Kelvin Banks Jr. is a Franchise Cornerstone Left Tackle

First Round Mock’s Rajvir Bal feels Texas Longhorns’ left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. has what it takes to anchor an NFL offensive line.

When it comes to rebuilds for an NFL team, I have one sentiment: It all starts up-front, which leads me to Texas left tackle (LT) Kelvin Banks Jr.

Sure, getting a pretty-boy quarterback or a flashy wide receiver can sell tickets and merchandise, but when push comes to shove, the game is won or lost in the trenches by offensive and defensive linemen.

Watching Banks on game film indicates that he can be one of the men in the trenches who can help a team win games on Sundays.

Background

Banks was a 5-star prospect out of high school. Banks ranks in the 17th percentile for his height and the 73rd percentile for his weight per NFLDraftBuzz.com.

His height is concerning, but it has not presented as a problem at the college level yet.

As a true freshman, he demonstrated immense poise by committing 0 penalties against future first-round NFL edge-rushers, according to On3.com.

“His 2.5% pressure rate allowed since 2022 is second among returning Power Five tackles,” wrote Pro Football Focus on his time at Texas. “While inconsistent in the run game (70.0 run-blocking grade in 2023), Banks has flashes of dominance there. His 12 big-time blocks (PFF’s highest-graded blocks) were second to only Taliese Fuaga among FBS tackles last year.”

#78 Kelvin Banks 6-foot-4, 324 pounds 
Rajvir Bal’s 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Early-First-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 94.4% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of May 29, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film reviewed: Houston, Kansas, Alabama, Rice, and Oklahoma (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

The Good

A big physical brick wall. That’s what I get from watching Banks on film. As soon as the ball is snapped he fires off the line of scrimmage and gets his hands on the opposing defensive lineman. Banks has the instincts and tools to be a year-one All-Pro level franchise tackle. He has a nasty streak showcased by his mauler play style. The tenacity and nastiness he possesses is few and far between in the modern-day NFL. He has his head on a swivel and is willing to double-team and pancake a defensive tackle.

The Bad

Sometimes his technique is off, specifically pertaining to his base. Occasionally, he lunges when he shouldn’t, and as a result, he reaches for linebackers at the second level. This is a trait that will need to change, as the best tackles typically have solid bases to work from. He also struggles to block inside and is much better at setting the edge. Sometimes he lets up once he gets to the second level and loses his killer instinct that made me love him. With that being said, I don’t think this stems from a lack of effort, and it is more of a football IQ thing that can hopefully be fixed by coaches.

Final Thoughts for now

Every year we see one or two blue-chip tackles come through the draft. This year, I believe that Kelvin Banks Jr. belongs in that conversation. If I were an NFL GM, and my team needed a left tackle, I would spend a top-5 pick on him based on what he has put on tape to date. Of course, he needs to maintain this same level of play (and hopefully improve in the areas I’ve pointed out he needs to improve on).

Banks has what it takes to be a good long-term starter at one of the most important positions in the league. Because of his natural ability and impactfulness, I am expecting him to have a long and successful NFL career.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.