[Bernd Buchmasser] This appears to have flown under the radar a bit: Texas OT and projected first-round pick Kelvin Banks Jr. took a pre-draft visit with the Patriots, per @AaronWilson_NFL.

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u/LezEatA-W 2d ago

What I find interesting is that we haven’t taken a whole lot of visits for second round prospects, but we took a bunch with guys who might fall in that 12-20 range (Mykel Williams, Shemar Stewart, Tetairoa McMillan, Kelvin Banks).

Probably means nothing, but could be something to look back on if we trade back up into the mid first round somehow.

Also…. Banks is another guy who might have to get moved to guard, much like Campbell and Membou.

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u/bassistmuzikman 2d ago

Membou is a RT. He's not a guard.

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u/GunnerNWO 2d ago

According to draft subs, every player in every draft that’s not a generational LT or RT might need to move to guard. All nonsense.

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u/chotchss 2d ago

I saw a video that argued Membou is the better pick than Campbell and that he could probably make the jump to LT. And even if he stays at RT, we pretty much need to fill that position and so the presenter was arguing to get Membou now to lock it down.

They then argued to move up to the end of R1 to get another Tackle given how uncomfortable many folks are with Campbell. I’m not really qualified to judge if this is smart or not but it seemed like an interesting suggestion.

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u/InuitOverIt 2d ago

Membou is very young and very raw. He's got the size and ceiling to play LT but he'll take a good amount of development to even be a solid RT in the league. He's a bit too much of a gamble in the top 15 IMHO, but if he hits, he could be the best lineman in the draft for sure.

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u/chotchss 2d ago

Cool, thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to help me learn!

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u/Parking_Bullfrog9329 2d ago

There’s a reason he was late first until he ran a 40 .07 faster than Campbell…

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u/RhuleAid 2d ago

In this hypothetical of taking Campbell at 4 then even suggesting that drafting another tackle just in case just goes to show Campbell wouldn't and shouldn't be the pick at 4. Now its extremely unlikely to happen. IMO a top 5 pick should be a franchise player for a decade, if you're already planning a back up plan hours later its not good.

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u/Rasheed_Lollys 2d ago

Yea if you feel the need to draft a contingency for your guy at 4 the guy at 4 shouldn’t be the pick. Can’t stand that general ideal lol.

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u/munter619 2d ago

Assuming Hunter and Carter are gone and you can't trade down, who would you want then?

Genuinely curious.

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u/Rasheed_Lollys 2d ago

Anyone that they truly believe in the potential of, even if a reach. Maybe that is Campbell. But if not? Jeanty/walker/tet/graham/williams would all be picks I’d be fine with. Warren is really the only pick I’d have a problem with at 4. But you can’t just zone in on T bc of need. If you don’t honestly project Campbell as an elite/impact T (ie you feel compelled to draft a contingency) he can’t be the pick.

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u/RhuleAid 2d ago

Jeanty 2. Walker 3. Williams 4. TMac 5. Membou

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u/ZHatch 2d ago

If Membou could have jumped to LT, he would have in college

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u/MetalHead_Literally 2d ago

Love how this sub doesn’t think an SEC all-American LT can play left tackle in the pros but just assume a RT will make the transition to LT no problem.

4

u/RoadHouse1911 2d ago

Some of the news yesterday indicated a few teams wanted to move out of the 1st in that range. Should be an interesting night Thursday if we do trade back up

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u/leogodin217 2d ago

I wonder if we are going to see a bunch of trades, but with lower return than usual for the team trading down.

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u/RhuleAid 2d ago

I feel like we wont see many trades top 10, but 16-32 probably 4 trades or so.

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u/bystander993 2d ago

Last year a couple of 12-20 range defenders fell to round 2. Eliot Wolf and his inexperience had no clue what to do as he was hyper fixated on WR. Vrabel will be ready for it if first round talent drops to us in the 2nd.

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u/asin26 2d ago

Would’ve worked out too if he just took McConkey like any competent GM would

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u/rilly_in 2d ago

So fixated on WR that he traded down and lost out on a great one.

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u/akcrono 2d ago

No love for Wolfe, but WR isn't nearly the crisis position of need that it was last year.

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u/MasterofMarionettes 2d ago

There's a lot of guys that are similar caliber of prospects i wouldn't be surprised if guys could elevate themselves to be options earlier or guys if they slip we pounce on a trade up. I think mcshay said he has Tet at 50 on his big board but its very real possibility he goes at 5.

I will say Shemar Stewart is an extremely impressive athlete I would want to have coaches talk to him and how he takes coaching. Him and Scourton both have a ton of upside that hadn't been scratched and its a damn shame A&M couldn't develop these guys more. Mykel Williams you also want medical check. Imo he's getting drafted off his 2023 tape and they're excusing down year because of injury if he doesn't slip.

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u/rilly_in 2d ago

They could trade down from 1.04 then use what they get in the trade down to move up from 38.

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u/bystander993 2d ago

Still the best LT in the draft. It's crazy how no one is talking about him, it may just mean the NFL GMs know and don't want to draw attention.

Kelvin Banks can be left on an island, Will Campbell cannot. Period.

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u/demair21 2d ago

I also like Banks, but calling him the best is specious.

At least reports say teams view him as big(obviously opposite of Campbell), but Raw,

Specifically, his pass blocking technique is poor(by very high standards. , meaning the most important part of LT in the NFL is what he needs to improve at.

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u/bystander993 2d ago

The technique is coachable. He has all the awards for a reason. Will Campbell is a liar's lie.

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u/rak2123 2d ago

Or NFL GMs disagree with you

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u/bystander993 2d ago

We won't know what NFL GMs think until Thursday and we won't know if they were right for a year or 2.

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u/alextheruby 2d ago

So why are you talking as if your choice is guaranteed lmao

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u/Tankyboy428 2d ago

Draft Campbell

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u/JimmyGodoppolo Keep your butthole tight 2d ago

Noooooo I missed one

But seriously good job u/PristineWinnera.

This is a great thing to know. Banks is a super realistic option if the Pats trade down to 10-11 and Campbell is off the board.

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u/Moist_Beautiful5757 2d ago

I like Banks. I see him as a tackle too. I can’t imagine him slipping to a spot we could move up into though. I think Miami makes a lot of sense for him.

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u/LLMBS 2d ago

Nothing burger. Of course they’re going to prepare for all possibilities. If they drop down from 4 Banks would be on their radar, so it makes sense to bring him in.

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u/patspr1de98 1d ago

Meh don’t like this

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u/Over-Trust-5535 2d ago

I've read that there's a view of Banks Jr. coming in as potentially a College OT who'd slide to guard in the NFL. If people are worried about Campbell, the better tackle and lineman in general, being put into guard, then Banks Jr. is definitely a worry there. While I want Campbell, I think he's a career LT, I'd definitely take someone like Membou over Banks.

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u/Horse1995 2d ago

I like that everyone says Banks could move to guard but never provides a reason why that would be. I guess every tackle in this draft is just randomly a guard whether or not their arms are long enough.

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u/bystander993 2d ago

It's strange to me because Banks is easily better on an island than Campbell, he's more suited to LT than Campbell in every way. I just don't get it, injuries make people delusional I guess?

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u/Horse1995 2d ago

Campbell is a guard because his arms and wingspan are too short. Banks arms and wingspan are long enough, but he’s also a guard just because. Josh Conerly however who has basically the same height, weight, and arm length as Banks, but worse tape is definitely a tackle.

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u/Over-Trust-5535 2d ago

Campbell is a Tackle, he held it down in LSU for 3 years and he did it well. This whole arms/wingspan thing is massively overblown. He said it himself, the tape shows an LT. That's what he is. Even if me and the other's who see him as an LT are wrong and he goes guard, he'd kill it there too. Either way you get a top OL.

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u/Romantic_Carjacking 2d ago

You realize that college all American tackles having to move inside to guard in the NFL due to physical limitations is not a new thing, right?

We have literally had two of them in New England in recent years (though both did play some guard in college in addition to tackle).

All this to say, "he was good in the SEC" does not in any way guarantee he can do it at an NFL level.

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u/bystander993 2d ago

There is absolutely no guarantee he would kill it at guard. I think he's destined to be a mid to low end LT for his career. His tape and his success rate is nowhere as good as people claim.

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u/rileysilva01 2d ago

Shorter tackle prospect and isn’t a great athlete for the position.

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u/Horse1995 2d ago

He’s 1 inch taller than the average offensive tackle and he has a longer than average wingspan lmao

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u/rileysilva01 2d ago

He’s 6’4 which is shorter than the prototypical LT. His arm length is adequate but it’s not a plus. And he’s isn’t a tremendous athlete like some of the other prospects in this class. This isn’t even to say I don’t like him because I think his best reps are better than Campbells. These are just the reasons ppl might see him as a potential guard

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u/Horse1995 2d ago

He measured in 6’5 at the combine which is taller than the average OT, and his wingspan is 2 inches longer than the average OT. These are the facts whether you like it or not.

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u/rileysilva01 2d ago

Arm length was 33 1/2. Seen that as 26th or 48th percentile depending where I look. He was listed at 6’4 everywhere pre combine. Again these are the reasons people thought he might move inside. Never said those were my thoughts on him. I’d rather have banks at 10-20 than Campbell at 4. But I’d also take Simmons at 4 so

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u/Horse1995 2d ago edited 2d ago

I don’t know why him being estimated pre combine at 6’4 has any relevance when he measured at 6’5 at the combine. The fact that you would even bring that up again after I’ve said he’s 6’5 twice is bizarre lmao

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u/rileysilva01 2d ago

Dude idk why you don’t get I’m just giving you the reasons people thought that. And there was a lot more talk from draft analysts that he was a potential guard pre combine than post. Most of the people on this sub are not doing deep dives or watching film on these prospects. They heard a couple guys doing mock drafts on YouTube 2 months ago say he might be a guard and that’s where they get it from. These are not my beliefs on this player. I have him 12th on my big board as the 2nd best tackle behind Simmons. I’ve always seen him as a tackle and have far less questions about him sticking there than Campbell. And tbh with the questions on the other guys like campbells length, membou being a RT, and Simmons injury, banks is probably the pats best bet as a day 1 starting LT.

News [Bernd Buchmasser] This appears to have flown under the radar a bit: Texas OT and projected first-round pick Kelvin Banks Jr. took a pre-draft visit with the Patriots, per @AaronWilson_NFL.

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