One of the top priorities for the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason is to get star defensive tackle Chris Jones some help. Jones is still playing at a high level, but his production has dipped a bit over the past two years.
Much of that can be attributed to him facing constant double and triple-teams. Jones will be 32 years old at the beginning of next season, and the Chiefs cannot continue to ask him to do it all. Kansas City could beef up the defensive line through the 2026 NFL Draft. It is not out of the question that it uses the No. 9 overall pick on either a defensive tackle or end.
Florida Gators DT Caleb Banks Says He Models His Game off of Kansas City Chiefs DT Chris Jones
While speaking to CBS Sports during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine on Friday, Banks had big praise for Jones, then made a bold statement:
“Definitely after Chris Jones, for sure,” Banks said when asked who he models his game off of. “The athleticism he has, how he carries himself. He’s a dog. I feel like we kind of have similar traits. I’m not there all the way yet, but once I higher my ceiling and am able to go out there and do what I do, I definitely feel like I’ll pass him up.”
Banks certainly has similarities to Jones. Both are 6-foot-6, have a quick first step off the line of scrimmage, and play with a high motor. Banks (327 pounds) is a little heavier than Jones (310 pounds). Banks was limited to three games in 2025 due to a broken foot, but in 2024 he recorded 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. Like Jones was in 2016, Banks will enter the NFL a bit raw, but has all the physical attributes to become dominant.
Chris Jones Responds to Caleb Banks on X
In typical Jones fashion that we’ve all come to know and love, he responded to Banks’ claim that he will “pass him up” on X.
Jones will definitely mean those words if the Chiefs were to select Banks in April. The two could become a dynamic duo, and Banks could help Jones extend his career. Kansas City is set to lose multiple veterans along the defensive line to free agency, such as Charles Omenihu, Mike Pennel, and Derrick Nnadi.
Defensive end Mike Danna was released on Monday, saving the team $9 million in salary cap space. The Chiefs invested a second-round pick in last year’s draft on defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, and a third-round pick on defensive end Ashton Gillotte. Norman-Lott flashed a bit before tearing his ACL in Week 7, and Gillotte won the team’s Mack Lee Hill Rookie of the Year award.
It remains to be seen if Norman-Lott and Gillotte can become consistent impact players. Kansas City will certainly bring in competition for them, hoping to improve a pass rush that ranked ranked 25th in the NFL last year with just 35 sacks. If the Chiefs decide that Banks is their guy, they may have to use their first-round pick to get him.
