The 2025 NFL draft is quickly approaching, and one team that will be anxious to make some upgrades is the Green Bay Packers. After a fairly quiet free agency period, the Packers need to nail their draft picks if they want to remain a playoff contender in the NFC. Luckily for them, a recent mock draft has them landing Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr., who some evaluators believe is a “top 10” talent in this draft class.
Banks starred for the Longhorns in 2024, earning All-American honors while protecting Quinn Ewers’ blindside under center. While Banks has a ton of upside, he isn’t necessarily viewed in the same light as LSU Tigers’ left tackle Will Campbell, who is widely expected to be a top-10 pick. That led to Banks falling to the Packers at the No. 23 pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft, which would be a steal for Green Bay if that’s how the board shook out for them.
“The Packers are entering the last year of Rasheed Walker’s contract, and rumors around the league have Green Bay drafting a tackle early. Banks was a three-year starter for the Longhorns at left tackle and allowed only one sack per season. He checks the size boxes (6-foot-5, 315 pounds, 33½-inch arms) and started 42 games in college,” Matt Miller wrote in his latest mock draft for ESPN.
“That profile suggests he should be off the board by now, but concerns about his play power have teams saying Banks could slide. He’s a poised pass protector and has held up against top-level college competition, but he might be better as a run blocker because of his hands and athletic movement. I’m higher on Banks than the league — he’s in my overall top 10 — and this would be a steal for the Packers at this spot.”
Could Packers land Kelvin Banks Jr. in the 2025 NFL draft?
Banks’ draft stock has been all over the place, but it seems like he could get selected anywhere from the No. 10-25 picks in the draft. Having him land with the Packers would see Banks fall quite far, but with Green Bay reportedly looking at the tackle options who could be selected in the early rounds, they would likely snatch up Texas’ stud lineman if given the chance to do so.
The biggest question is whether or not Banks will actually fall this far. Star left tackles are at a premium in the NFL these days, and with several other teams needing help at this spot, someone could select him earlier in the first round. If the Packers want to get Banks, they may have to move up to get him, but as Miller’s mock draft indicates, there’s a chance he could simply fall to them, which would likely be the best-case scenario for the team.