2026 NFL Draft mock projections: Where will Florida Gators like Caleb Banks, Trey Smack land?

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Image Credit: UAA

As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches with Round 1 set for Thursday, Only Gators is here to take a closer look at the Florida Gators who could be selected over the course of the three-day, seven-round draft. Unfortunately for the Gators, it is expected that Florida will go without a first-round draft pick in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2004-06.

Still, the Gators should do better than 2025 when all seven players drafted were chosen by teams on the third day (Rounds 4-7). That marked just the second time in program history (2012) that Florida did not have a player selected in Rounds 1-3 during the modern draft era (since 1994).

Below are draft projections for the nine Florida players who participated in the pre-draft process, along with evaluations of the prospects following consultation with multiple national draft experts.

Only Gators will offer complete, live coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft all week. Come back on Thursday night, bookmark our draft tracker to follow the action all three days.

DT Caleb Banks
Only Gators projection: Round 2 (middle) to Round 3
Banks ranked fifth overall among defensive tackles after placing similarly in the athleticism tests at the NFL Combine, but he’s actually been bumped up a spot or two during the pre-draft process. He is ironically drawing comparisons to fellow Gators standout Gervon Dexter Sr., who has carved out a solid role in the NFL. Banks was said to be one of the biggest risers coming out of the combine, a stock rise he badly needed after only playing in two games last season due to a foot injury. Though teams have been concerned about his health, he is on pace to be fully cleared for football activities by early June.

What makes Banks so attractive as a prospect is his versatility, but teams are forced to project based on his unknown true potential, as the 2025 season was supposed to be a breakout campaign that could have made him a first-round selection. As such, his draft position will be determined by teams’ appetite for risk, which will vary based on their evaluation of his talent.

OL Jake Slaughter
Only Gators projection: Round 3
Slaghter was the third-most athletic center at the NFL Combine, which solidified his status as the No. 1 overall player at his position in the draft, particularly given his stellar final two seasons at Florida, during which he received various All-America honors. The 2025 Rimington Award finalist was the top center in the SEC, and his experience as a captain and overall football IQ should make him the first (or, at worst, second) center off the board.

OT Austin Barber
Only Gators projection: Round 3 (late) to Round 4
Barber ranked ninth overall among offensive tackles in athleticism at the NFL Combine, placing the same overall. Struggles against some of the top defensive lines he faced as a senior have not helped his evaluations. His three-plus years of starting experience and All-SEC honors in 2025 give him a relatively high floor, though his inconsistencies will undoubtedly scare some teams off. A move to guard could be in order, which makes him a bit less valuable as a prospect unless a team loves his measurables.

CB Devin Moore
Only Gators projection: Round 4
Moore was a productive player who flashes high upside, but he likely needed to put more numbers on his stat sheet to be selected during the first two days, especially given long-term durability concerns. Some consider him a top 10 cornerback, while others slot him around 15th. Groin surgery in December 2025 prevented Moore from hitting the process with gusto; he is said to be fully cleared and healthy, but he did not compete at the NFL Combine as a result. He will be a solid pick for a zone scheme but will need to develop quickly as a rookie to atone for missed reps and practices during his college career.

WR J. Michael Sturdivant
Only Gators projection: Round 5
Sturdivant ranked third overall among wide receivers in athleticism at the NFL Combine, though he’s listed by the NFL as the 28th overall prospect at his position when considering his on-field production, which paled in comparison to expectations given his overall level of talent. Still, teams see him as having significant upside and potential that was not realized at the collegiate level, though he is likely being categorized as a field-stretching, vertical threat.

Given his solid ability to block off the snap and down the field, he has additional value on special teams, both as a potential returner and gunner. His Relative Athletic Score (often seen listed as RAS) is 19th out of 4,190 wideout prospects categorized over the last 30 years. As such, he may be selected a bit higher than his ranking, as his freakish athleticism makes him a risk worth taking in the later rounds.

K Trey Smack
Only Gators projection: First kicker selected
Smack is the top player at his position, but he should be selected no later than second at his position if Iowa’s Drew Stevens goes ahead of him. Smack went 10 of 13 from 50+ yards at Florida, hit a 57-yard attempt in the East-West Shrine Game and starred at the NFL Combine with a 60-yard boot (after being iced by coaches) that went viral. Outside of a hiccup in Week 1 of the 2025 season, he was a tremendous kicker for the Gators. Kickers are generally not selected until Round 6, but there have been some surprising early picks the last few years with some going as high as Round 3.

DE George Gumbs Jr.
Only Gators projection: Round 5
Gumbs tried to show as much as he could at the NFL Combine; in fact, he was one of only two defensive ends to compete in the 3-cone drill. His 7-second time in that drill is considered at the top end of pass rushers. Ultimately, he came out ranked eighth in athleticism, slotting 36th overall among defensive ends and EDGE rushers. Gumbs is projected as a Day 3 selection, though a solid Pro Day and a slate of positive interviews bumped him into the early half of that period. He has the traits to be an NFL contributor but will need some seasoning to get there.

DL Tyreak Sapp
Only Gators projection: Round 6
Sapp was Florida’s defensive leader in 2024 but fell off considerably in his final season despite playing the same amount of snaps. His strength and effort project to the NFL level, but he’s not dynamic enough to be an every-down player, which makes him a prospect who could potentially fall out of the draft entirely depending on the speciic needs of teams as the process plays out Saturday.

P Tommy Doman Jr.
Only Gators projection: Undrafted free agent
Doman is not a draftable player, and frankly, he should not have been Florida’s starting punter last season. He will attempt to make a practice squad.

The Gators have had a player drafted every year since 1952.