NFL executive compares Saints' first-round pick to 5-time Pro Bowler
NFL executive compares Saints' first-round pick to 5-time Pro Bowler
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler emptied his notebook with takeaways from every team's haul in the 2025 NFL draft, including the New Orleans Saints. And he came away with a couple of points worth highlighting for some of the team's picks, most notably first-round offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. The former Texas Longhorns left tackle was compared to a five-time Pro Bowler by one of Fowler's sources.
"He's awesome. He's Laremy Tunsil," one anonymous NFC executive told Fowler; his report mentioned that, in the eyes of scouts, Banks "was a clear-cut top-10 pick, despite many mock drafts having him in the teens throughout the process."
It isn't a bad comparison. Both of them weigh in at around 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, but Tunsil has slightly longer arms and did a little better in athletic testing at the combine. What's important is they were both rock-solid in pass protection against SEC competition. Per Pro Football Focus charting, Tunsil allowed just three sacks and was penalized eight times over his final 599 snaps in pass protection at Ole Miss. At Texas, Banks gave up one sack and was fouled eight times in his last 591 reps in pass pro. Being able to match up with other future NFL players and protect your quarterback matters.
So does this mean Banks is about to start for 125 consecutive games and earn five Pro Bowls? Hopefully. But for now, he just needs to focus on getting on the field however his coaches see fit. And like Tunsil, his first start may come at left guard. The Miami Dolphins had a reliable starter in place at left tackle when they drafted Tunsil, but they knew Brendan Albert was approaching the end of his career, so they played the rookie at guard for a year until that spot opened up.
The Saints are in a similar situation. Taliese Fuaga played really well at left tackle last year, and Trevor Penning made some real strides after moving to right tackle. But Penning is in the last year of his contract and may not be on the team in 2026, which would allow Fuaga to go back to his college position on the right side. Maybe the plan is to start Banks at guard in 2025 and let both guys play their natural positions in 2026. It worked out for Tunsil. It could work out for Banks, too.
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