Over the past three months, Caleb Banks has shot up the draft board to the point where he was selected inside the top 10 of some mock drafts. But all that momentum came to a screeching halt Thursday when it was announced that Banks broke his foot during the NFL Combine.
According to reports, Banks broke his foot the night before the on-field testing, but was able to complete a partial workout. Banks had surgery to repair the break in his fourth metatarsal on March 9
Sources: DT Caleb Banks suffered a broken foot at the Combine that will sideline him until June.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 12, 2026
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…
While some mock drafts had Banks as high as ninth, most had him around the No. 12-20 range. Banks' draft fortunes changed for the better after he had a strong week of practice at the Senior Bowl and was shown routinely blowing up or easily getting past some of the top offensive linemen in the country.
Banks needed to show what he was capable of because a foot injury kept him on the sidelines for most of the season. The hope was that Banks was completely healthy after missing so much time, but here we go again.
Will Caleb Banks' surgery affect his draft stock?
Well, the timing couldn't have been worse for Banks. There is a Pro Day coming up, and it was going to be a final chance to see exactly how high he could climb in this draft, but now NFL teams have to be concerned. The big questions will be answered when the teams get an opportunity to see Banks' medicals after the surgery. He's going to have to answer questions about his durability.
Most teams are going to want to know how this injury will affect his ability to play this season. What's the timeline for Banks to return to the field? Will he be recovered by training camp? If the medical reports are clean and doctors believe that Banks will be fully recovered during or before training camp, it shouldn't damage him too much. But there also might be some teams that will completely take Banks on the board because they fear that his foot injury might be a chronic issue
It's unfortunate that Banks has to go through another foot injury, but hopefully he can heal quickly and enjoy a productive career in the NFL.