Why Colts addressed OL in latest NFL Wire mock draft
In our latest NFL Wire mock draft, the Indianapolis Colts addressed the offensive line by taking Texas' Kelvin Banks with the 14th overall selection. Let's take a look at why that was the pick.
For me, unless Tyler Warren is available, I believe that there are a lot of options on the table for the Colts with that 14th pick, which could include trading down and is something I attempted to do but couldn't find the right deal to make that happen.
So, instead, with offensive linemen Will Campbell and Armand Membou off the board already, I chose to bolster that unit with Banks. Here was my reasoning for that selection:
"Perhaps this is an off-script selection, but it’s a deep tight end class, so I feel comfortable addressing that need on Day 2, and there are some unknowns along the offensive line currently. Without Will Fries, Matt Goncalves will presumably slide to right guard. But even so, guard depth is a need, and so is finding a swing tackle.
"Banks can provide help in both of those areas and could compete with Goncalves or Braden Smith for playing time. While all the focus is on the Colts’ quarterback position, success for whoever the starter is begins with having a good offensive line in front of them to provide time and a running game to lean on. Getting this unit right is a must."
Banks measures in at 6-5 - 315 pounds. He's a three-year starter at Texas with all of his snaps coming at left tackle. This past season, Banks was excellent in pass protection, allowing just one sack and 10 pressures over 538 pass-blocking snaps.
Banks ranked 10th among all tackles in PFF's pass-blocking efficiency metric, and he was 13th in run-blocking grade.
For more on Banks, here is what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote in his scouting report:
"Three-year starter who has gone to battle in the trenches with current and future pros. Banks will come into the league as an early starter but his run blocking is more pro-ready than his pass protection. He's technically sound and scrappy in the ground game, with the quickness and athleticism to get to all move blocks. He has the leverage and strain to hold his own at the point. Banks has the slide quickness to deal with speed, but he must become more proactive in attacking power rushers and long-limbed attackers to prevent them from dictating the terms."
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL mock draft: Why Colts selected OL Kelvin Banks
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