With Super Bowl LIX and the 2024 NFL season in the books, mock draft season will surely ramp up in the coming weeks, especially with the combine and pro days on the horizon.
It’s been clear for months now that the Texas Longhorns will likely have multiple first-round picks for the second year in a row, with the only question being which of them will go that high. Kelvin Banks Jr. seems like a lock, as he’ll likely be a top-10-12 pick, but there are a few others who could very well join him in the first round.
Three Longhorns are projected to go in the first round of a recent mock draft by CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli, with Banks kicking things off at No. 10 to the Chicago Bears.
Chicago’s offensive line was simply abysmal in Williams’ rookie season, allowing a league-high 68 sacks en route to a 5-12 finish. Banks, who held down the left side of the Longhorns’ line for the better part of three years, should go a long way toward addressing that glaring weakness. He’s a very common pick for the Bears in these mock drafts, and it’s easy to see why.
If Banks does end up going to the Windy City, he could see one of his former teammates become a fierce rival. The second Longhorn off the board in this mock draft is defensive back Jahdae Barron, who goes at No. 23 overall to the Green Bay Packers.
Barron, this season’s Jim Thorpe Award winner, has been a staple in the Longhorns’ secondary for years now. The Packers don’t have much cornerback depth outside of Jaire Alexander, who dealt with injuries this season and now faces questions about his future in Green Bay, so Barron could be just what the doctor ordered.
The third and final Longhorn is wide receiver Matthew Golden, who goes No. 29 overall to the Washington Commanders.
Jayden Daniels had possibly the best rookie season of all time for Washington, but in order to reach that next level, the rest of the roster needs some work. Golden became the Longhorns’ go-to receiver down the stretch, and could certainly be an impact player in the nation’s capital.