The New Orleans Saints added a big piece to the offensive line during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Despite the overall question marks at the quarterback position, the Saints opted against taking Colorado's Shedeur Sanders or Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart — the latter of which went to the New York Giants at No. 25.
Instead, the Saints bolstered the offensive line by taking Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick.
When looking at the five worst picks from the first round of the draft, Scott DiBenedetto of Draft Wire wasn't a fan of the Saints' selection.
"With Will Campbell and Armand Membo already off the board, this seemed like a panicky decision by New Orleans. They hopped off the quarterback train late in the pre-draft process, but their laundry list of needs did not include offensive tackle," DiBenedetto wrote. "A lot of noise will be made about the Saints passing on Shedeur Sanders, but passing on a corner or one of the many pass rushers available is head-scratching. Banks could replace the recently retired Ryan Ramczyk, but it feels like New Orleans should have gone in a different direction."
It will be interesting to see if the Saints move Banks to the right side considering Taliese Fuaga was solid during his first season at left tackle in 2024.
A First-Team All-American in 2024, Banks might be better positioned to move inside given his slightly below-average arm length, solid footwork and understanding of leverage. The Saints also have a need at left guard.
With New Orleans declining the fifth-year option for former first-round pick Trevor Penning, adding to the offensive line may not be the worst idea.
There certainly were other positions that could have been in consideration but if Banks reaches his potential, New Orleans will be more than happy.