Longhorns’ Left Tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. Walls Off The Pocket

The first thing I noticed about Texas Longhorns’ left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. is how wide he is. The second and third things I noticed about him were his athleticism and his awesome explosive brute power.

Banks is tough to get around or go through in pass protection and pass protection is what it’s all about in the pass-happy NFL. He has moments run blocking when he drive blocks a defender like he’s taking him for a ride or when he squashes them into the ground with a devastating pancake block.

However, the tape revealed there is room for opportunity for him in the run-blocking department.

Pro Football Focus confirmed. Banks earned an 86.8 pass-blocking grade and a 70.0 run-blocking grade for 2023.

Based on his physical traits and predicated on Banks’ violent mean streak that peaks from time to time, I expected more, but regardless his ability to seal off the perimeter of the pocket should make him one of the more coveted prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Where’s the disconnect?

Banks tends to do “just enough,” and often it’s enough and sometimes it’s not. This was especially true run blocking. He would often start out strong at the point of attack and by the end of the play, his guy would either make the tackle or assist or he would end up by the pile.

There were these ‘momentary lapses,’ pass blocking too where he would simply let his guy go too soon and he would get heat on the quarterback. Those moments didn’t show up as much, but they showed up enough to mention it.

Banks has a little laziness to him that he exposes when he goes into beast mode here and there. When he goes into beast mode it’s like, ‘wow.’ Too many times pass rushers were able to get a step of leverage to his outside shoulder on the perimeter of the pocket. He’d often end up riding pass rushers past the quarterback’s backside, but it’s not necessary.

Not with his level of gifting.

Elite traits

Enough of the negative, it’s time to talk about Banks’ upside.

When he’s clicking on all cylinders, he’s like a ton of bricks on wheels sliding up and down the perimeter of the pocket in pass protection and he’s like a wrecking ball run blocking.

He is strong. Point blank.

Banks can easily make it out quickly on screen passes to block and he gets to the second level (where the linebackers reside on defense pre-snap) and make the blocks. He’s so athletic that I saw him be able to sometimes get outside a defender on his side of the field on a run block from his position.

Banks is also aggressive by nature and aggression wins.

Durable

Going into 2024, Banks has not missed a start according to his school’s website.

Despite his brand of physicality, he is staying in the lineup.

The thing I also liked was there were a couple of times in the span of last season on film where he went down in noticeable discomfort, but he stayed in the games and powered through it.

#78 Kelvin Banks Jr. 6-foot-4, 320 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2024 Fall Grade: Second-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 93.9% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of October 9, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film evaluated: Rice, Alabama, Wyoming, Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma, Houston, BYU, Kansas State, TCU, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Washington (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Big muscular stout framed prospect. Thick legs. Quick first step in pass protection. Slides out. Quick twitch. Fast reflexes. Handled “X” stunts. Average versus blitzes. Decent against spin moves. Tendency to waist bend and rely too heavily on strength over technique. Can be susceptible at the back door of the pocket, but compensates with effort to avoid getting beat. Nasty run blocker at times. Excels with leverage. Inconsistent sustain. More of a mauler. Devastating pulling. Good speed.

What to watch for during the 2024 college football season

1. Consistency pass and run blocking?

2. Blitz pickup?

3. Sustaining run blocks?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.