2025 NFL Mock Draft

Selection Comment - Pick #17

Return to Mock Draft

In this, our final mock, the Bengals miss out on the top edge rushers in the Draft. Will the team pivot to sackless Shemar Stewat or enigmatic James Pearce? Not to put the Bengals down, but theirs is not the environment to take these prospects with all these warts, and turn them into all-pros.

It's just the world we live in, Pearce can be drafted by the Ravens oe Eagles and turned into valuable players. Teams like the Jaguars, Jets, Dolphins, Browns and yes, the Bengals, best just stick to players with sterling characters and avoid those with "off-field issues" or "inconsistent motors".

Kelvin Banks is a great choice here! We've got him penciled in as a guard, but Banks played left tackle at Texas with great success. He's an immediate starter for the Bengals at Tackle or Guard, though his shorter-then-desired (33.675 in) arm length point to guard as a place where Banks will excel.

Per Dane Brugler, Banks is a "Humble team captain who is all business (head coach Steve Sarkisian: "Whenever somebody comes to me and asks, 'Coach, what do I need to do and how do I need to do it?' I say, 'Be like Kelvin.".

I've hopped on the Kelvin Banks bandwagon, if he's available at pick 17, that substantially raises the floor and ceiling of the OL.

OG in 2025 & 2026, then LT in 2027 and beyond (Unless he's just THAT good at OG)

count me in, improve the OL. #Bengals #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/9ZfEp31mxf

— Whodeyupdates (@whodeyupdates) March 31, 2025

If Banks is off the board at #17, guard Grey Zabel or DT Derrick Harmon will be on the table. Needless to say, expect a heavy dose of defensive line on Day's 2 and 3.