NFL Writer Suggests Saints Could Cut Ties With Former First Round Pick

Could the Saints cut ties with their 2022 first round pick?

Aug 25, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints helmet on the turf during warmups before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints shocked the football world when they opted to select Kelvin Banks Jr., an offensive tackle from Texas, in the top ten of the 2025 NFL Draft.

This pick came as a surprise to many because some believed the Saints had bigger needs. This pick will have more repercussions down the road for the Saints, too.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox recently suggested the Saints could cut ties with 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning after they selected Banks in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

"The New Orleans Saints used a 2022 first-round pick on offensive tackle Trevor Penning, but they haven't seen the Northern Iowa product emerge as a reliable starter," Knox wrote. "Roughly three years later, it could be time to pull the plug on the Penning experiment.

"Penning came into the league with intriguing upside—he was the 29th-ranked prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's final draft board—but he's made just 12 starts in three seasons. After using first-round picks on Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr. in consecutive years, New Orleans may simply want to move on from Penning."

The selection of Penning has aged horribly for the Saints, especially considering Trent McDuffie, Tyler Linderbaum, and George Karlaftis were all taken shortly after Penning.

Cutting ties with Penning wouldn't be the end of the world for the Saints. He doesn't have a clear role on the team this season, and Banks looks to step in as a day one starter, though his position is still a bit unknown.

Either way, Penning isn't as valuable to the team as the front office thought he would be a few seasons ago.

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