Reports at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine revealed that the Carolina Panthers have given defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson permission to seek a trade. It surprised no one.
Moving on from the 30-year-old would free up $10.5 million in cap space and open a starting spot next to Derrick Brown. Head coach Dave Canales appeared on the NFL Network, where he was asked about improving the Panthers’ pass rush after their playoff run.
“This is an incredible situation for us to figure out in terms of finding pass rush. It could be from the edge or from the interior,” Canales said.
In hindsight, that comment feels telling with the team seemingly moving on from Robinson. And now, all eyes potentially shift to Caleb Banks.
Caleb Banks should be considered by the Carolina Panthers at No. 19
Banks missed most of this past season with a foot injury, leaving evaluators wrestling with how to value a prospect whose greatest asset might be his unrealized potential. So he went to the Senior Bowl to turn potential into production.
The Florida standout took over practice and secured a sack in the game itself. While in Mobile, I had the chance to speak with him, and Banks confirmed he had met with the Panthers, a clear sign that at least some level of interest is brewing.
Then came the Combine. And once again, Banks stole the spotlight.
He measured in at an eye-popping 6-foot-6, 327 pounds, with 35-inch arms and an 85 ¾-inch wingspan. Calling him a “created character” would be underselling it; he's more like something out of a fantasy novel than a defensive tackle prospect.
Yet somehow, the athletic testing matched the frame.
Banks posted an elite explosive score, jumping 32 inches in the vertical. He followed that up with a 9-foot-6 broad jump, finishing second among all defensive tackles.
His speed was equally impressive. Banks ran 5.04 seconds in the 40-yard dash, but for a lineman, the more telling number is the 10-yard split. A measure of how quickly he explodes off the ball.
Banks clocked a 1.76-second split, ninth best among defensive tackles. He opted out of agility drills and the bench press, but the tape shows enough raw power and burst to leave scouts intrigued.
That said, Banks is the definition of a high-ceiling, low-floor prospect.
He can be moved off his spot against combination blocks, as his height naturally creates leverage challenges. Banks also needs to improve his finishing ability. Too often, he reaches the backfield only to get outrun or juked. But leave him isolated one-on-one at any alignment, and he has the tools to wreck the blocker in front of him.
With experience at nose tackle, 3-technique, and even as a 5-tech oversized defensive end, Banks offers rare versatility. The Panthers love to rotate and shift their defensive front, and it clearly needs more interior pressure. Banks is an intriguing option at No. 19.
The question now becomes: could Banks be the answer to Carolina’s interior pass-rush problem?