The 2025 NFL Draft is a strange one in that, unlike most drafts, this one lacks a collection of top-tier offensive linemen. That makes the evaluation of the top tackle prospects this year that much more important. One such prospect, Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., announced his intent to forgo his senior year of college to enter the draft on his Instagram. 
As a consensus five-star prospect and the third-ranked tackle recruit in the nation, Banks had all the big offers coming out of Summer Creek HS on the north side of Houston. While he did entertain a visit with Mario Cristobal and company in Oregon, the rest of his five official visits were fairly local, starting with LSU and Oklahoma State before considering the two in-state big dogs, Texas and Texas A&M. Though he took all his visits in the summer, he spent his senior season uncommitted before choosing the Longhorns on the early National Signing Day.
Texas didn’t wait to employ Banks’ services, starting one of the gems of their 2022 class at left tackle for all 13 games of his true freshman season. Banks immediately impressed, garnering second-team All-Big 12 honors while contributing to a line that helped Bijan Robinson secure first-round status. As a sophomore, Banks drew even more attention in national award voting and, for the second straight season, ensured that the top running back taken in the draft would come out of Austin.
Banks’ junior year was a bit of a mixed bag. His first two seasons in the college football warranted speculation that he may end up being the top offensive lineman in the draft, and he did enough to win both the Lombardi Award (best lineman of the year) and the Outland Trophy (best interior lineman in college football). His first season of SEC play, though, was mostly considered underwhelming by scouts, relative to the lofty expectations he had set. Still, with a lack of other top options, Banks is projected as a first-rounder and, likely, a top-10 pick.
The first concern for Banks is size. Listed by the Longhorns as 6-foot-4, 320, plenty of NFL teams will view Banks as a guard at the next level — an argument he can counter by pointing to his three sacks allowed over three seasons of only playing left tackle. His pass protection has been his strength, and it tends to be more consistent than his abilities as a run blocker. That being said, when going up against crafty pass rushers with a wide tool set, he can be caught easily out of position or on the ground.
Regardless, the tools to be a top lineman in the NFL are present. ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranks Banks as the top offensive lineman in the class and the 10th-best overall prospect in the draft. Kiper’s colleagues at ESPN (Matt Miller, Jordan Reid, and Field Yates) all agree with Banks ranking as the top tackle. In his midseason draft rankings, Dane Brugler of The Athletic had dropped Banks a bit, ranking him as the second-best tackle behind LSU’s Will Campbell and the 18th-best overall prospect in the class.
In addition to Banks’ announcement, Texas saw junior running back Jaydon Blue announce his intentions to forgo his senior year of college, as well (per his X account). While Blue broke out in his junior year with career-highs in rushing yards (730), rushing touchdowns (8), and all receiving stats (42 receptions, 368 yards, 6 touchdowns), he played second fiddle to sophomore running back Quintrevion Wisner. With Wisner’s role only set to increase next year, Blue is likely making a business decision here, choosing the draft after a solid year over the transfer portal.
Though he does possess some flash and playmaking ability, Blue is not present on any pre-draft rankings. The 2025 draft is set to be extremely deep with quality running backs, so expect Blue to end up as a mid- to late-round flier, if selected.
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