With the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints surprised some people by selecting offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. out of Texas. Some might have been thinking the Saints were going to draft Shedeur Sanders, especially with all of the Derek Carr drama, but they stuck to their guns and added help on the offensive line.
The Saints once had one of the best offensive lines in the league during Sean Payton's time with the team but that is far from the case now. The addition of Banks definitely means Trevor Penning is officially on notice, however.
Penning, the Saints' first-round pick in 2022, has struggled during his time in the league and now that the Saints have gone with an offensive tackle in the first round for the second straight year, it's clear they're not content with what they have.
OurLads projects Banks to win the starting right tackle job over Penning, and with the Saints not picking up Penning's fifth-year option, it feels as though his time in the Big Easy is as good as over.
Kelvin Banks could put Trevor Penning's roster spot in jeopardy
As for the Banks pick itself, it's not shocking to see the Saints want to build their o-line. The team might not have a surefire option at quarterback as of this writing but building a dominant offensive line to protect the future signal-caller is a smart move for this team.
Banks has the ability to play either left or right tackle (or even guard) and the Saints can use that type of flexibility. The hope is that he, along with Taliese Fuaga, can become a dominant pairing on the edge and protect the future Saints quarterback for years to come.
It's a shame that Penning hasn't worked out but he was a small school prospect and there was always some fear that he wouldn't become the guy the Saints needed him to be.