Saints Rookie Kelvin Banks Jr. Looks Like Slam Dunk Pick

New Orleans Saints rookie Tyler Shough has been getting most of the love over the last few weeks, but he’s not the only rookie making things happen right now for the franchise.

Kelvin Banks Jr., the Saints' 2025 first-round pick, has shined. Shough has gotten most of the headlines recently as the quarterback, but Banks has been successful in his own right. Banks has started all 14 games for the Saints this season and clearly looks like the left tackle of the future. Banks has a 72.8 overall Pro Football Focus grade through 14 games, good for 27th among 82 qualified tackles. Banks hasn't even turned 22 years old yet and he's already viewed among the top overall tackles in all of football.

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The 33rd Team pointed out on X that Banks was the best rookie offensive lineman in the NFL in Week 15 when it came to pressure rate.

Rookie linemen who held up the best in pass protection last week 💪@RootInsurance pic.twitter.com/MhHTS4ayAu
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) December 17, 2025

From the graphic, you can see two other rookie offensive linemen didn't allow a pressure as well (Jared Wilson and Josh Fryar) but Banks did this on more snaps.

The Saints have multiple rookies to be excited about

Sep 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (71) against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Overall, Banks has been very good this season and has lived up to the hype of being the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Saints' 2025 NFL Draft class is looking phenomenal overall this season. Banks is a clear-cut starter and looks like the long-term left tackle solution. Shough is now under center and very much looks like a potential long-term solution at quarterback. Jonas Sanker has played in all 14 games this season -- including 13 starts -- and has been a much-needed addition to the secondary. With Tyrann Mathieu retiring and Julian Blackmon getting hurt, the Saints really needed a boost and Sanker has been a pleasant surprise. Quincy Riley looks like a potential long-term cornerback option, as well as Devin Neal at running back.

The season hasn't been great overall for New Orleans, but this draft class is a clear positive, led by Banks and Shough.

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