Tyler Shough and Kelvin Banks Jr. are the jewels of the New Orleans Saints' NFL draft class. Additionally, the pairing are the jewels of their position league-wide. The Pro Football Writers Association released their All-Rookie team, and both Shough and Banks made the cut.
The Saints' draft class has been praised all season. The results were evident early, and the class only grew more impressive once Shough entered the lineup. He was the unknown piece of the class through the first half of the season. In the second half of the season, he proved he was the missing piece of the puzzle.
This is the Saints' best draft class in years, and Shough and Banks' inclusion on the PFWA's All-Rookie team only doubles down on that. They're the pair of Saints rookies to make the team together since Erik McCoy and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in 2019.
Saints found 2 critical pieces their young offensive core in Tyler Shough & Kelvin Banks Jr.
If Shough and Banks making the all-rookie team proves anything, it's that the Saints have found premium building blocks for their future. A lot of attention gets paid to Tyler Shough. Quarterback is the key to any successful team, so it make sense he gets the majority of the headlines. Left tackle is a premium position as well. The Saints locked down both of those in one draft.
The Saints didn't make it easy on Banks either. He was often put on an island without as much as a chip from a tight end or running back. Even with that being the case, Banks still had an impressive first year. The fact that he didn't get much assistance actually bolstered the view of his rookie season. Doing it on an island is far from easy, and Banks rose to the occasion Year 1.
Shough looks every part of a franchise quarterback. He has good arm strength, poise under literal and figurative pressure and the mobility to get out of compromising situations or to be a factor in the run game. Because he does all this on the field, Shough's charisma off the field goes unstated often. He clearly possesses a relatability that has also made people gravitate towards him. That's an underrated plus as a franchise leader.
Shough and Banks pair with Chris Olave and Taliese Fuaga to form a solid core for the Saints offense. You still need pieces on the interior offensive line and at running back, but the skeleton for a successful offense in close to complete. You locked down two of the four premier positions in the draft.