Chicago Bears land decorated offensive tackle in 2025 first-round mock draft

There's an obvious theme developing for the Chicago Bears' first-round pick in 2025 NFL mock drafts.

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Unless the Chicago Bears go buck wild in free agency and sign multiple high-priced veteran offensive linemen to fix the roster's most obvious problem, Bears fans should get used to 2025 NFL mock drafts focusing on offensive tackle as the likely target for general manager Ryan Poles at No. 10 overall.

In the latest mock draft from The Sporting News, the Bears use the 10th selection to grab Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks, who's considered by some draft analysts to be better suited as a guard in the pros.

"The Bears saw Caleb Williams get sacked 68 times during his rookie season, and the pressure was even hotter on him all season long," wrote Vinnie Iyer. "Banks was reliable protecting Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning with the Longhorns and should be a rock right away on the left side."

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Kelvin Banks Jr. can solve several problems for the Chicago Bears

While I generally like to give prospects a chance to play the position in the pros they starred at in college, I'm warming up to the idea of Banks kicking inside and becoming a top-notch guard or center. The Bears need guys at those spots, too.

However, there's no way Poles and the Bears would select Banks at No. 10 overall if they have that vision for him; guards generally don't secure top-10 grades. If Banks ends up being the pick, it'd be safe to assume he'll at least get a crack at left tackle if Chicago is ready to move on from Braxton Jones.

But the Bears may decide to stick with Jones on the left side in the final year of his rookie contract. If so, Banks could serve as the left tackle-in-waiting while filling one of the team's needs along the interior. In other words, he'd be an excellent pick for an immediate need in 2025 while also profiling as a premium position starter in 2026 and beyond.

One thing seems crystal clear at this point in the 2025 NFL Draft cycle: The Bears won't have any excuses if they end this offseason without a starting offensive lineman or two from the early rounds of the draft.

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