Steelers, Jets Eyeing Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
Omar Cooper Jr. is generating significant pre-draft buzz, with the Steelers and the Jets among the teams with interest in the Indiana wide receiver.
Cooper has been a steady riser throughout the pre-draft process and now finds himself as a potential first-round pick after visits to the Panthers, Browns, and Cowboys. He is also “in play” for the Steelers’ first-round pick (No. 21 overall), per Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline, with the Jets considering him with the first of their two second-rounders.
Seen as an NFL-ready slot receiver, Cooper would fill major needs in Pittsburgh and New York. The Steelers specifically need his skillset on the inside. Trading for Michael Pittman Jr. created a strong boundary duo with D.K. Metcalf, but neither spends much time in the slot. The Steelers instead used tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith to fill those snaps, but new head coach Mike McCarthy will be looking to run more three-receiver sets. His current depth options of Roman Wilson and Ben Skrowonek do not profile as true No. 3 receivers in his scheme.
That requires a true slot, and Cooper could fit the bill. He lined up in the slot for more than 80% of his snaps in 2025 and ranked 17th in yards and 30th in catches in that alignment nationwide, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He also forced 27 missed tackles after the catch, the fourth-most in the FBS, with just five drops on 155 targets in the last three years. The former quality will be especially beneficial to a Steelers receiver room that forced just 18 missed tackles in 2025. Metcalf and Pittman are also both 29 years old, so Cooper would represent the long-term future of the unit.
The Jets have a similar, albeit younger, one-two punch leading their receiving corps in Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell. Both primarily line up on the outside, again creating a natural fit for Cooper in the slot. New York’s need at receiver is dire enough to use one of their two first-round picks on the position, but the No. 2 pick seems to be earmarked for an edge rusher.
Carnell Tate and Makai Lemon, the consensus top two receiver prospects, will likely be gone by the time the Jets are back on the clock at 16. Cooper would be a solid fallback option for the 33rd pick, if he falls that far.
LSU CB Mansoor Delane Visiting Dolphins, Giants
Mansoor Delane is becoming an increasingly popular name in the workout circuit. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the LSU cornerback is visiting with the Dolphins tonight and tomorrow before meeting with the Giants on Wednesday and Thursday.
Delane has established himself as one of the (if not the) best cornerback prospect in this year’s draft. The defensive back had a breakout campaign at Virginia Tech in 2024, when he finished with four interceptions and seven passes defended. He was a popular name in the transfer portal ahead of the 2025 campaign, and he ultimately landed with LSU.
After being responsible for seven touchdowns allowed in 2024, Delane significantly improved on that number during his lone season with the Tigers. Pro Football Focus didn’t credit him with a single touchdown allowed in 2025, and the prospect finished his senior year with a pair of interceptions and 11 passes defended. Delane’s 4.38 40-yard dash time at his Pro Day cemented him as a premier cornerback prospect in this year’s draft, and he’ll likely be competing with Jermod McCoy to be the first player selected at the position.
After being connected to the Cowboys last month, Delane is now adding two more definitive suitors to his list. The Giants will have the first crack at the cornerback with their number-five selection, and with most pundits placing the LSU prospect in the top-10 of mock drafts, it wouldn’t be much of a reach. The team lost recent starter Cor’Dale Flott via free agency, but they brought in Greg Newsome to a grouping that includes holdovers like Paulson Adebo, Dru Phillips, and Deonte Banks. Delane would add a major influx of talent to that CBs room.
Plus, John Harbaugh has never been afraid to use a first-round pick on defensive backs, although he never picked this high during his Baltimore tenure. Still, during the coach’s 18 seasons with the Ravens, the organization used six first-round selections on cornerbacks or safeties.
There’s a chance Delane could fall to the Dolphins at No. 11, and the team may be doing their due diligence in case that scenario comes to fruition. Miami has put in some work to remake their cornerbacks corps this offseason. Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas remain unsigned, leaving Jason Marshall, JuJu Brents, and Storm Duck as the most notable returning players from last year’s squad.
Meanwhile, the front office has brought in the likes of Darrell Baker, Marco Wilson, and Alex Austin to soak up some of the snaps. Delane would instantly leap to the top of the depth chart in Miami, and in a clear rebuilding year, the team may ultimately opt for the best player available with the first of their two first-round selections.
Bengals To Meet With RB Jeremiyah Love
The Bengals have seen 2023 fifth-round pick Chase Brown become a three-down player, and the sides have begun extension talks. Cincinnati also sits at No. 10 overall this year. That is not seen as optimal placement for grabbing this draft’s top running back.
But Cincinnati is playing host to Jeremiyah Love on a “30” visit, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating that meeting is taking place today.
It would take a few teams passing on the impact talent for Love to reach Cincinnati, but the Notre Dame product does play a position that many teams devalue. That said, the Giants (No. 5) and Commanders (No. 7) have been closely connected to the dual-threat back. Love also visited the Titans recently. If the Bengals want to pair Love with Joe Burrow, they would likely need to trade up. The Jets met with Love recently as well, though they are being tied more closely to Ohio State hybrid linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 2.
Scoring 40 touchdowns over the past two seasons, Love amassed 1,652 scrimmage yards in 2025 and 1,362 in 2024. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry in both seasons. Love sits second on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, trailing only Fernando Mendoza there.
Love is viewed as the only first-round-caliber RB in this year’s class, giving the teams that do not snag him in the top 10 needs that will need to be addressed on Days 2 and/or 3. Love’s Notre Dame backup last season, Jadarian Price, is viewed as this draft’s second-best back. Beyond the two former Fighting Irish teammates, no RBs reside in Jeremiah’s top 50. ESPN’s most recent mock sends Love to the Giants, while Price goes to the Vikings at No. 49. Illustrating the top-heavy construction of this RB crop, ESPN has no other backs going off the board until No. 96 (Arkansas’ Mike Washington).
One season remains on Brown’s rookie contract. He has outplayed his fifth-round slot, totaling 1,356 and 1,450 scrimmage yards over the past two seasons while scoring 11 TDs in each campaign. The Bengals reacquired Samaje Perine to back him up last year; one season remains on the veteran’s contract. The team also rosters 2025 sixth-rounder Tahj Brooks.
Dolphins Expected To Trade Down In Draft; Team Hosts Zion Young
The Dolphins currently own 11 selections in the upcoming draft. The Jaylen Waddle trade yielded extra capital in 2026, but new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan may make more moves aimed at acquiring future picks.
Miami is expected by many around the league to trade down once or twice during the draft, SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora writes. With the Dolphins in the beginning of a full-blown rebuild, it would certainly come as no surprise if they looked to move down the board with an eye on picking up extra selections late in 2026 or during the middle rounds of next year’s draft. It will be interesting to see how Sullivan operates during his first draft at the helm of a team.
The top of the 2026 draft class is not held in particularly high regard, especially compared to the projected prospects in next year’s draft. That could lead to a tepid market with with respect to teams trading up during the late stages of the first round. As such, Miami could end up staying put at No. 11 as well as No. 30, the high pick acquired from Denver in the Waddle swap. The Dolphins also have one selection in the second round as well as four third-rounders, however, so movement on Day 2 will be something to watch for.
Pre-draft visits continue around the league, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes the Dolphins recently hosted Zion Young at their facility. The Missouri product is one of several edge rushers projected to come off the board late in the first round or some time in the second. Young set a new career high with 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss in 2025, his second season with the Tigers. He faces questions about his athletic upside, but Young’s length and strong play against the run will lead to high expectations upon arrival in the NFL.
With the Dolphins having dealt Jaelan Phillips at the 2025 trade deadline and released Bradley Chubb earlier this offseason, adding in the pass rush department is an obvious goal entering the draft. Young and other EDGE prospects will receive a look over the coming days as Sullivan evaluates his options for later this month.
Jets Favor Arvell Reese At No. 2 Overall?
With the Raiders all but guaranteed to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall, there is more intrigue surrounding the Jets at No. 2. A pair of Ohio State linebackers, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, as well as Texas Tech edge defender David Bailey are candidates for New York’s top selection. Still two-plus weeks away from having to make a decision on April 23, the Jets are “leaning toward” Reese, Rich Cimini of ESPN reports.
[RELATED: Jets, Cardinals Could Take Similar Approach]
Reese’s versatility may tip the scales in his favor as the Jets transition to a 3-4 base defense that will use multiple fronts. As Cimini notes, Reese played 356 snaps at outside linebacker and 238 as an off-ball LB in 2025. Reese handled all responsibilities with aplomb during a season in which he earned consensus All-America honors and Big Ten Linebacker of the Year. The 6-foot-4, 241-pounder totaled 69 tackles, 10 TFL and 6.5 sacks over 14 games.
Although Reese did not post gaudy numbers in 2024 (43 tackles and a half-sack in 16 games), Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is unconcerned. In that regard, Glenn likens Reese to Texans five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter, who recorded just 4.5 sacks in three years at LSU. Hunter has since racked up 114.5 during a prolific decade in the pros.
“His stats weren’t up there, but he had all the traits and he’s had a coach that can coach him to be where he’s at right now,” Glenn said of Hunter (via Cimini). “So I look at [Reese] the same way. Man, it’s a combination of the traits and this combination of the football character again. Is that player coachable enough to be able to do the things that you want him to do to be successful?”
By now, Glenn and the Jets should have a good idea of whether Reese is “coachable.” Jets brass took extra time to meet with Reese at Ohio State’s pro day in late March. They also dined with Reese in Columbus, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Cimini). If the Jets draft Reese, it would give them another pass rusher to join holdover Will McDonald and free agent pickups Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare. He would also supply another off-ball option to a team that reunited with Demario Davis in free agency and has Jamien Sherwood entering the second season of a three-year, $45MM deal.
Turning to other early draft possibilities for the Jets, it would count as “an upset” if they pass on taking a wide receiver sometime in the first two rounds, Cimini writes. No. 1 receiver Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell will play big roles in 2026, but the Jets have little else at the position. Considering the team owns four of the draft’s top 44 picks, that could change soon.
Prospect Profile: Ty Simpson
Last year, we ended our Prospect Profile series with the 2025 NFL Draft’s most controversial quarterback. This year, we’ll start with one, and no quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft is driving more controversy right now than Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
While recent highly drafted quarterbacks have been benefactors of the transfer portal, this year’s draft class features some passers who have bucked that trend. Simpson, a consensus five-star prospect that 247Sports ranked as the 29th-best overall recruit and the fourth-best quarterback, committed to the only college he would end up attending when he was just a junior at Westview HS (Tenn.). The two top-ranked quarterback recruits of the class of 2022 — Drew Allar and Cade Klubnik — will also finish their collegiate careers having worn only one logo.
The son of a football coach — specifically, Jason Simpson, who has held the head coaching position at Tennessee-Martin since 2006 — Simpson was receiving college scholarship offers before he even arrived on his high school campus. Michigan offered him as an eighth grader, and Kentucky, Mississippi State (his dad’s alma mater), Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Baylor all offered him the summer before his freshman year. Over the years, he received every offer a recruit could ever dream of and took unofficial visits to several of those schools, making sure to cover his bases with some in-person research.
It wasn’t until the summer just before his sophomore year that he attended a Crimson Tide summer football camp and received an offer from Nick Saban. He returned in September to attend a home game against Ole Miss, during which he watched Tide passer Tua Tagovailoa complete 72.2 percent of his passes for 418 yards and six touchdowns (five to Devonta Smith). At the end of his junior year, he chose Alabama over Clemson, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, then he proceeded to sign in December and enroll early.
Simpson made his collegiate debut in the Tide’s season opener, appearing for some garbage time snaps as a true freshman. He would appear in three more games that year but be limited to just those games in order to preserve his redshirt. As a redshirt freshman and sophomore, Simpson continued in his garbage-time duties after Jalen Milroe, a four-star recruit from the class before his, took over starting duties. After three years of waiting, Simpson finally got his opportunity to start as a redshirt junior.
After a disappointing (and, in hindsight, shocking) season opening loss to Florida State, in which Simpson would complete only 53.5 percent of his passes and average only 5.9 yards per attempt, Simpson rebounded in a big way. Leaving his performance against the eventual 5-7 Seminoles in the rearview, Simpson established himself as the clear top quarterback through the first nine games of the season. At that point, he had completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 21 touchdowns and only one interception while averaging 273.4 yards per game. The next six weeks saw a stunning decline as he completed only 60.5 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns and four interceptions while averaging only 184.3 yards per game.
Simpson’s deterioration down the stretch of the season could be the result of many factors. The slide started with a loss at home to Oklahoma, a top-seven defense in both points and yards allowed, and many believe the Sooners revealed a blueprint for finding success against the Tide, though that theory would lose credibility once Alabama got revenge in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Others put stock into the players around Simpson, pointing out that a usually potent Alabama rushing unit finished 125th in the FBS in yards per game last season, while freshman phenom wide receiver Ryan Williams developed a bit of a sophomore slump, disappearing for just 13 receptions, 161 yards, and no touchdowns in those last six games.
Simpson’s health may have played into his struggles, as well. It’s believed that he played through a lower back injury and elbow bursitis starting sometime in October, while also suffering from gastritis that caused his weight to dip almost 20 pounds. To top it all off, his season ended with a fractured rib, suffered in a season-ending loss to the eventual champion Hoosiers. Regardless of the exact reason(s), fair or not, the documented struggles will throw up red flags for scouts, either concerning his performance itself, his response to external factors, or his health and durability.
For all his struggles that sit fresh in mind from his most recent performances, Simpson still displayed some draft-worthy traits throughout his lone season as a starter. He’s at his best in the short- to intermediate-game, seeding throws with anticipation, accuracy, and velocity. He can air it out, as well, but the accuracy and timing on deep balls are far less consistent. He’ll need to develop a bit more touch, as well, to really get the most out of his game by implementing different degrees of arc on all levels of throws. Simpson isn’t heavy-footed, and though he doesn’t run much, he uses his feet to extend plays effectively.
One of Simpson’s best assets is his mental game. His ability to read defenses and process coverages pre- and post-snap is a testament to the time he spent sitting and learning before ever starting. He can also be a bit over-aggressive with his first instinct reactions after things go off script, and there’s also been loads of debate and concern over his decision to declare for the draft after only starting one season at the college level. There have been several examples of others doing the same, and the results have often been overwhelmingly more negative than positive.
Regardless, Simpson is widely seen as the QB2 of the 2026 NFL Draft class, behind only presumed No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana. That won’t likely land Simpson as the No. 2 overall pick, though. Over the past several weeks, Simpson’s draft stock as varied wildly, with some projecting him as a top-10 pick and others grading him as a third-round talent or later. The truth likely falls somewhere in the middle and will depend on external factors like the level of need that certain teams will have for his position and the actions of those teams before and during the draft.
The most recent projections have him either getting taken in the mid- to late-first round by a team that likely trades up for him or getting drafted on Day 2. I would be remiss not to remind that Shedeur Sanders held similar projections as the perceived QB2 behind Cam Ward for much of the pre-draft process last year. It will certainly be interesting to see if any other similarities play out from here.
TE, S Among Panthers’ Potential First-Round Targets
The Panthers have set up a “30” visit with Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., signaling they could spend their first-round pick on a wide receiver for the third straight year. Head coach Dave Canales acknowledged choosing a wideout at 19th overall is a possibility, though there are also other positions on the Panthers’ radar in their search for an impact rookie (via David Newton of ESPN).
“It could be a wideout. It could be a tight end. Could be a safety,” Canales said. “There’s a couple of dynamic safeties that could free us up. The pass-rush class, we’ve got to still kind of see where they are at the top. Where do we think the top guys are going? Look at the mocks and all that, and see where there might be a little bit of a dropoff there.”
The Panthers have already taken a home run swing on a pass rusher this offseason, having given former Dolphin and Eagle Jaelan Phillips a four-year, $120MM payday in free agency. On the other hand, they have not made any needle-moving additions at tight end or safety, leaving room for upgrades.
Carolina is set to welcome back top three tight ends Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans next season, but there is not a big-time pass-catching threat in the group. If the Panthers invest in the position with their first-rounder, odds are they will end up with Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq. Barring something unforeseen, no other tight end will come off the board in Round 1 this year.
Sadiq’s stock was already high after a second-team All-America season in which he won Big Ten Tight End of the Year honors. He further helped his cause with a stellar performance at the Combine. The highlight of the 6-foot-3, 241-pounder’s showing was a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. That is the fastest 40 time for a tight end since at least 2003.
At safety, the Panthers brought back Nick Scott on a modest one-year deal early in free agency. He and Tre’von Moehrig easily led Panthers safeties in snaps last year. Scott, Moehrig and 2025 fourth-rounder Lathan Ransom remain in the fold, but Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman and Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren may be the type of “dynamic” options Canales, general manager Dan Morgan and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero are seeking at the position. Either Thieneman or McNeil-Warren would give Carolina someone with star potential to pair with Moehrig, who is a lock to start in the second season of a three-year, $51MM contract.
Jets, Cardinals Could Have Similar Approach To Top Of Draft
Crowded together at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets and Cardinals find themselves in a bittersweet situation. With the second and third overall picks in the first round, each franchise has a great opportunity to add an elite talent, but while both squads have a need at the sport’s most important position, this year’s draft is not lining up to reward them with one to select with their top draft picks.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is widely considered the consensus QB2 of the draft class behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to go No.1 overall to the Raiders. Unfortunately for Simpson and both teams, taking the Crimson Tide passer at Nos. 2 or 3 overall would be seen as a huge reach, so if either team were interested in landing the second-best quarterback prospect, it might require some maneuvering for another slot in the first round.
The Jets currently hold pick Nos. 2, 16, 33, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there’s belief New York will exit the second round of the draft with a pass rusher and a quarterback, but that could happen in several different ways. Per Rapoport, the Jets are widely expected to select a pass rusher with the second overall pick. Versatile Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese has been a popular projection for New York there, but Texas Tech’s David Bailey also recently met with the team.
Rapoport also expects them to do their homework on all the possible options available at No. 2. They recently hosted Reese’s running mate in the Buckeyes’ linebacking corps, Sonny Styles, for a top 30 visit. Per Rapoport, Styles, also an expected top 10 pick, has plans to visit the Bengals, as well, though his trip to Cincinnati will be a considered a local visit, not a top 30.
To address the quarterback position, a lot rides on where exactly the Jets value Simpson. If they value him enough, they could chance him being around for their 16th overall pick in the first round. If things are trending in a direction that feels as if Simpson won’t make it that far, they could utilize their first overall pick of the second round to potentially try to trade up and land the quarterback. Alternatively, if using the 16th pick still feels like a stretch for Simpson, New York may explore increasing their collection of draft picks with a move further back in the first round.
As for the Cardinals, Rapoport claims it would surprise him if they drafted Simpson third overall, but at the same time, he acknowledges that we’ve seen the precedent for it in the past. He asserts that Arizona could simply fall in love with Simpson enough to select him that early. More likely, though, the Cardinals may look back just a year to an example set by the Giants. Following the approach New York used to add an elite pass rusher before trading back into the first round for a quarterback, the Cardinals may opt to do the same.
Where Simpson could fall in the first round (or later) has been a huge topic of debate. Early conjecture speculated that it might be prudent to move up past the Steelers at 21 to land Simpson, while further evaluation suggested trading into the back end of the first round, just ahead of the Dolphins at 30, would be the likely move. In recent weeks, Simpson’s chances of landing with either team in the first round have gone way down. In a mid-March episode of The McShay Show podcast, Todd McShay of The Ringer guaranteed that Simpson would “for a fact” not be the Steelers’ pick at No. 21, suggesting the team has more of a third-round value on the Crimson Tide quarterback.
Though Simpson recently visited Miami, ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) did “not believe (the) Dolphins are in the mix for him.” Additionally, all four teams have done homework on other passers in the draft. Notably, since March 21, Miami quarterback Carson Beck has met with each team. Beck and the other projected mid-round quarterbacks offer secondary options for the teams that don’t land Simpson and may end up being preferred options if their draft slot more appropriately fits their value.
These represent just a few of several possibilities that could play out at the end of the month. There is no shortage of quarterback needs in the NFL, but seeing the Giants land their potential franchise passer later on in the first round a year ago has opened the door for a number of mind games to play out. We’ll see how well these draft day decision makers can play poker down the stretch as we await the final weekend in April.
Makai Lemon Sets Up Four More Visits
As one of the best wide receivers in this year’s draft class, USC’s Makai Lemon has a chance to come off the board in the top half of the first round. Several teams with high picks have met or will meet with Lemon, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. In addition to the previously reported Titans (No. 4), Commanders (seventh) and Saints (eighth), the Jets (second and 16th), Giants (fifth), Chiefs (ninth) and Dolphins (11th and 30th) are on the list.
The 5-foot-11, 192-pound Lemon lined up in the slot over 75% of the time during his three-year run in college. He got off to a quiet start with the Trojans in 2023, quarterback Caleb Williams‘ last season at the helm. Lemon caught just six passes in nine games, but he made significant progress in his final two seasons at USC.
After hauling in 52 passes for 754 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games in 2024, those numbers soared to 79-1,156-six in a dozen contests last year. Lemon earned the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the best receiver in college football, and finished his USC tenure with just four drops in 33 games.
Whether Lemon is the best receiver in this year’s class is up for debate, especially with Ohio State’s Carnell Tate in the mix. But Lemon at least appears to be a surefire first-rounder. In ranking Lemon as the No. 12 prospect available, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com writes that comparisons to Lions superstar and fellow USC product Amon-Ra St. Brown are “warranted.” Considering St. Brown has amassed a record 547 receptions in his first five seasons, that’s lofty praise.
Expecting a St. Brown-like impact may be unrealistic, but Lemon should provide an upgrade to his next team’s receiving corps. He is probably not a candidate for the Jets at No. 2 overall, but if Lemon is still on the board for their second pick, they could grab him as a much-needed Garrett Wilson complement. In heading to the Giants, Lemon would replace departed slot target Wan’Dale Robinson and partner with No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers.
We learned Friday that Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice will not face a suspension for domestic violence allegations, but off-field issues and injuries have held him out of 23 games in his three-year career. Rice also has just one year left on his rookie contract. Regardless of whether he is part of the Chiefs’ long-term plans, their receiving corps could stand to improve around Rice and 2024 first-rounder Xavier Worthy.
Meanwhile, having traded Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos, the Dolphins clearly have the least talented cast of receivers in this bunch. Adding Lemon would give newly signed starting quarterback Malik Willis a second exciting weapon to pair with running back De’Von Achane.
Florida DT Caleb Banks Up To Eight Pre-Draft Visits
Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks has already completed pre-draft visits with the Chiefs, Ravens, and Cardinals, per Zach Goodall of 247 Sports. Remaining on the docket are the Lions, Titans, Broncos, Falcons, and Chargers.
The 23-year-old flew up draft boards after an impressive performance at the Combine, which featured a 5.04-second 40-yard dash and a 9-foot-6 broad jump at 327 pounds. The hype around Banks cooled after a pre-draft visit revealed a foot fracture suffered the night before he took the field in Indianapolis. Testing well on a broken foot is impressive, but after Banks missed most of the 2025 season due to a foot injury, teams are understandably wary of using a top pick on him. Banks underwent surgery in mid-March and is expected to miss some of his first NFL offseason program.
Medical concerns are almost certainly the driver behind his busy schedule. Teams will need to be comfortable with the state of his foot, especially given the multiple injuries.
But as far as talent and long-term upside goes, Banks is up there with the top defensive prospects in the draft. He checks every physical box with a 6-foot-6, 327-pound frame with 35-inch arms. His power and athleticism overwhelmed most college offensive linemen and led to constant disruption in the trenches. Banks will need to shore up his technique in the NFL, where he will not be as much of a size outlier, but he has all the tools to succeed.
It remains to be seen if Banks’ injury will drop him out of the first round. Teams are certainly interested, and it only takes one to be comfortable enough with his foot to lock him down as early as possible.