The Saints are planning to play No. 9 pick Kelvin Banks Jr. at multiple offensive line positions this summer as the team’s coaching staff determines his best fit in the NFL.
Banks played exclusively left tackle for the last six years (three in high school, three at Texas) with zero snaps at any other spot in college. He has the requisite height, weight, and athleticism to stay at tackle, though his 33.5-inch arms barely meet NFL standards for the position. Banks’ ultimate role in New Orleans will be based on his ability to add positional versatility as well as the Saints’ needs along their offensive line.
Head coach Kellen Moore indicated that Banks would spent time at multiple spots this summer with the goal of finding the team’s best five-man OL combination, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
During rookie minicamp, Banks lined up at left and right tackle, as well as left guard, per Underhill. He could contribute at any of the three spots for the Saints as a rookie after the team started several different O-line combinations last season. 2024 first-rounder Taliese Fuaga started all 17 games at left tackle with Trevor Penning replacing an injured Ryan Ramczyk on the right side. Ramczyk retired in April and Penning is in the last season of his contract, so the Saints may be looking to identify a long-term pair of tackles this season.
Since all of Fuaga’s college starts came at right tackle, the Saints could look to move Fuaga back to his natural position and allow Banks to remain at left tackle. If New Orleans is more comfortable keeping Fuaga on the blind side, Banks could then flip to the right tackle, though such transitions can be challenging. (The Chargers successfully moved 2024 first-rounder Joe Alt from left to right tackle as a rookie.)
If the Saints want to stick with last year’s tackle combination, Banks could be a candidate to take over at left guard, where the team started multiple players amid a rash of interior O-line injuries. They have a host of options this year as well. Nick Saldiveri started six games in 2024, while Landon Young played multiple games at both guard spots. New Orleans also signed Dillon Radunz this offseason. The former second-round pick started at right guard for the Titans in 2024 but has NFL experience at every offensive line position except center.