Following a grueling season, it’s time for the Kansas City Chiefs to hit the reset button. Rebuilding on the fly is never easy, which general manager Brett Veach knows all too well.
Veach has been through an organizational identity shift or two in his time. This offseason, something similar could occur. Both sides of the ball need addressing, as an infusion of young and cost-controlled talent would help significantly.
The pieces must be the right ones, though, to make a difference. A recent 2026 NFL Draft simulation took an interesting crack at accomplishing that.
Chiefs Projected to Select Florida DT Caleb Banks in 2026 NFL Mock Draft
In a post-Senior Bowl mock for Pro Football Focus, Trevor Sikkema has the Chiefs getting a bit of a tough draw. With their selection, they wind up opting for a swing on a defensive lineman.
Unfortunately for most fans, it isn’t the one they want. Sikkema sends Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks to Kansas City at ninth overall.
“The board didn’t fall favorably for the Chiefs in this mock, with Rueben Bain Jr., Jeremiyah Love and the best two offensive linemen all gone,” Sikkema wrote. “They could pick a cornerback, but I think they may look at the defensive line. Banks didn’t play much in 2025 due to a foot injury, but on the final two days of Senior Bowl practices, he reminded us why he was seen as a potential top-15 pick heading into the season. His size and length — 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds — are very alluring to pair with Chris Jones.”
Banks, who started his collegiate career at Louisville, just wrapped up his fifth campaign in the Division I ranks. The three-year Gator had his 2025 cut short due to injury, so it’s hard to decipher too much from it.
Before that, Banks recorded 21 tackles (7 for loss) with 4.5 sacks in 2024. Pro Football Focus gave him a 73.0 grade, good for 84th among all defensive tackles with 300+ snaps played.
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The Chiefs undoubtedly need help along the defensive line, but it’s this writer’s take that Banks may not be the ideal pick at No. 9. Similar to Chris Jones, as Sikkema alluded to, Banks’ size can’t be taught. His frame and natural athleticism could make him a high-upside piece if developed correctly and if everything breaks right.
With that said, Banks is no longer on the right side of that curve. He needed a productive 2025 to showcase growth, which didn’t occur. Whichever team takes him in the first or second round (at the latest, most likely) of the draft is banking on him improving on 2024’s showing. Is there enough for him to be a disciplined run stuffer and a productive pass rusher? A track record of missed tackles and underwhelming results doesn’t exactly point to that.
Jones, now 31, remains the centerpiece of the defense aside from cornerback Trent McDuffie. The multi-time All-Pro had a quality 2025-26 by most standards, albeit not his. Amassing 7 sacks in the regular season, it was his second consecutive year not even sniffing 10.
It didn’t help matters that second-round rookie Omarr Norman-Lott suffered a torn ACL early in his debut season. That, paired with a failed reunion with veteran Derrick Nnadi, put the Chiefs behind the proverbial eight-ball. Bringing in Jerry Tillery and reacquiring Mike Pennel didn’t solve the issue, either.
Although defensive line coach Joe Cullen has garnered interest from other teams, he seems more likely to stick around for another year. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo isn’t going anywhere. The support staff is in place to help elevate the Kansas City pass rush, but it’s on the front office staff to identify the proper talent(s).
Using a top-10 pick on Banks may turn out to be a suboptimal scenario.
2026 NFL Draft Projection Could Be Chiefs Nightmare Fuel