With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, all eyes in the NFL world shift to the upcoming offseason.
Free agency comes before the draft, but for all intents and purposes, it is officially draft season. The combine is coming up later this month, and pro days will follow. Speculation will be nonstop from now until late April.
Just about every mock draft across the gridiron landscape presents a new idea worth pondering. ESPN’s latest mock draft is no exception, especially as it pertains to the New York Jets.
Field Yates of ESPN has the Jets selecting Ohio State linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese with the second overall pick. This is no surprise; Reese has become the heavy favorite to be chosen by New York in this slot. And when you watch Reese’s All-22 film, it is abundantly clear why he is expected to be drafted early.
Yates’ unique prediction for the Jets comes down at No. 16, where he projects New York to select Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks.
“The extremely talented Banks could pair with Reese and solidify their defensive cornerstones moving forward,” wrote Yates. “Banks was limited to just three games this past season due to injury, but he showcased his upside during a dominant week of practice at the Senior Bowl. At 6-foot-6, 330 pounds with 35-inch arms, his overwhelming size should translate to the NFL level. He could become a top-10 player from this class with the proper development.”
The Jets need help at every position on defense, but defensive tackle is near the top of their shopping list. Outside of breakout second-year man Jowon Briggs, the Jets had little to no playmaking ability at the position in 2025. The rest of the defensive tackles on New York’s roster (excluding Quinnen Williams) combined for 1.5 sacks.
In the 2024 season at Florida, Banks recorded 29 total pressures, tying for the 16th-most among Power Four defensive tackles. He also had a 20% pass-rush win rate on true pass sets, tying for 12th among 179 qualified players at the position (min. 50 true pass set opportunities). Banks ranked only three spots behind Michigan’s Mason Graham (21.5%), a future top-five pick of the Cleveland Browns.
Florida DT Caleb Banks turned a lot of heads at the Senior Bowl (including Jim Harbaugh)
He has ridiculously long arms for a DT and uses them to create space and has the ability to reach the quarterback from multiple angles like he does here for the strip sack. pic.twitter.com/Ee1EwgePVu
— Thomas Martinez (@BoltsDraftTalk) February 1, 2026
Banks’ 330-pound frame can also help a Jets run defense that was porous up the middle in 2025.
Yates’ prediction is an uncommon one in the current mock draft landscape. The Jets are most commonly projected to select a wide receiver, particularly USC’s Makai Lemon, who is pegged to the Jets in 26% of mock drafts at NFL Mock Draft Database.
Lemon’s All-22 film review confirms his status as an intriguing target if he were available at No. 16. If he goes off the board earlier, though, the Jets may pivot to defense, and Banks could be atop their list of targets.