There are sure to be risers and fallers coming out of this weekend’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis. The Texas Longhorns have a school record 14-participants at the annual scouting event at Lucas Oil Stadium. But before the event gets going in earnest, USA TODAY Sports has forecast the first round of the NFL Draft in a new Mock Draft.
USA TODAY Sports scribe Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz has mapped out the entire first round to predict when and where 32 of the best players in the draft could potentially go. How many Longhorns are currently picked to go in Round 1? Middlehurst-Schwartz says three — OT Kelvin Banks Jr., DB Jahdae Barron and WR Matthew Golden.
Banks has been tabbed to be a first rounder for over a year. The 6’4″ 320 pound left tackle is a prototypical blind-side protector. Barron was the third Texas Longhorns DB to win the Jim Thorpe Award in school history. Golden built is resume through the 2024 season with strong game after strong game culminating in the game-tying catch in overtime to force double overtime, where Texas would eventually win.
Here’s what USA TODAY Sports had to say about the three players and where they’ll be taken in the NFL Draft:
The Dolphins’ revelation at the combine that they’re not expecting left tackle Terron Armstead to return next season adds a bit of urgency to their expected offensive line reconfiguration. A three-year starter and Outland Trophy winner last season, Banks would provide flexibility along the front, though his best bet is likely smoothing out an uneven landscape at guard.
While the Steelers‘ plans behind center and at receiver have commanded much of the offseason spotlight, Mike Tomlin is no doubt perturbed by a leaky defense that had a leading role in the team’s late-season downfall. Barron can be a steadying presence for whatever secondary he joins, and his coverage versatility and knack for finding the ball should endear him to Tomlin.
Unless Washington wants to make a serious push to sign Tee Higgins, it might need to look to the draft to provide a substantial upgrade to Jayden Daniels’ receiving corps. Golden’s crisp route running and upside as an intermediate target should help him become an immediate asset as a complement to Terry McLaurin.
The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin April 24-26.
