Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end JT Tuimoloau and Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. in action Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Mel Kiper Jr. Explains Kelvin Banks Jr. NFL Draft Stock Fall; Here's Why He's Wrong

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Matt Galatzan | Last updated Feb 11, 2025 11:30 AM ET

The Texas Longhorns are expected to have a big showing in this spring's NFL Draft.

However, despite entering the season as a candidate to be a top-5 pick, their highest-graded prospect, offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., has begun to slip down mock draft boards a bit in recent weeks. In fact, in some mock drafts, Banks has fallen as low as the mid-20s. That said, in most cases, Banks seems to have found his pot somewhere in the top 10-13 picks.

But what has caused the slip for Banks? In a recent breakdown of the top offensive tackles in the class, ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. tried to explain in his view why Banks' stock has fallen.

“We thought Kelvin Banks Jr. from Texas would be in this mix, but he had some hiccups we call them, right?” Kiper said, via On3. “Some inconsistent performances, banged up later in the year. Didn’t have the type of season you expected from him to be a top-five pick. We thought maybe he’d be in the mix to be the second or third pick. That didn’t happen. So he opened the door for maybe a guy like Josh Simmons.”

In fairness to Kiper, he is not the only 'draft expert' to place Banks outside the top-5. That said, this all feels a bit nit-picky.

Banks suffered an injury that caused him to miss time vs. Texas A&M and Georgia in the SEC Championship game. And yes, he did get banged up a bit vs. Ohio State. However, he was able to return in what was an epic battle vs. a ferocious Buckeyes defensive line.

Outside of that? All Banks did was finish the season as PFF's No. 1 offensive tackle in the country, ending the year with a pass-blocking grade of 86.2, and an overall grade of 88.2. Oh, and against his toughest competition, Banks was always at his best, finishing with a combined grade of 86.9 in his games vs. Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Clemson, Ohio State, and both matchups Georgia, per PFF.

Not to mention, in 538 passing blocking opportunities for Banks, he allowed just one sack, two hits and seven pressures, per PFF. In fact, he allowed just four sacks total in three seasons on 1,544 pass-blocking snaps. In 2024 alone, Banks was named an All-American, an All-SEC selection, and won the Lombardi, Outland, and Jackson Blocking Trophies.

Sorry Mel, but that all sounds pretty consistent to us.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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