Jan 7, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the New Orleans Saints helmet during warmups against the Atlanta Falcons at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Start Believing; Saints Drafted Potential Star

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints have played two preseason games so and unsurprisingly, the quarterback competition has been the talk of the town.

Any time you have a quarterback competition, that is going to be the case. It's arguably the most important position on the field and the Saints have three players vying for it. The two guys likely for the job are Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough. We should find out in the near future who will win the job. No matter what happens, the quarterback competition is still going to dominate headlines, but that's not all that's going on in New Orleans.

Shough wasn't even the Saints' first selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor goes to Kelvin Banks Jr. who was selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round. The pick surprised some. At the time, most of the rumors around New Orleans centered around offensive weapons like Tyler Warren, Tetairoa McMillan, Shedeur Sanders, or even Jaxson Dart among others. Also, a few defensive players were linked to New Orleans, including Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker.

Saints may have drafted potential future star in Kelvin Banks Jr.

There wasn't much said about the offensive line, but the Saints zigged when others zagged and snatched Banks. He's been nothing short of great ever since. He played in both of the Saints' preseason games so far and although it has been a small sample size, he has looked like a potential star.

He hasn't allowed a pressure yet and has a 90.1 pass block effectiveness great, per NFL analyst Ryan Fowler.

"Kelvin Banks Jr through two preseason games (23 pass pro snaps): 0 pressures, 0 sacks, 0 hurries, 0 QB hits, and 90.1 pass block effectiveness grade. Good start for the top 10 pick at LT."

Again, this is a small sample size, but it's exactly what you want to see. No matter who is under center, they will have a hard time if the offensive line doesn't hold up. The Saints drafted Banks for that reason. So far, Banks hasn't looked overmatched in the slightest. Instead, he has dominated when he's been on the field. If that can cary over to the regular season, the Saints could be set with him for a long time to come.

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This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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