The New Orleans Saints selected Kelvin Banks Jr. with their first-round pick, now it’s clear what the team needs to do in the second round.
On night one of the 2025 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints did something they always do: draft a lineman in the first round. Regardless of year, or any other circumstances, the Saints are likely going to use their first pick on a lineman in either side of the ball. On Thursday, that lineman was Kelvin Banks Jr.
Banks is an offensive tackle that starred for three years with the Texas Longhorns, and if he pans out as expected, he’ll certainly elevate New Orleans’ offensive line. The ninth-overall pick will likely replace Trevor Penning on the line, and give the Saints two talented young tackles, as Taliese Fuaga is returning for year two.
Now that the inevitable of taking a lineman is out the way for New Orleans, the franchise must turn its attention to the rest of its needs. Heading into Friday night, rounds two and three of the draft, the Saints’ next pick is currently 40th overall— eighth in the second round.
With that 40th pick, everyone will expect the team to explore drafting a quarterback.
Saints should target a quarterback in round two after drafting Kelvin Banks Jr.
New Orleans is making sure to have solid protection up front, but the question remains who will Banks and the rest of the offensive line be protecting. The Saints were one of the teams on quarterback watch in the first round, but after selecting Banks, they didn’t bother trading back into the first round for a quarterback.
The only team that did trade into the first for a QB was the New York Giants, who moved up to 25 to select Jaxson Dart. Prior to the Draft, Dart was believed to be the top QB option for New Orleans, but with him no longer available, the team has to pivot.
However, the Cleveland Browns are set to pick twice before New Orleans in the second round, and the Las Vegas Raiders will pick before the Saints as well. Both teams could go after quarterbacks, potentially taking two more options off the board for the Saints. Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe, and Tyler Shough are all still available, and so are guys like Quinn Ewers, who the team did a ton of work on. New Orleans must decide if it likes any of those guys enough to draft on night two.
