It’s unclear whether Texas offensive tackle/guard Kelvin Banks Jr. will still be available for the Seattle Seahawks when it comes time for the No. 18 overall pick in next week’s NFL Draft.

A surprise player who could fall to Seahawks at No. 18

But if he’s still on the board, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard has a simple three-word message for the Seahawks.

“Draft Kelvin Banks,” Huard said during his draft profile Wednesday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

Huard certainly isn’t the only one who shares that viewpoint. During an appearance on Brock and Salk last week, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller was asked which offensive lineman the Seahawks should take if Banks, North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel and Alabama guard Tyler Booker are each still an option at No. 18.

“I’d want Kelvin Banks,” Miller said. “He’s my No. 8 overall player, so that’s easy. I would run to the podium. … I think Kelvin Banks could be an All-Pro guard if you want to put him at left guard. He’s 6-foot-5. He’s got a big wingspan. He’s great in the run game. Has mobility in the pass game.

“If you could put him at guard next to a good tackle? Man, you could have something really special.”

A highly accomplished lineman

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Banks started 42 games at left tackle over a highly accomplished three-year career at Texas. Along the way, he allowed just four sacks in 1,544 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

As an 18-year-old true freshman in 2022, Banks earned second-team All-Big 12 honors. In 2023, he was a first-team All-Big 12 selection. And as a 20-year-old this past season, he was a first-team All-American who won the Lombardi Award as the nation’s top offensive lineman. In addition, he won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman on either side of the line of scrimmage this past fall.

And as Huard pointed out, he’s still incredibly young for all he’s accomplished.

“He’s not reached his ceiling,” Huard said. “To think he’s gonna come into this league as a 21-year-old with 42 starts at an All-American level, and do so as a 21-year-old, with that movement, that athleticism? You’re gonna get the best of Kelvin for the next three, four, five years.”

‘Best-case scenario’

While Banks played left tackle at Texas, some think he’s better-suited to slide inside to guard in the NFL. That versatility would benefit the Seahawks by giving them added flexibility as they work to revamp their struggling O-line.

The big question, of course, is whether Banks makes it down to No. 18.

ESPN’s Field Yates predicts the San Francisco 49ers to draft him at No. 11 in his latest mock draft. Miller ranks him as the eighth-best overall prospect, but projects in his latest mock draft that he’ll fall all the way to the Green Bay Packers at No. 23.

Huard certainly hopes the latter scenario plays out. Along with left tackle Charles Cross and right tackle Abraham Lucas, Banks could potentially give the Seahawks a formidable trio up front.

“The best-case scenario?” Huard said. “Charles Cross, you play left tackle. Abe, you play right tackle. Or maybe Abe, you slide in and play right guard and (Banks) plays right tackle. I’ve got athlete, I’ve got athlete, I’ve got athlete. I’ve got stud, I’ve got stud, I’ve got stud.

“I’ve got clay that I’ve not had to mold on the offensive line in a long, long time in Seattle. Draft Kelvin Banks.”

Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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