With the 2025 NFL Draft less than a week away, Colin Cowherd unveiled his first mock draft of the year on Thursday's edition of The Herd. And when it comes to the San Francisco 49ers' No. 11 overall pick, Cowherd thinks the decision is simple: protect quarterback Brock Purdy.
Cowherd has the 49ers selecting Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. with their top pick, reinforcing the offensive line in front of Purdy, who's on track to become the highest-paid player in franchise history.
"Trent Williams is aging at left tackle. He's 37 years old," Cowherd said.
Well, almost. Williams will turn 37 before the 2025 season kicks off, celebrating his birthday in July. And while the future Hall of Famer is still playing at an elite level, his long-term future remains uncertain.
An ankle injury sidelined Williams for the final seven games of the 2024 season. Looking ahead, general manager John Lynch is confident his star left tackle will be ready.
"Trent's playing, and he's ready," Lynch said back in February. "I think he's really motivated to come back. ... When you're a player that has experience playing at those heights, you don't want to play unless you're playing at that level, and I think that's where Trent's at.
"And I think we're going to see a real motivated Trent Williams to come back and have a great year, and that's a good thing for us."
Selecting Banks would give the 49ers a succession plan at left tackle while also strengthening the line in the short term—wherever the 49ers line him up—until Williams decides to call it a career.
"Let's be honest, if you're gonna spend money on Brock Purdy, then you better protect him," Cowherd concluded. "Their O-line is the weakest part of that team, and he's the best available. I like him better than Will Campbell."
Banks (6-5, 315), a three-year starter, has played exclusively at left tackle, earning a career-best 89.9 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024, ranking fourth among offensive tackles nationwide. Across 538 pass-blocking snaps (935 total), he allowed just one sack and 10 total pressures while recording career-high grades of 81.0 in run blocking and 86.2 overall.
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