Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: the New England Patriots need help along their offensive line. As of a week before the 2025 NFL Draft, only two of their five spots up front — right guard and right tackle — appear set in stone, with the other three positions all open for competition and improvement.

This is what makes Texas product Kelvin Banks Jr. an intriguing prospect from New England’s point of view: he would be a Day 1 starter at both left tackle and left guard.

Hard facts

Name: Kelvin Banks Jr.

Position: Offensive tackle/Guard

School: Texas

Opening day age: 21 (3/10/2004)

Measurements: 6’5 1/8”, 315 lbs, 84 3/8” wingspan, 33 1/2” arm length, 10 3/8” hand size, 5.16s 40-yard dash, 7.81s 3-cone drill, 4.66s short shuttle, 32” vertical jump, 8’8” broad jump, 8.32 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Colleges: Texas (2022-24)

Career statistics: 50 games (50 starts) | 2,778 offensive snaps, 126 special teams snaps | 34 pressures surrendered (4 sacks, 4 hits, 26 hurries) | 15 penalties

Accolades: Lombardi Award (2024), Outland Trophy (2024), Jacobs Blocking Trophy (2024), First-team All-American (2024), First-team All-SEC (2024), First-team All-Big 12 (2023), Second-team All-American (2023), Second-team All-Big 12 (2022), Freshman All-American (2022)

A multi-sport athlete growing up, Banks Jr. started focusing on football and the offensive line specifically during his high school career at Summer Creek in Humble, TX. He became a starter at left tackle in his sophomore year and picked up All-American and All-District honors along the way, and eventually was rated a five-star recruit.

Already earning scholarship offers before even playing on the varsity team, he drew interest from several of the nation’s top programs. Banks Jr. originally committed to Oklahoma State, later to Oregon, and ultimately to the University of Texas. He spent three seasons with the Longhorns, starting all 50 of the games he appeared in and earning multiple individual accolades.

Following his standout junior season, he decided to forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the draft.

Draft profile

Expected round: 1 | Consensus big board: No. 13 | Patriots meeting: N/A

Strengths: Banks Jr. is a broadly-built prospect who offers a solid athletic foundation and sprinkles some advanced footwork and hand use over the top. He explodes out of his stance, either quickly getting into his kick step versus pass rush or working up the field as a run blocker. He generally moves quite naturally; he has fluid hips and efficient feet to mirror pass rushers and react to misdirection rushes, stunts or twists. He has value as a pull blocker, too.

Banks Jr. uses his fairly big hands patiently and does not overcommit in 1-on-1 pass rush situations, limiting opponents’ ability to hit him with fakes or spin moves. In addition, he showcases good form and pad level when drive-blocking in the run game. He also can anchor and keep a stable, wide base. He is a good combo blocker who disengages smoothly and has also shown an ability to sustain blocks.

A reliable player, who missed only one game between his high school and college careers — the 2024 SEC Championship Game against Georgia (left ankle) Banks Jr. showed growth in all three of his college seasons. That was true off the field as well, and he served as a captain at Texas.

Kelvin Banks breaking down a few pass pro reps, one vs. a spin attempt, stab-chop-rip and inside move pic.twitter.com/tw0vCVpKY3

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) February 12, 2025

Weaknesses: Banks Jr. lacks the desired length as a tackle, with his 33 1/2-inch arms only in the 26 percentile for draft prospects at the position. In turn, he is vulnerable to longer-armed defenders getting into his chest and challenging his balance. As a consequence, he needs to get better maintaining his position and leverage in both the run game and as a pass protector; he can find himself overpowered by opponents, who can capitalize on his inconsistently applied play strength to move him off his spot.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Banks Jr. is in a similar situation as fellow first-round prospect Will Campbell. He spent his entire college career as a left tackle, but his relative lack of length means that a move to guard might help him reach his full potential as a blocker. Regardless of whether he ends up at left guard or stays at tackle, he projects as a Day 1 starter for a Patriots team facing questions at both positions.

What is his growth potential? Banks Jr. has some natural limitations related to his lack of length, and working around them versus NFL-caliber competition will require him to focus on his technique. If he can keep perfecting his leverage and develop some tactical counters against longer defenders, he can become a quality starting lineman.

Does he have positional versatility? While moving to guard might be in Banks Jr.’s future depending on the team he is joining, his versatility at this point in time is merely theoretical. He spent all but two of his 2,779 offensive snaps as a Longhorn at left tackle; the only exception are a pair of inline snaps both on the left and the right side of the line. He does have 126 snaps as a field goal and extra point protector on his résumé, but did not play special teams in 2024.

Why the Patriots? The Patriots lacking established starters at both left tackle and left guard might make a prospect like Banks Jr. particularly interesting. He could start out at one spot, for example, but also line up in another if the circumstances or his development require such a move. In addition, his skillset should allow him to be used independently of scheme; he is a fit for the multiplicity New England is looking for in that regard.

Why not the Patriots? If the Patriots want to invest in a tackle-or-guard prospect such as Banks Jr., they could just go with Will Campbell — arguably the top O-lineman in the class — and call it a day. Banks Jr.’s measurables also might lead to the team viewing him exclusively as a guard, which might diminish his value in their eyes.

One-sentence verdict: Banks Jr. is an ascending player whose unclear projection would likely not be a disqualifier for New England.