We're roughly a month away from the start of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The seven-round draft will kick off on Thursday, April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. A few Longhorns are expected to hear their name called on Day 1 of the draft and potentially 14 Texas players could be selected during the three-day event.
Offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. has been viewed as Texas' top rated draft prospect for quite some time now. However, defensive back Jahdae Barron is giving him a run for his money. After an impressive 2024 campaign that included the Jim Thorpe Award, Barron is flying up draft boards recently.
In CBS Sports' latest 2025 NFL mock draft, Barron is the first Longhorn taken off the board at No. 11 overall to the San Francisco 49ers. "The 49ers have been churning the roster quite a bit lately, and have a need at corner," Tom Fornelli said. "Barron is CB2 (behind Travis Hunter) on most boards, and while I'm not as high on him as the majority, this is a pick that would make sense for both sides."
Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden improved his draft stock significantly over the last few months as well. Golden is now considered a first-round projection and landed with the Houston Texans at No. 25 overall in Fornelli's mock draft.
Although Banks' draft stock has fallen slightly, Texas' star left tackle is projected to the Minnesota Vikings with the No. 24 overall pick.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian has player development at Texas at an all-time high.
Related: Where Texas Longhorns Players Land in Latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 12:26 PM.