Countdown to Kickoff: Kelvin Banks Jr. is the Saints Player of Day 71
Banks was a draft target to fortify the New Orleans front line
There are 71 days left until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2025 regular season. The Saints will start their 59th year of NFL existence at home against the Arizona Cardinals and with a new head coach in Kellen Moore. Offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. is one of the new faces on this year's squad. The Saints' first round choice out of Texas, Banks will be wearing the same No. 71 that was Ryan Ramczyk used while playing at such a high level since 2017. Banks has big shoes to fill, and he is the Saints Player of the Day in our countdown.
At Summer Creek High School in Texas, Banks was a five-star recruit pursued by several national NCAA powers. After originally committing to Oregon, Banks switched his decision to Texas. An immediate starter at left tackle for the Longhorns, Banks started every game as a freshman in 2022 and earned 2nd Team All-Big 12 recognition. He'd follow that up with 1st Team All-Big 12 and 2nd Team All-American accolades the following year. In 2024, Banks was viewed as one of the most dominant blockers in the nation. He capped off his collegiate career by starting every game for his three years with the Longhorns. In 2024, Banks was a 1st Team All-SEC selection as well as a unanimous 1st Team All-American. He was also awarded the Outland Trophy, annually given to the best lineman in college football.
With the ninth overall choice in the 2025 NFL draft, Banks was selected by the New Orleans Saints. He was the third tackle chosen of eight that came off the board in Round 1 this spring. Banks is expected to step right in as the starting left tackle for New Orleans and was a fixture at the spot throughout OTA sessions and minicamp.
Kelvin Banks Jr. is the third offensive tackle drafted as a Round 1 pick by New Orleans in the last three years, joining Taliese Fuaga (2024) and Trevor Penning (2022). The Saints have now spent a first or second round pick on an offensive lineman six times in the last nine years since 2017. Ramczyk (2017) is now retired, but the other five are projected to be the Saints starting offensive line in the 2025 campaign.
With Banks projected to be the left tackle, Fuaga will move over to right tackle, where he was a collegiate All-American. Penning will move inside to left guard alongside center Erik McCoy and right guard Cesar Ruiz. The Saints are betting that Kelvin Banks Jr. will be the final piece for what they hope is a dominant line this season.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
Here's how fans can follow Jimmy Graham's ambitious Arctic Ocean paddle
Now this is cool -- former New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham has spent his post-football career preparing for a special journey, planning to lead a rowing team in a 1,000-mile paddle across the Arctic Ocean. With former teammates like Drew Brees and many of his fans cheering him on, Graham is using this opportunity to raise funds through the Million Meters Club in support of charities like the Covenant House New Orleans and Laureus Sport for Good New Orleans. And Graham's fans can track his progress. He shared a look at the live tracking map that supporters can use to see where he and his crew are making progress across the Arctic this July, in what's expected to be at minimum a 10-day journey. You can follow along here at the Arctic Challenge's official website. It's an ambitious goal for a good cause, and we'll be wishing Graham the best once he sets out in just a few days. While they're prepared to be at sea for up to 20 days, Graham's team is hoping to beat the world speed record for this trek of 15 days and five hours. The four-person crew will row in shifts of two hours on, two hours off, sleeping only sparingly throughout the trip. "Basically, we're looking to inspire young people by demonstrating the power of persistence," Graham told the Saints' team reporter John DeShazier. "I've been given a lot in my life and I just want to make sure I'm relaying that to other people and trying to inspire. I understand that my life circumstances – when I was born and when I was raised – wasn't the greatest, and I think it's a tragedy sometimes. I was blessed enough to have a lot of realization very young and to realize that what I was in and where I was growing up was not normal. And basically, at the age of 12, I decided to change my life and chase my dreams and chase something bigger and greater, which led me down a wild path and led me to the NFL."
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Indiana Fever Make Aliyah Boston Request on Friday
Indiana Fever Make Aliyah Boston Request on Friday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Caitlin Clark has been the epicenter of the Indiana Fever's success this season. The 23-year-old is in the midst of another strong campaign, which has her heading into the WNBA All-Star weekend as the top vote-getter from the fans. Advertisement However, there's no denying that Clark has gotten a lot of help from her teammates this season. Third-year forward Aliyah Boston has also been balling out for Indiana, and she, too, has been pivotal to this team in their first 12 games of the campaign. Boston is currently averaging 13.8 points on 59.8% shooting, 8.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 blocks in 29.1 minutes per game. The Fever are hoping that this is enough to send the 6-foot-5 forward-center to her third straight All-Star Game. The team took to social media on Friday to urge supporters to vote for Boston for the upcoming All-Star Game in Indianapolis on July 19. "Aliyah Boston, everyone 😄 your vote counts DOUBLE today, send AB to #WNBAAllStar2025" the Fever posted on Instagram. Advertisement View the original article to see embedded media. The good news for Indiana supporters is that Boston appears to be well on her way to the big game. The Fever also revealed on Friday that the former Rookie of the Year is currently third in the first round of fan returns with 446,961 votes. It is also worth noting that, unsurprisingly, it's Clark who sits atop the list with 515,993 votes. Kelsey Mitchell (277,438) and Lexie Hull (217,438) are the two other Fever players who are in the Top 10. Indiana Fever stars Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark during a game.© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK Despite Boston's current standing, however, Fever fans can't afford to relax and let off. This is exactly why Indiana is requesting that supporters continue to vote for Boston and make sure that the former South Carolina star gets the recognition she deserves this season. Advertisement Related: Caitlin Clark Assigns Blame After Fever's Loss to Valkyries Related: Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham Turns Heads After Exciting Personal News Related: Caitlin Clark Names Indiana Fever's Best Defender Without Hesitation This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WNBA Issues A'ja Wilson Statement After Aces Defeat Caitlin Clark, Fever
WNBA Issues A'ja Wilson Statement After Aces Defeat Caitlin Clark, Fever originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Las Vegas Aces entered Sunday's game against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in dire need of a win. The Aces have been struggling mightily of late, losing five out of their last six games, including three straight losses heading into Sunday's contest. Advertisement It was A'ja Wilson who answered the call for Las Vegas. The three-time WNBA MVP went off against Indiana, dropping a team-high 24 points on 8-of-21 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks in 34 minutes of action. This was Wilson's second game back after missing three straight contests due to a concussion, and it is clear that the six-time All-Star has been eager to make up for lost time. Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson during the second quarter against the Golden State Yamashita-Imagn Images The WNBA took to social media after the game to issue a statement on Wilson's strong outing. The league named the Aces star as the game's Top Performer. "A'ja Wilson's 24 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks led the Aces past the Fever 89-81, ending their losing streak and keeping their 16-game win streak over Indiana alive ⚡" the WNBA posted on X. As for the Fever, Clark had another forgettable shooting night in this one. The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year scored 19 points, but shot just 7-of-20 from the field and 1-of-10 from beyond the arc. Clark dished out 10 assists in the loss, but she also turned the ball over eight times. Advertisement That's now back-to-back losses for the Fever, who have fallen to 6-7 after this defeat. The Aces, on the other hand, have improved to 6-7 to trail Indiana at the No. 8 spot in the WNBA. Wilson had another noteworthy performance on Sunday, and there's no denying that she will be integral in the Aces' quest to climb back up in the standings. Related: Las Vegas Aces Make Big A'ja Wilson Announcement on Friday Related: Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham Turns Heads After Exciting Personal News Related: Indiana Fever Make Aliyah Boston Request on Friday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
