Chris Jones's days as a pillar of the Kansas City Chiefs defense aren't over just yet. The team's best pass rusher still stands among the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL, and his snap counts show the team's dependence upon him hasn't changed at all even as he's going to turn 32 years old before the 2026 season begins.
While Jones is still bolstering his case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he's also serving as the model for incoming prospects. One of the 2026 NFL Draft's brightest at the same position, Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks, says Jones is the example, he's also hoping to "pass him up" once he's able to find his footing at the next level.
Banks spoke with CBS Sports from the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis about a few topics, including the player after whom he models his game. He had one name that immediately came to mind.
Caleb Banks says he models his game after Chris Jones, but his story at the NFL level is starting out similarly as well.
"Definitely after Chris Jones for sure," said Banks. "That athleticism that he has. It’s how he carries himself. I mean, he’s a dog. I feel like we kinda have similar traits. I’m not there all the way yet, but once I reach my ceiling and go out there and do what I do, I definitely feel like I’ll pass him up a little bit."
💪🏾💪🏾 keep at it! https://t.co/0R2GxTu5k8
— Chris Jones (@StoneColdJones) February 27, 2026
Banks is a massive prospect at 6-6, 327 lbs., and would likely be a much more talked-about prospect if not for a foot injury that robbed him of building on his breakout 2024 season. Banks played only three games in 2025 after turning heads with 7 sacks during his junior year that had scouts salivating over seeing how he might progress with another year of development.
It should be noted that Jones himself had plenty of detractors before the draft, which is why he fell into the second round. The Chiefs selected him after trading back out of the first, and general manager John Dorsey snagged him at No. 37 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. One anonymous scout even said, "Our area guy hates him" and said he was "boom or bust." Others had concerns about his character, work ethic, and/or Wonderlic score.
The traits were there for Jones, and there's certainly there for Banks. He has a nearly 86-inch wingspan to go with 35-inch hands, and it's easy to imagine how much Steve Spagnuolo would love that sort of length up front. The 32-inch vertical leap and 9-6 broad jump were also elite metrics, showing there's some real athleticism to go with the imposing frame.
Banks will have his doubters, but if he's wanting to be the next Chris Jones, even his draft path is starting in a similar way. Perhaps he'll be able to learn alongside him if the Chiefs take the chance on the next iteration of an impact interior lineman at some point in the 2026 draft.