For the second straight year, the New Orleans Saints used their top pick on an offensive tackle. In 2024, it was Taliese Fuaga, who started his rookie season at left tackle, and now, it’s Kelvin Banks Jr., who the Saints selected with the ninth-overall pick in the 2025 Draft.
Banks is a 6-foot-5, 315-pound lineman that played three years with the Texas Longhorns. Playing in 42 total games, he started at left tackle in his final season. Now, he’ll come to New Orleans and play on the opposite end of Taliese Fuaga.
Saints draft Kelvin Banks Jr. with the ninth pick in the 2025 Draft
Banks played left tackle in college, and Fuaga played on the right side before coming to the NFL. However, Fuaga started on the left side during his rookie season with the Saints, so it’ll be interesting to see how the team line these two talented young tackles up.
This selection likely means Trevor Penning’s time in New Orleans is coming to an end. After being a first-round pick in 2022, the lineman struggled to find his footing at left tackle in New Orleans. After finding a home at right tackle in 2024, the team decided not to pick up his fifth-year option. With Fuaga, and now Banks on the roster, Penning could be playing his final season.
This selection of Banks also leaves unanswered the all-important question of who will he and the offensive line be protecting. Derek Carr could be out for the year with a shoulder injury, and there was a question if New Orleans was going to select a quarterback with the ninth-overall pick. They elected to go with Kelvin Banks Jr., building the trenches first— something head coach Kellen Moore had a lot of success with during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles.