Earl Campbell. Tommy Nobis. Kenneth Sims. Texas football legends who also landed at the very top of the NFL Draft board following their senior seasons. Could quarterback Quinn Ewers or offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. be ready to join the list?

One of the leading NFL Draft experts thinks so. 

ESPN’s NFL Draft expert Jordan Reid released his preseason favorites to be the top overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he included not one but two Texas Longhorns stars. Reid ranked Ewers in a tie for the fourth best odds on the board, with Banks ranked as tied for fifth. 

Here’s some of what inspired Reid to stake Ewers to a 12 percent chance at landing as the top overall pick, behind just Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams, and Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr. (Ewers has the same odds as Colorado signal caller Shedeur Sanders): 

“We’ve seen Sarkisian develop passers such as Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones into eventual first round picks. And Ewers could be the next, even pushing for top-pick status if he has a big third season. …

“I’m hearing primarily late-Day 2 or even early-Day 3 grades from scouts right now, but it’s early. And considering he’s my QB3, he has to be in consideration for the top pick if he can piece together a really good prove-it season. The decision to return to school was the right one for Ewers, and he now gains another year of needed experience and tries to build on his positive moments shown last season.”

The case for Banks — whom Reid gives a six percent chance to be the top pick — is a lot more straightforward: He’s simply considered the most consistent, elite-sized offensive tackle in the draft class. Here’s more from Reid: 

“At 6-foot-4, 324 pounds, Banks is an overwhelming run-blocker, but it’s his movement skills that really set him apart from his counterparts in this class. …

“Texas hasn’t had an offensive lineman drafted in the first round since Leonard Davis (2001) and Mike Williams (2002) were drafted in back-to-back years more than two decades ago. Both were top-five picks, but Banks has a chance to go even earlier.”

There’s a long ways to go before anyone has any idea if either Longhorn has a realistic shot at landing on top of the big board, but their current rankings can only bode well for the future NFL prospects of both stars.