Latest news with #KelvinBanks
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Undrafted Saints Lineman Easton Kilty Could Power His Way To A Roster Spot
Undrafted Saints Lineman Easton Kilty Could Power His Way To A Roster Spot originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New Orleans Saints had a ton of issues during the 2024-25 NFL season. Chief among them was the offensive line, especially when injuries decimated an already thin and questionable unit. Advertisement New Orleans addressed this after hiring new head coach Kellen Moore. The Saints used their first-round choice on Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. They also signed guard Dillon Radunz, who has started 26 games the last two years. The Saints brought in a few undrafted rookie linemen to add competition. New Orleans has had good fortune with linemen selected in the later rounds or not drafted at all in recent years. Perhaps this undrafted blocker can be the next gem. Easton Kilty, T/G (Kansas State) Kansas State Wildcats offensive lineman Easton Kilty (71) blocks against the Arizona Wildcats. © Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images After starting his collegiate career at North Dakota, Kilty transferred to Kansas State to finish his career last season. Between the two schools, he was a four-year starter that spent his last two years at the left tackle position. Advertisement Kilty is expected to make the switch to guard in the NFL. He has shorter arms and only average lateral quickness that could present problems if lined up on the outside. He's also had issues against speed rushers at tackle and has struggled to react quickly enough to stunts or inside counter moves. If he does move inside, Kilty must play with more consistent leverage to maximize his strength. He'll need to get into his stance quicker at the snap to prevent defenders from getting inside his pads. Kilty has excellent leg drive that allows him to push defenders off the ball in the running game. He's shown good endurance through the whistle to sustain his blocks in pass protection. New Orleans Saints tackle Easton Kilty (73) during rookie minicamp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Kilty has terrific awareness. He recognizes opposing fronts and more complex rush packages quickly. He's especially effective on double-teams, both when to help and effectively switching off to pick up other threats. His hand placement is outstanding, allowing him leverage advantages and rarely picking up penalties. Advertisement Easton Kilty will have his chance to earn a role on the Saints offensive front. New Orleans moved on from veteran linemen Lucas Patrick, Shane Lemieux, Justin Herron, and Oli Udoh this offseason. If Kilty can show the versatility to play both guard and tackle, it could lead the way to a backup spot. Related: Pro Football Focus Snubs Saints In Under-25 Rankings Related: Trevor Penning May Have A New Home On Saints Offensive Line Related: Saints Quarterback Ranking According To Pro Football Focus Related: Most Underrated Saints Player Highlighted By PFF This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Should Dolphins pick Texas OL Kelvin Banks in NFL draft first round? Case for, case against
Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks was a three-year starter at left tackle for the Longhorns, but he may be the Miami Dolphins' NFL Draft solution for a starting guard. Banks, 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, could be a devastating, athletic pulling guard in the Dolphins' zone run-blocking scheme. Advertisement Scouts project a move from tackle to guard for Banks, in part, because of a lack of ideal arm length. Recall how former tackle Robert Hunt made a powerful impact after transitioning to guard as a Dolphins' second-round pick. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Banks said about one-third of NFL teams he interviewed with specifically dove into the guard projection, even though he's never played the position in his life. "They asked me if I was willing to play any position on the line and of course my answer was definitely yes," Banks said. Case for Dolphins drafting Kelvin Banks The Dolphins need a guard to start opposite free-agent addition James Daniels and to start Week 1. Advertisement It would be an upset if Miami did not use a first- or second-round pick on a guard, or a tackle projected to at least move to guard as a rookie. If Will Campbell of LSU and Armand Membou of Missouri are gone when Miami is on the board at pick 13, Banks must be considered. Coaches say Banks has high football IQ. NFL scouts say Banks is strong, agile and technically sound. Success in the taxing SEC should bode well in a transition to the NFL. Case against Dolphins drafting Kelvin Banks Banks at guard is a projection, though one scouts are confident in. Banks at times over-extends and can be prone to a penalty. Advertisement Austin Jackson of the Dolphins once started at tackle, transitioned to guard and was moved back to tackle. Do the Dolphins want to go through another potential exploration of positional strengths with their first-round pick? If Campbell and Membou are gone, but cornerback Will Johnson of Michigan and/or cornerback Jahdae Barron of Texas are available, it may be hard to pass on a potential replacement for Jalen Ramsey, who is on the trading block. In that case, the Dolphins could use their second-round pick on a guard, or try to add another second-round pick for a guard. When is the NFL draft? The 2025 NFL draft will take place over three days from Thursday, April 24 through Saturday, April 26. This year's draft will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, at Lambeau Field and the Titletown area around the Green Bay Packers' home stadium. What draft picks do Dolphins have? The Miami Dolphins have 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, starting with the No. 13 pick in the first round. Here's a look at each pick: Advertisement Round 1 (13 overall) Round 2 (48) Round 3 (98) - compensatory pick for Robert Hunt Round 4 (116) Round 4 (135) - compensatory pick for Christian Wilkins Round 5 (150) Round 5 (155) - trade from Denver Round 7 (224) - trade from Chicago Round 7 (231) Round 7 (253) - compensatory pick for DeShon Elliott Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. (78) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images 2025 NFL mock draft 6.0: Miami Dolphins add Jalen Ramsey replacement in Round 1 | Schad NFL Free Agents: Dolphins need to sign a few of these available players Miami Dolphins poll: 91 percent say 'low' or 'very low' confidence in plan Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@ and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins draft updates: Why Miami should, shouldn't pick OL Kelvin Banks
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
49ers rookie impressions: Upton Stout passes eye test; second-year WR looks ready
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Though the San Francisco 49ers signed a pair of veteran tackles last week, the only tackles at Friday's rookie minicamp practice camp were Isaac Alarcon, who's part of the International Player Pathway program and who's suspended for the first six games of the season, and Micah Mazzccua, a rookie tryout player from Nebraska who's probably better suited for guard. Advertisement Tackle was a glaring need heading into the draft, but the 49ers came away with no players at the position, even among the undrafted players they signed. General manager John Lynch said the draft didn't fall their way at that position and they didn't want to reach for a player. 'There were a number of times that we were interested in adding (an offensive lineman) and it just didn't come our way,' Lynch said after the draft. So who swiped a potential 49ers tackle? That scenario might have occurred in the first round when the New Orleans Saints took Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. at pick No. 9. The 49ers had thought the Saints would take defensive end Mykel Williams, which would have left Banks for them at pick No. 11. San Francisco hosted Banks on a formal visit a few weeks before the draft. 'If Mykel wasn't there, (our pick) likely would have been an offensive player,' Lynch said last week on the 'Chris Simms Unbuttoned' podcast. In the third round, meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders might have played the role of spoiler. They had two consecutive picks just ahead of the 49ers' selection at No. 100. The Raiders took Texas Tech offensive tackle Caleb Rogers at No. 98 and William & Mary tackle Charles Grant at No. 99. The 49ers hosted Rogers on a formal visit and had a pre-draft workout with Grant. With those linemen gone in short succession, San Francisco used the No. 100 pick on cornerback Upton Stout. Last year, a tackle the 49ers had shown interest in, Roger Rosengarten, was taken by the Baltimore Ravens just before the 49ers' selection in the second round. The 49ers traded back one spot and took cornerback Renardo Green. Other impressions from the recent rookie minicamp: • Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek was at full throat Friday, getting up close to his rookie pupils as they got in their pass-rush stances and (loudly) exhorting them to fire off the line. Advertisement Kocurek appeared to pay special attention to first-round pick Williams, who didn't wilt under the scrutiny. On a day that typically reveals the varying conditioning levels of the rookie class, it was clear Williams arrived in good shape and he's past the high ankle sprain that bothered him throughout the 2024 season. Though it was merely the first day of rookie minicamp, it was an encouraging outing for the 49ers' top pick. At the very least, he looked the part of the strong-armed lineman the team wants on the edge of the line and seemed to make a strong first impression on Kocurek. Mykel Williams looks the part. — Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) May 9, 2025 • After second-round pick Alfred Collins met with reporters Friday, more than one media member remarked how much he resembled former 49ers tackle Trent Brown. There's a reason for that. Collins and Brown are cousins who grew up near each other in Bastrop, Texas, and inherited the family's 'length' gene. Brown's 36-inch arms prompted former 49ers general manager Trent Baalke to draft him in the seventh round in 2015. Collins' are just a tad shorter at 34 5/8th inches. Collins on Friday said he models his game after another long-limbed player, Calais Campbell, a 6-foot-8 six-time Pro Bowler who's entering his 18th NFL season. 'He's someone my size — tall, can do it all,' Collins said. 'I want my game to be versatile. I like how he attacks the work that's required for him to be great.' Collins was recovering from a left calf strain in the run-up to the draft, and Friday he had athletic tape over the same calf and did not take part in the practice. He, quarterback Kurtis Rourke (knee) and safety Marques Sigle (unknown) were among the rookies who didn't participate. • Stout looked, well, stout. At 5-8 1/2 inches, the Western Kentucky cornerback was one of the shortest players in the recent draft, but there's nothing frail about him. He has a big personality, he oozes confidence — just like fellow cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green — and is solidly built. Advertisement He had 21 bench-press reps of 225 pounds at the combine, which was more than any other defensive back at the event and matched the total from rookie Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Booker, the 12th pick. Stout said he lifted with big boys at Western Kentucky. 'I never lifted with the DBs,' he said. 'I was always lifting with the linemen and things like that. I feel like they kind of kept me going.' • The most visibly striking receiver in the minicamp was undrafted rookie Isaiah Neyor. He cuts a Randy Moss-like silhouette with a thin frame and long arms and legs. His big stride gobbles up yardage and immediately forces cornerbacks to turn and run with him. Neyor and a few other rookie receivers seemed to have trouble keeping up with the pace receivers coach Leonard Hankerson demanded Friday, their first practice of the spring. With the exception of the defensive line, no group works harder in practices than the 49ers' receivers. Undrafted rookie Isaiah Neyor certainly *looked* like the most gifted receiver at the 49ers' rookie minicamp. [image or embed] — Matt Barrows (@ May 10, 2025 at 3:09 PM • One receiver who had no problem with the pace was Terique Owens, an undrafted rookie a year ago. Owens spent most of the 2024 season on the practice squad and therefore was familiar with, and prepared for, Hankerson's routine. Because of that, he was the tone-setter in Friday's practice, leading the receivers through the drills. Owens is firmly in the 'players to watch' category this offseason. Though he's the son of pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens, he got a late start with football and the 49ers were betting on his upside when they signed him a year ago. He'll have the opportunity to prove himself this year. Two other 2024 practice squad players, quarterback Tanner Mordecai and linebacker DaShaun White, also took part in the practice. • A reasonable goal for a late seventh-round pick might be to make a team's practice squad. Junior Bergen's plans are a bit more ambitious. Advertisement 'I want to be in the Hall of Fame,' said Bergen, the last of the 49ers' 11 draft picks. 'That's been my goal since I was a kid.' The first step toward that end will be making the team, which Bergen has a chance to do as a punt returner. He scored eight punt-return touchdowns while at Montana, averaging nearly 17 yards per return. New special teams coach Brant Boyer said Bergen will compete with last year's return man Jacob Cowing as well as Ricky Pearsall and Trent Taylor for the job. The 49ers might have had more insight into Bergen than other teams during the draft process due to their connections at Montana. Boyer's son, Brayton, is the kicker there, and assistant special teams coach Colt Anderson was a safety and special teams standout at Montana from 2004 to 2008. • Someone who also stood out for his size: rookie tryout kicker Kenneth Almendares, who weighed 245 pounds at his pro day. For reference, tight end George Kittle weighs 243 pounds. The 49ers have discussed signing a kicker who can push Jake Moody. Almendares made 27 of 29 field goals and 46 of 47 extra points at Louisiana last season and won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top kicker. Meanwhile, the 49ers brought in a veteran punter, Jack Browning, for a tryout during the minicamp. Browning was a rookie last year and spent time with the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens before being picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He handled the Buccaneers' punting duties over the last five weeks of the season, averaging 42.5 yards a punt.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commanders New Tackle Praised in Rookie Comparison
When the Washington Commanders chose to trade for Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil of the Houston Texans, they were doing so to provide immediate relief to an offensive line that needed an anchor. They got one of the best ones in the league with Tunsil. Advertisement As the Commanders prepare for the 2025 season with their new offensive line, there is an interesting nugget coming out from the 2025 draft. And it directly relates to Tunsil throughout his career. As part of the scouting process, many incoming rookies are compared to different players already at the NFL level. For Tunsil, he compared well to a top 10 pick in this year's draft. Texas tackle Kelvin Banks. "New Orleans went offensive line in the first round for the second consecutive year, but this particular move made sense around the league because Kelvin Banks Jr., in the eyes of scouts, was a clear-cut top-10 pick, despite many mock drafts having him in the teens throughout the process," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted in his 32 team intel update this week. "'He's awesome. He's [five-time Pro Bowl tackle] Laremy Tunsil,' an NFC executive said." Advertisement For Banks to carry a comparison to Tunsil is significant. It shows how good of a player he is, and how good of a player the Commanders got in the trade. And while Banks won't be a player the Commanders have to scout against a ton, he's still a player to watch going into his rookie season in the NFL. Related: Commanders Reign Of Terror Finish Reveals Key NFL Fact Related: Commanders Protecting 'Greatest Asset' Earning Power Ranking Praise
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kelvin Banks, Jr. signs four-year contract worth $27.7 million with Saints
The New Orleans Saints have signed first-round draft pick Kelvin Banks Jr. to a four-year contract worth $27.73 million, securing the former Texas Longhorns standout as a cornerstone of their offensive line. Banks, selected ninth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field, is set to receive a fully guaranteed contract that includes a signing bonus of approximately $16.8 million, slightly above the projected slot value for his draft position. The deal underscores the Saints' commitment to fortifying their offensive front after a 5-12 season, their worst since 2005. Advertisement A 6-foot-5, 315-pound left tackle, Banks arrives in New Orleans after a decorated college career. He started all 42 games during his three seasons at Texas, earning the 2024 Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman and the Lombardi Award, while twice being named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Banks' consistency and versatility made him one of the top offensive line prospects in the draft, with scouts projecting him as an immediate impact starter at either tackle or guard. 'I'll play wherever they put me,' Banks said after being drafted. 'If I'm one of the best five linemen on the field and I get an opportunity to go out there and start and to earn that right, then I'm going to play wherever they put me'. Banks, a native of Humble, Texas, was a five-star recruit out of Summer Creek High School and started at left tackle as a true freshman for the Longhorns. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian praised Banks' reliability and mental makeup, calling him 'a premier tackle in the NFL' This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Kelvin Banks, Jr. signs four year contract with New Orleans Saints
