There is lots of uncertainty surrounding the Saints offense in 2025. They are rolling into the season with either a rookie, or second year quarterback. Plus they have a young, fairly inexperienced offensive line. These two question marks pairing together could become disastrous and result in their worst-case scenario. Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine dove into this scenario in a recent article.
.jpg)
The offensive line needs to succeed for the quarterback to have a chance
“Having a young offensive line in front of a young quarterback can be the foundation for a strong future.” Ballentine wrote, "It can also be an unmitigated disaster.”
The offensive line has tons of potential, but has a low floor. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are the only two who are staying at the same position. The Saints are shifting their tackles around. Trevor Penning started at right tackle in 2024 but is moving to the interior. Taliese Fuaga is moving back to his collegiate position at right tackle. However, this group is still vastly improved with first round pick Kelvin Banks.
Kelvin Banks may be a rookie, but he’s got plenty of experience against great competition. In three years at Texas, Banks has 2,774 snaps, all at left tackle. Banks surrendered only four career sacks while facing BIG 12 and SEC competition.
Banks is a great run blocker and has amazing athleticism. The only knock with him was his arm length, but Kellen Moore seems to have no issues about that. Banks will instantly impact the offensive line and keep the quarterback safe.
Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough have struggled with pressure
Lots of analysts are afraid about the Saints quarterback room. Tyler Shough is the front runner to be the starter. However, Shough didn’t produce well while under pressure in college. With an inexperienced offensive line, that weakness could be exploited causing him to struggle.
Spencer Rattler is the other contender. He only played seven games but also struggled while under pressure. Per PFF, Rattler’s completion percentage dropped from 62.5% to 44.1% while under pressure. It’s pivotal that the offensive line finds a way to keep their quarterback protected.
The offensive line must find a way to keep the Saints young quarterbacks protected. If they are unable too, it could result in their worst case scenario.
