ESPN Predicts Broncos to Draft Texas OT Kelvin Banks Jr. in 2025

It's never too early to forecast the Denver Broncos' maneuvers in the NFL draft.

Nov 18, 2023; Ames, Iowa, USA; Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. (78) plays against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. / Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

The next time the Denver Broncos take the field, the team will be led by first-round rookie quarterback Bo Nix on the road vs. the Seattle Seahawks. While we're still a week or so away from the NFL regular-season kickoff, the college football season is already underway.

With such prime matchups this week as Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M, LSU vs. USC, and Clemson vs. Georgia, it's time for the fans whose love for football expands beyond Sunday to start keeping an eye out for 2025 mock drafts.

A lot will change between now and April, but one thing is likely to remain constant for the Broncos: unless left tackle Garett Bolles is retained, the team is going to be on the hunt for an additional offensive tackle. That's the case in the most recent 2025 mock draft by ESPN’s Field Yates, who has the Broncos taking Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. with the No. 3 overall pick.

"The tape for Banks speaks for itself. While he did not face a gauntlet of future NFL pass rushers in the Big 12, his pass protection technique and reps are advanced for a young player. Despite possessing less than prototype height, it appears as if Banks has enough athleticism, burst, agility, and length to handle the left tackle position (assuming he does come in no less than 6’4” when official measurements occur in the predraft process)," Yates wrote.

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Many fans will raise an eyebrow at ESPN predicting the Broncos picking at No. 3 overall next year, but until they start winning football games, expect them to continually be picking near the very top of the draft in these early mocks around the national media. Given that Denver has such low odds of winning anything meaningful this season and a Vegas over/under of just 5.5 wins, it'll be up to the team to win some games and change the narrative.

Even if Denver doesn’t wind up with a top pick due to a poor record, it’s still a good exercise to clock mocks and see which players are viewed in which range and what positions analysts are matching to teams based on projected needs. Now, let's get into Banks.

Despite continually recruiting at a strong level and having one of the best recruiting bases to pick from in their own backyard in the state of Texas, last year was the first time the Longhorns reached the College Football Playoffs. A large reason for this turnaround is due to the vision and development of head coach Steve Sarkisian; the Longhorns have finally started to develop worthwhile players along the trenches to match the talent Texas typically possesses at the skill positions.

Last year, Texas defensive tackles Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat stood out as draft-eligible players, but this year, the NFL will have eyes on Banks at left tackle. Banks has a lot of experience, having earned the starting left tackle spot his true freshman year in Austin. Furthermore, according to The Athletic's Dane Brugler, Banks also “established himself as a team leader during his first summer with the program.”

Brugler also states that some NFL scouts think Banks’ future will be inside rather than at tackle. That indicates that the No. 3 overall selection is likely too high for him in all reality, given the difference in value between offensive tackle and offensive guard. That said, some teams said the same about Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Tristan Wirfs before he was drafted in 2020. Wirfs is now the highest-paid tackle in the NFL.

If the Broncos are gungho on tackle, also keep an eye on LSU's Will Campbell and Emergy Jones Jr. Unfortunately, as it stands right now, while the 2024 draft was flush with offensive tackle talent, the 2025 class will need some prospects to step up to earn first-round hype.

Whereas this year’s draft was exceptionally top-heavy and talented on the offensive side of the ball, expect 2025 to be the inverse, with a majority of the perceived top talent to be edge rushers, defensive tackles, and cornerbacks. Broncos head coach Sean Payton is an offensive guy, but his teams with the New Orleans Saints traditionally invested early and often along the defensive line and secondary.

Maybe the 2025 draft will be when Denver finally drafts its first offensive tackle since the Bolles at 20th overall in 2017. However, given how the 2025 draft class appears to stack up as the football season kicks off, a Day-1 pick on the defense seems the more likely direction if Denver is to maximize value from wherever it winds up picking in the first round.

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