot injury was suffered the night before the workout, though no more details have been provided.
While it’s not certain if the foot injury suffered at the combine is related to the one from his time at Florida, either way, it’s not good. Foot injuries for big men, especially defensive linemen, are a major red flag around draft time. The fact that Banks has suffered multiple injuries in less than a year will certainly give GMs some pause.
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Now, I was never totally on board with the idea of Banks going to the Bears at 25th. He fit a similar profile to Gervon Dexter Sr. (actually, he was NFL.com’s draft comp). Incredibly athletic and strong for his size, but needed to work on technique and motor at times. So, essentially, high ceiling, but also low floor. If the Bears take a defensive lineman 25th overall, they really do need that pick to hit badly, and in my opinion, Banks was always a bit too risky. Now, with the foot issues, I would say he’s borderline untouchable at that spot.
However, if this foot injury were to cause him to drop to maybe the 2nd Round pick Chicago received from the Bills in the DJ Moore trade (60th overall) or even beyond that, I would certainly be open to a player with Banks’ ceiling.
It’s a truly unfortunate situation for Banks. Without the latest foot injury, he’s almost certainly a 1st Round pick, if not a very early selection on Day 2. Hopefully, the setback doesn’t drop him too far down the draft board. And hey, who knows, sometimes scenarios like this end with players being drafted by the right team, as opposed to an earlier-picking one. Maybe a team that can afford to give him time to heal, grow, and develop will end up taking him as opposed to one that needs him to start ASAP and be the guy right away.
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