The New Orleans Saints drafted Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Banks spent three seasons with the Longhorns and started 42 games. He capped off his final season by winning the Outland Trophy, awarded to college football’s best interior lineman, and the Lombardi Award, presented to the sport’s most outstanding lineman. Banks was also named a consensus All-American.
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Last season, he helped Texas clinch an SEC championship game berth as part of the offensive line that helped the team tally 240 rushing yards and 146 passing yards in its regular-season finale win over Texas A&M. However, Banks did not play in the Longhorns’ loss to Georgia in the SEC title game due to a left ankle sprain. He returned for the Peach Bowl, in which Texas had 375 yards of total offense and quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for a season-high 322 yards and three touchdowns in the Longhorns’ win over Arizona State.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Banks ran an unofficial time of 5.16 in the 40-yard dash, ranking eighth among the offensive linemen who participated, and had a 1.79-second 10-yard split.
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Banks was ranked No. 26 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about Banks in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“With well-timed feet and handwork, Banks is a natural in pass protection and shows an instinctive feel to attack with leverage and create force through his body mechanics. His balance can be too easily disrupted, especially in the run game, leaving him overextended or on the ground. Overall, Banks doesn’t have the ideal length and needs to improve his sustain tactics to be a consistent finisher against NFL talent, but he has controlled footwork and depth in his pass sets, plus the fundamental know-how to fit and leverage blocks and keep defenders occupied. He projects as an immediate NFL starter who can stay at tackle, although his best long-term position might be guard.”
Coaching intel
What an anonymous coach had to say about Banks in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:
“UT folks speak highly of Banks’ competitive maturity, which impressed them early in his career when he was matched against Alabama’s Will Anderson and Dallas Turner and more than held his own. They love his ability to recapture his balance when he gets knocked off his center and can stay connected to the defender, displaying uncanny body control and core strength.”
The best lineman in the country 🏆🤘@Kelvinbanksjr12 x @outlandtrophy pic.twitter.com/2gky24coio
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) December 13, 2024
Come back later for more analysis of Banks.
(Photo: Michael Wade / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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