Looks like Colorado and Miami have been glued to the 2025 NFL Draft, all eyes on their quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Meanwhile, Steve Sarkisian and Texas haven’t been sweating what’s going down. But the time has come for them to buckle up. One of their players is generating a top-10 buzz. And it’s none other than the Longhorns’ 320-lb offensive tackle. Earlier, he was hailed as someone who embodies everything Sarkisian wants in a Longhorns star. But the time has come for the HC to bid farewell to him. Now it’s on the OT to step up big time—Mission Protect Caleb Williams. Meanwhile, it will be a quarterback party in Chicago Bears as Ryan Poles makes a $3 million gamble.
Kelvin Banks Jr. has been one of the most promising names out of Texas. After all, Sarkisian’s squad hasn’t had a first-round offensive line pick in years going into the 2025 NFL Draft. Before the 2024 season pulled up the curtains, the HC was in all praise about Banks. “I just think he represents us at the highest level…Some might say he’s reserved, but I see it first hand that he’s not, he plays physical and he plays violent.” And the player did prove himself. Banks was a second-team All-American in ’23 and then absolutely crushed it the next year, becoming a unanimous first-team All-American and getting the nod for the All-Big 12 First Team from the conference coaches themselves. He comes off as a good package with pro-ready run-blocking skills, and good punch range paired with excellent footwork and pass-protection technique. Going by the buzz, Banks will be taken by the Bears as they hold the No.10 pick.
Kelvin Banks Jr.
Source- Instagram
On the April 5 episode of the On Texas Football podcast, analyst Jeff Howe shed light on how Banks has shaken off all the doubts. “Teams are going to overthink it with him and I’ve said this all along, and it unfortunately it looks like that’s coming to fruition because at first it was ‘Well, how tall is he? How’s the arm length? Is he going to have to kick inside?’” With 33½-inch arms, the 6’4”, 320-pounder’s reach falls short compared to longer-framed defenders. However, he got a green pass in the NFL combine when it came to having the perfect measurements for the pro league. And the tables turned! Howe is already envisioning a bright NFL future for Banks.
“He’s a walk-in starter in the league, and if you’re the Bears at 10 and you’ve got a potential franchise quarterback and Caleb Williams, you want to keep that guy upright. You don’t want him to become David Carr.” Well, we all are aware of what happened to former Houston Texans quarterback David Carr. He was sacked an NFL-high 68 times during the Texans’ 2-14 campaign in 2005. The reason? Consistently poor offensive line. Now, how will Banks fit in the mix to protect Williams?
Steve Sarkisian’s stamp of approval for Kelvin Banks Jr.
Well, Williams’s rookie season was kind of a hassle because of the struggling offensive line. Injuries, poor play, and other circumstances plagued the quarterback’s stint. Williams played behind more combinations of offensive lines than any other quarterback in the league. He logged the fourth-lowest yards per attempt on under-pressure throws. On top of that, his 44 percent completion rate on those attempts ranked among the NFL’s lowest. Thus, it’s high time that the Chicago Bears come up with a permanent solution.
Ryan Poles’ Chicago is in need of a tackle and all the interior help they can get. Banks, in few analysts’ critical radars, is better suited as a guard on the next level. However, he offers a combination of the ability to play both. And Sarkisian has been all praise about his former OT.
“If there’s anybody in our program that I would say, ‘Hey, go emulate that guy, the way he handles his business, on the field, off the field, the way he works, first guy there, last guy off the field,’ that’s Kelvin Banks.” Now, we all know that when it comes to the Longhorns HC, he’s not typically the type of coach who speaks glowingly about anything. While Poles has yet to bring Banks home, he has already signed 37-year-old veteran quarterback Case Keenum to a one-year contract worth up to $3 million.
Keenum is the adult in the room for the Bears’ quarterbacks. That’s not to discredit Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, or Austin Reed. However, we must accept the bitter truth that the whole room last season was inexperienced. In that case, here comes the updated depth chart. First-—Caleb Williams, second—Tyson Beagent, third-—Case Keenum, and fourth-—Austin Reed. In a Bears team crowded with quarterback heat, it’s Kelvin Banks Jr.’s time to show that Sark wasn’t bluffing.
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