The New Orleans Saints looked like a disaster last offseason. They lost Derek Carr to a sudden medical retirement, which left them with no franchise quarterback and no direction.
But they took to the 2025 NFL Draft to bolster their roster in the biggest way possible. They landed franchise offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. to bolster the offensive line in a huge way. Banks looked like a franchise tackle for most of the season. He seemed to put together a better year than the tackles picked above him.
In the second round, the Saints landed their franchise quarterback with Tyler Shough. Shough caught fire down the stretch of last year and helped lead the Saints to more wins than anybody expected. He's seemingly ready to take the next step next season, as long as the offense is built up around him.
In free agency, the Saints did exactly that by signing star offensive guard David Edwards to a four-year, $61 million deal that will pay him more than $15 million per season. Edwards joins a young and improving offensive line as he looks to anchor it from the inside. But he's not the only star in New Orleans.
Saints quietly building a stout offensive line
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Sep 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (71) against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
After officially signing with the Saints, Edwards shared a lot of praise for the Saints and the aforementioned Banks.
“I mean, some of the stuff that that I've seen KB \[Kelvin Banks Jr.\] put on film is really special and he has the chance to be one of the best if not the best tackle in this league," Edwards said on Thursday, [per Saints beat writer Ross Jackson.](https://x.com/RossJacksonNOLA/status/2032123947253215582?s=20)
Banks was excellent last year as a rookie. If offensive linemen got the same attention that other positions did, he would have been viewed as one of the best draft picks of the season. He's an incredible run blocker, ranking near the top of the league as a run blocker. This should bode well alongside the addition of Travis Etienne in free agency.
Edwards knows what a good offensive line looks like. He's been a piece of good offensive lines with the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams through the first seven years of his career. This praise for Banks is justified and a sign of good things to come.