Kelvin Banks Jr. was selected in the 1st-round of 2025 NFL Draft by the Saints, and all we've heard from New Orleans is that he's been exceptional all offseason. In his first preseason action against the Los Angeles Chargers this past weekend, he showed off his exceptional pass protection skills.
He effectively displayed his above-average footspeed and explosion on Sunday, usually being able to hop into his pass set well before the team's other offensive linemen. He was also consistently able to get good displacement on defenders in the run game due to a great combination of lower-body strength and advantageous pad level.
Banks Jr. was most impressive in pass protection on the day, which can sometimes be rough for rookie offensive linemen in their first couple of NFL games. He didn't allow a single sack or pressure when on the field. Much like he was known for as a Longhorn, his hand placement was impeccable all game long which allowed him to quickly negate certain pass rush moves from the Chargers' speed-rushers. His 84.9 PFF pass-blocking grade was second amongst all rookie offensive linemen in week one as well.
Kelvin Banks Jr. in his NFL debut:
— PFF (@PFF) August 11, 2025
⚜️ 84.9 pass-blocking grade
⚜️ 12 pass-blocking snaps
⚜️ 0 pressures allowed pic.twitter.com/Zcio8SFmWM
Though it's only the preseason, his performance is incredibly welcomed for a team that's been searching for solutions to their consistently underperforming offensive line play over the past couple of seasons.
His presence at left tackle could help "fix" New Orleans' offense in 2025 and beyond from a foundational standpoint. Now the only thing the Saints have to figure out is quarterback, even after drafting Tyler Shough this year. Shough has had his fair share of "ups and downs" in training camp so far, and Spencer Rattler still needs to improve in a few areas.
Let's see if Banks Jr. can build upon his week one success with another dominant performance in New Orleans' next matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Also read: Quinn Ewers' preseason performance made Longhorn fans experience deja vu