March 24, 2026, 3:15 p.m. ET
With just about a month to go before the 2026 NFL draft begins, mock draft season is officially in full swing.
NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter released his four-round mock draft on Friday and included a pair of Florida Gators on his list. Reuter projected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to select defensive tackle Caleb Banks with the 15th overall pick, and he has offensive tackle Austin Barber staying in-state with the Miami Dolphins picking him up in the second round at No. 43 overall.
“The Buccaneers may very well overlook Banks’ recent foot injury — which reportedly will sideline him until June 1 because few humans possess his combination of size (6-foot-6, 327 pounds, 35-inch arms) and agility,” Reuter wrote in his first-round breakdown. “Alongside Vita Vea, Banks will form a wall in the run game and provide some interior pass rush that’ll make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Vea is a free agent next year, so a healthy Banks could fill those huge shoes, if needed, in the Bucs’ defensive front.”
Banks spent most of the season injured, and he suffered another injury before his Draft Combine workout. Still, he left Indianapolis as one of the breakout stars of the combine, posting a 5.04-second 40-yard dash, a 32-inch vertical jump and a 114-inch broad jump. There are questions about him being injury-prone, but the perceived upside might be enough for teams to take a chance on him in the first round.
Barber is the seventh offensive tackle off the board in Reuter’s mock, behind Miami’s Francis Mauga (No. 3), Georgia’s Monroe Freeling (No. 6), Clemson’s Blake Miller (No. 21), Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor (No. 26), Utah’s Caleb Lomu (No. 27) and Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor (No. 31). With Pro Days coming up and roughly 30 days to go in the draft process, there’s room for Barber to impress a team and jump into the first round.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
It’s a bit odd to see All-American center Jake Slaughter missing from this four-round mock, but tackles are more highly coveted in the NFL draft. Barber has more than 2,500 snaps on record, including 2,087 at left tackle, and he was a Third Team All-SEC member this year. He excels as a run-blocker, with a 90.0 grade from Pro Football Focus this year.
Follow us@GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well asBluesky, and like our page onFacebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.