PFF Says the 49ers Should Draft Texas OT Kelvin Banks Jr. in Round 1

Most draft analysts agree that the 49ers must address their trenches with their first-round pick this season. But they don't agree on which side of the trenches the 49ers should address.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. (78) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. (78) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Most draft analysts agree that the 49ers must address their trenches with their first-round pick this season. But they don't agree on which side of the trenches the 49ers should address.

Some people think they should take a defensive lineman considering they currently have Nick Bosa and a bunch of journeymen. Other analysts such as Pro Football Focus think the 49ers should take an offensive lineman to protect Brock Purdy.

"A down season sees the 49ers with a top-15 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, and that would give them the opportunity to bolster their offensive line," writes PFF analyst Gordon McGuinness. "Banks was elite as a pass blocker in 2024, allowing just four total pressures on 143 true pass sets."

Banks played left tackle at Texas, which means he could potentially replace Trent Williams at left tackle in the future. In the meantime, he could replace Colton McKivitz at right tackle, or he even could replace Aaron Banks at left guard -- Banks will be a free agent this offseason and the 49ers probably will not sign him. Banks would be a major upgrade at left guard while he waits to move to tackle.

Some people question Banks' length and argue that he's much better suited to play guard than tackle. We'll find out his exact arm length at the Combine in February. If he truly is a blue-chip tackle prospect with guard flexibility, the 49ers won't be able to pass on him.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.