The NFL combine will officially commence in an hour, yet the Atlanta Falcons are already in a worse spot than they were a couple of hours ago. While the defensive linemen have sent social media into a frenzy over their weigh-ins, the Falcons are looking closely at this strong group of defensive tackles.
With the 48th overall pick, Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks would have been one of the top prospects on Cunningham's radar, but his measurement changed things. NFL Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah revealed that Banks came in at a monstrous 6-foot-6 and 1/4 and 327 pounds, but that isn't the craziest part.
Banks measured in with 10 7/8" hands, 35" arms, and an unprecedented 85 3'4" wingspan. For those who are blissfully unaware, that is a massive, Incredible Hulk-like human being. As you would expect, these numbers went viral on social media, and it'll obviously have a positive effect on his draft stock.
It took one massive measurement for Caleb Banks to move himself out of the Falcons' draft range
Teams were already gushing about him after a strong showing at the Senior Bowl, and now he'll only continue his rise up the draft boards with a measurement that has basically cemented his status as the King of the Hog Mollies, but also officially pushed him out of draft pick range for the Dirty Birds.
It was always unlikely that Banks would have slipped down all the way the draft board to the middle of the second round, but I've seen crazier draft-day slides happen. They at least could've been in range to trade up for him if the opportunity came around, but not anymore, since he's a first-round lock now. Besides, does Cunningham want him bad enough to part with even more draft capital?
If Dave Gettleman was still a GM, he would be running to the podium to draft Banks, and it's hard to blame him since the 22-year-old is an absolute stud in every definition of the word. He also showed off some personality at the podium by revealing he's ready to run through someone's face in the NFL.
Falcons fans were hoping that Cunningham could capitalize on an incredibly crowded defensive tackle class and land Banks, but now he's lapping everyone. All pre-draft process he's given Kayden McDonald, Lee Hunter, and Peter Woods a real run for their money as the top DTs in this draft class.
Banks missed most of 2025 due to injury, but that hasn't affected his draft stock at all. Not only was he dominant for the Gators in 2024, he boasts jaw-dropping athleticism for his size. He comes with elite size and upside, especially as a pass-rusher and would have been a great fit for this young Atlanta DL that'll probably lose David Onyemata.
His main problem is he struggles as a run defender, but even still, he'll be a game-changer for whatever team that drafts him. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that'll be the Falcons.