The Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line woes are well documented to this point. Andy Reid's offense was able to hide perhaps their most unsightly blemish for the majority of the season until Super Bowl LIX when an elite Philadelphia Eagles defensive front gashed them for 60 minutes.
Kansas City has not acted in a sweeping fashion to overhaul this unit, but has certainly taken action. The Chiefs made Trey Smith, the shining star of this group, a priority before free agency and kept him in town by placing the franchise tag on him.
The team has also traded away Joe Thuney and signed Jaylon Moore, adding some experience at the left tackle spot. But this will not be the extent of these upgrades if Kansas City wants the utmost confidence in this group for the 2025 season.
That's why ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the Chiefs taking Texas lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. with the No. 31 overall pick in his latest mock draft. Ideally, Banks slots in at one of the tackle spots on the line, though as Kiper notes, he is versatile enough to fit a variety of needs.
"Banks has the traits to help fortify Patrick Mahomes' protection. Perhaps Banks wins the left tackle job over Moore. Maybe he replaces Jawaan Taylor on the right side. And maybe he even kicks inside to Thuney's vacated guard spot.
"Regardless of where he plays, Banks' experience (42 college starts), quickness and power would be welcomed in Kansas City."
Banks put together quite the resumé at Texas, earning First-Team All-SEC honors in 2024 and claiming the Jacobs Blocking Trophy along with the Lombardi Award given to the best lineman in college football.
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That pedigree and level of success in college football's most daunting conference makes him an ideal target for a number of franchises looking for a plug-and-play starter.
For the Chiefs, that ability and versatility is an added bonus. Unsure of where some of the other pieces on this group may end up, they could tinker with Banks' fit across the formation.
Regardless, heading into next season the Chiefs must fortify the protection around Mahomes. They have done the groundwork to produce better results in 2025 and a player like Banks that they can find early in the draft would help them continue that progress in a major way.
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This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 5:52 PM.