Terron Armstead appears to believe Kelvin Banks Jr. can be the long-term answer at left tackle for the New Orleans Saints. It's something the Saints haven't had since, well, Terron Armstead. Taliese Fuaga showed the potential to be the long-term answer, but the Saints chose to move him back to his natural position of right tackle after drafting Banks.
All it took was one preseason game for Armstead to see the vision. There was a compilation of Banks' reps from the preseason opener put on social media. The former Saints All-Pro left tackle saw the cut up and gave his thoughts on the rookie's performance.
Armstead gave heavy praise to Banks. Armstead posted on social media, "I see elite signs of feet and balance!!! There’s still a ton for him to work on and it will be growing pains but Kelvin’s foundation is fire!!!" Banks only played 12 snaps on Sunday, but that's all it took for Armstead.
Kelvin Banks can stop the revolving door at Saints LT since Armstead's departure
Armstead pointed out a few critical components of Banks' game. The biggest positive is Banks' foundation. That foundation sets the floor for a solid starter. At the worst, he won't be a liability in his first season. That's good for the team, but the expectation of a top-10 pick is higher than being serviceable.
In addition to a "fire" foundation, Armstead also sees elite feet and balance. While the foundation sets the base, traits like Banks' footwork and balance makes for a high ceiling. He showed the ability deal with pass rush moves to the inside or around the corner, as well as the ability to anchor on a bull rush.
It was a small sample size, and he didn't see top talent, but Banks showed enough traits to inspire optimism in Armstead. The Saints have had a different left tackle in each of the three years.
They drafted Trevor Penning the offseason Armstead left. He didn't start his rookie season though.He barely played his second season after being benched. Then, the year after he was moved to right tackle. That's when Taliese Fuaga came into play. He had a strong rookie season, but circumstances led to him leaving the position.
Now, the Saints have Banks and Fuaga on the outside. The Saints seem set for years to come at tackle. Getting the Armstead co-sign after just one game is a good sign for the Saints rookie.