Following the NFL Scouting Combine, teams around the league are venturing out for college Pro Days across the country to get closer looks at the top prospects. For the Carolina Panthers, this process will trickle down their draft board to a number they are comfortable with ahead of the pivotal selection process.
However, general manager Dan Morgan and his staff will be closely monitoring developments with one potential option at No. 19 overall after a concerning update.
Online, you'll see experts with their respective favorites and points of view. Yet, the draft board for the professionals isn't set until much later in the process, sometimes just a couple of weeks before the start of the NFL Draft. Teams like the Panthers are gaining as much information as possible ahead of the process to make the best decisions for the franchise moving forward.
Carolina Panthers have a new red flag to consider with draft prospect Caleb Banks
There are also risks that come in many forms. Injuries are one of those, and a prospect that Carolina may have had interest in suffered a complication that may affect his draft stock.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic reported that standout Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks suffered a broken foot at the Combine, fracturing his fourth metatarsal. While it is unclear if this was the same foot he injured last season, it is a significant concern ahead of the draft.
The Panthers have a need at defensive tackle after cutting A'Shawn Robinson for cost-saving purposes. Banks is considered a possibility for Carolina at No. 19 overall, but questions will now arise as to whether or not the Gators' defensive trench player is worth the risk.
A 23-year-old rookie with foot injuries at 6-foot-6 and 335 pounds will cause some uneasiness for teams. However, what is impressive is that Banks performed at the Combine despite this injury and put up strong numbers.
Caleb Banks is a DT prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.84 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 34 out of 2046 DT from 1987 to 2026.
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) February 26, 2026
Splits projected, all times unofficial, agilities left to run.https://t.co/qcTjqsIuuv pic.twitter.com/ffVzXNsc3A
A fully healthy Banks is one of the most intriguing talents in this year's draft after coming out of summer scouting as a potential top-10 pick. Placing the interior force alongside Derrick Brown with new additions Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd on the front-seven is enticing to think about, considering the power, quickness, size, and athleticism that is up front compared to what it had been in previous years.
This injury will be one to monitor, but if Banks were to fall to No. 51 or No. 83 overall, he should be considered as the selection.
At No. 19, it just got a lot riskier.