Anybody who has followed the draft for long enough knows that it’s almost like a living entity. It is never going to fully cooperate with your expectations. Smart NFL general managers always put together contingency plans for how a board could unfold. That means having a fallback option in what would be deemed the “worst-case scenario.” That is the say, all of the top players you’d hoped for are gone and you aren’t getting any bites for a possible trade down. A team must pinpoint a player they are comfortable taking who can at least become a reliable starter. Ryan Poles is no stranger to this process with the Chicago Bears.
He sits in a precarious position. Most experts agree that the 2025 draft is light on blue-chip talent. There are few prospects considered clean, or with few flaws. There is a realistic possibility that all of them will be gone within the first nine picks, especially if only one quarterback goes in that range. What will Poles do if that happens? Albert Breer of the MMQB, who has strong Chicago connections, mentioned a specific name to watch. It definitely has gained some traction in recent days.
But if Mason Graham and Ashton Jeanty are gone, I’m not sure there’s a guy at either of those spots worthy of going at 10. So, that leads you back to … the offensive line.
Yes, the Bears dealt for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signed center Drew Dalman. But left tackle Braxton Jones, a nice find for the Bears in the fifth round in 2022, is heading into a contract year and has a new set of coaches evaluating him. If he’s not seen as the answer, tackle would be in play. That’s why I think 10 is the floor for LSU’s Will Campbell, and could be a landing spot for Texas’s Kelvin Banks Jr.
Banks is the type of player Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson would like.
He’s not perfect, but the Texas left tackle has certain qualities that fit their preferences. He’s big, strong, and athletic. The strength of his game is centered around run-blocking, which suits Johnson’s offensive style. The issue many have with him is his arm length (33.5 inches) and tendency to lean too much, resulting in balance concerns. It is why some see him as a guard rather than a tackle. He has the experience and the tools to play left tackle in the NFL, but his ceiling is debatable.
Banks is far from the worst emergency option at #10 if the Bears are content with the risk. The Bears need a long-term solution at left tackle. Braxton Jones is entering the final year of his contract and dealing with a broken ankle. Kiran Amegadjie is still growing. Ryan Poles could ease those fears by taking Banks, further solidifying the complete rebuild of the offensive line.
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