The rebuilding Saints sought foundational pieces for their new coach's offense in the NFL draft

Yahoo

26-04-2025

FILE - Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. (78) sets up to block against Arkansas during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods, File)
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — The rebuilding New Orleans Saints sought foundational pieces for a new offense during the club's first NFL draft since the hiring of 36-year-old rookie coach Kellen Moore.
Moore, a former quarterback and offensive coordinator who'll be calling offensive plays in New Orleans, now has promising prospects at offensive line and QB on his roster.
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New Orleans took Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr at No. 9 overall, then snagged Louisville's Tyler Shough at No. 40 — the highest pick the Saints have used on a quarterback since drafting Archie Manning second overall in 1971.
The decision to use their top-10 pick on a lineman matched the stated philosophies of Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis.
'You win and control a lot of the games with how you handle the offensive and defensive lines,' Moore said. 'Been around that for a long time with Dallas and Philly, where that's been a huge aspect of our success.'
Loomis has long stated his aversion to using high picks on QBs, which he views as risky because so many highly rated players at that position struggle with the transition to the NFL.
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'If we're picking in the top 10, we're looking for somebody that, man, we're going to count on this guy for the next eight to 10 years,' Loomis said. 'He's going to fill that spot, and we're not going to have to worry about it.'
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Banks could very well fit that bill. He was a captain at Texas and won the Outland Award as the top lineman in college.
Shough, meanwhile, was thought by many draft analysts to be one of the top four QB prospects in this draft, and he was the third one picked behind Miami's Cam Ward (by Tennessee) and Mississippi's Jaxson Dart (by the New York Giants).
Shough's selection came two days after Loomis confirmed that veteran QB Derek Carr, who has two seasons left under contract, has a throwing shoulder 'issue' about which the team is seeking more 'clarity.'
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By taking a QB at the top of the second round, the Saints sent a message — albeit unspoken for now — that the Carr era in New Orleans could be ending sooner than later.
New Orleans used two third-round picks on defensive players: Texas defensive tackle Vernon Broughton and Virginia safety Jonas Sanker. They picked two more defenders in the fourth round: Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman and Louisville cornerback Quincy Riley.
The Saints closed out the draft by selecting Kansas running back Devin Neal in the sixth round, followed by UCLA tight end Moliki Matavao and Syracuse edge Fadil Diggs in the seventh.
Passing on Sanders
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By going with Shough (pronounced shuck), the Saints passed on Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, who wound up falling to Cleveland in the fifth round.
'He was right in those conversations,' Moore said of Sanders. 'These were really tough decisions. He's a really good player. What he accomplished at Colorado and when you watch the film, it's really, really good. I think really highly of him.
'Ultimately as you go through it, you've got to make a decision,' Moore continued. "We felt like Tyler was the one for us.'
Only a number
Shough is turning pro at age 25 after a seven-year college football career in which he suited up for three different schools and had three seasons cut short by either the COVID-19 pandemic or injuries to his collar bone, shoulder and leg.
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'We saw it as a positive,' Moore said. 'He's been through a lot of football, he's been exposed to a lot of different settings. And the quarterback position, these guys aren't reaching their peak for a while. He's going to continue to rise and grow.'
Shough is a year older than second-year Saints QB Spencer Rattler, who started six games as a rookie — all losses — while Carr was out with oblique and hand injuries.
'I play 10, 12 years and I'm still mid-30s and I think any team would ask for that,' Shough said.
'When you're a younger guy — like 21, 22 — you don't necessarily know what you don't know, and there's some growing pains," Shough added. "I just feel a lot more equipped to come in and handle it.'
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Flexible approach
The Saints already had two starting tackles slated to return when they drafted Banks. That doesn't mean all three won't start.
One of them could be asked to play guard. And all three will probably get more looks on both the left and right sides of the line.
'We're going to give it plenty of flexibility throughout this whole offseason process," Moore said, adding that he just wants 'to get the best five on the field.'
No trades
While Moore mentioned 'discussions' with other teams about possible trades, the Saints kept all nine of the picks with which they entered this year's draft.
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