Scouting Profile: Kelvin Banks Jr. - OT - Texas
Sales Pitch: Experienced tackle with plus strength and quickness. Struggles to sustain blocks due short arms and balance issues which may have some teams slide him inside.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Kelvin Banks Jr. is a former 5-Star recruit from the state of Texas. Banks was an iron man at LT for the Longhorns, starting 40+ games over 3 seasons. The 2024 Outland Trophy Winner leaves school as a 2x All-American and 3x All-Conference player.
Banks is a solid athlete with wide powerful frame. He is very experienced with smooth processing skills to adjust and pick up targets on the move. He has a nasty demeanor looking for kill shots on smaller players out in space. Banks plays with good leg drive to create displacement at the point of attack. He is excellent on double teams, bringing pop behind his pads before climbing to the 2nd level to seal off linebackers. Banks has a solid first step to get out of his stance as a puller and on screens. In pass protection he rarely oversets and forces rushers to beat him around the edge. He has accurate hands with plenty of force to stun rushers and knock them off their rush path. Banks plays with good control and nimble feet as a pass protector. His wide base and plus play strength allow him to hold his ground versus bull rushes as well.
Banks is a good athlete but struggles with balance, especially out in space. His short arms limit his ability to lock out and control defenders, and he can get dragged out over his knees when engaged. Banks must improve his ability to stay connected and upright as a blocker as the play goes on. Far too often is he caught bending at the waist and losing his positioning during the 2nd and 3rd phases of a block. The same balance issues can plague him in pass protection as well. Banks will over extend when throwing his hands and can be ripped off balance by quick sheds. He also has a bad habit of setting too shallow of pockets, which allows aggressive rushers to get short paths to the pocket through his upfield shoulder. Banks short arms don’t allow him to get first contact and longer rushers are able to force him to hop back in the pocket when using speed to power moves.
Banks profiles as a starting tackle or guard with scheme versatility. His experience combined with above average movement skills and power give him a quality floor. Banks projects as a Top-50 pick with a shot to go Round 1 due to his well rounded game but lacks the top end tools to be a upper echelon tackle.