In terms of draft capital and extensions, the Saints have made tremendous investments in their offensive line. New Orleans has three former first-round picks up front, with ex-second-rounder Erik McCoy still manning their center post and new left guard David Edwards the only free agent this offseason to land third-year guarantees at signing.
This quintet has not keyed an ascent from last year’s promising finish, as the Saints are 2-5. But the team has played most of the season without Travis Etienne and left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (and all of it without first-round rookie Jordyn Tyson). Tyson is finally back at practice, seeing his window opened Wednesday. Banks joined him in returning to work today, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets.
Banks’ return to practice comes after he underwent tightrope surgery to address his sprained ankle, NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson adds. Banks went down in Week 2 with what was called a “severe” high ankle sprain. He has missed five games and joined Tyson in being classified as a limited practice participant today.
Banks has been return-eligible since Week 7, but New Orleans gave the 2025 first-rounder the bye week to keep recovering before opening his practice window. The team has 21 days to activate Banks. The Saints tabled their quarterback need until Round 2 last year, taking Tyler Shough 40th overall, in order to further fortify their front. Banks went off the board ninth overall and started 17 games for the team as a rookie.
Pro Football Focus assigned Banks the No. 29 overall grade among tackles last season. The team drafted Banks and kicked 2024 first-rounder Taliese Fuaga from left tackle to right tackle, his primary college position, last year. These two join McCoy and 2020 first-round RG Cesar Ruiz as highly drafted homegrown players up front. The Saints have been using Asim Richards, acquired via trade from the Cowboys in August 2025, as their Banks fill-in. PFF ranks Richards as the NFL’s fourth-worst tackle regular this season, highlighting the anticipation for Banks’ return to action.