The New Orleans Saints surprised some people by selecting offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. with the No. 9 pick in the 2025 National Football League Draft.
There really wasn't much consensus about New Orleans before the pick. Quarterbacks were thrown around a lot, including Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart. Offensive playmakers were speculationed about and even a few defensive pieces. The offensive line wasn't a big topic of conversation, although in hindsight it probably should've been.
New Orleans' offensive line was full of injuries in 2024 and struggled overall. The Saints selected Banks to come in and help fix that issue right away. He has turned some heads already and even was called FanSided's "Best NFL breakout candidate" at offensive tackle.
"OT Kelvin Banks Jr., New Orleans Saints," FanSided's Brendan Howe said. "On the offensive line, Banks is a sensible pick here. He gave up just three sacks in 42 starts at left tackle during his time at Texas. Arch Manning probably wishes Banks would’ve stayed around another year.
"Whoever new head coach Kellen Moore trots out to start behind center — Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener — will be well-protected on the side that Banks is stationed at."
Banks is just 21 years old and is coming to New Orleans after starting at left tackle for the University of Texas. He's walking into a big role and now it's just going to be interesting if he can live up to the already high expectations.
