Shedeur Sanders didn’t go to Green Bay, Wisconsin, when the draft started. Instead, he remained with his family in a custom-created ‘draft’ room to wait for his name to be called. The picks began rolling. There came Cam Ward. Followed by Travis Hunter in a pink suit, visibly happy to join the Jacksonville Jaguars, who traded with the Browns for their coveted two-way star. Abdul Carter then came with a sleek black outfit, donning those chains, looking excited to join the Giants. But after Carter, the draft calls became more of a ‘bingo’ show with seemingly random calls getting random picks, and Shedeur?

Shedeur Sanders’ name never came as he waited in his ‘throne room,’ donning his diamond chain. That was custom-created to see the draft with his brothers Deion Jr. and Shilo. The New Orleans Saints, with their 9th pick in the first round, seemed to be the best bet for the Buffs QB. After all, he had done everything to impress the front office on his Pro Day. Alvin Kamara, the Saints’ star running back, even came to Colorado to reportedly watch Shedeur play. But all that still wasn’t enough. The Saints didn’t just pass on Shedeur but decided not to take a QB at all, even with Derek Carr’s injury.

The Saints ultimately drafted the Longhorns’ offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. The front office added one more guy from the trenches to the draft calls, as Mason Graham and Arman Membou got drafted to the Browns and Patriots way earlier. The move may have been a shock for Shedeur and even other QBs, but Kelvin Banks deserves the spot he sealed yesterday. Now, amidst the influx of congratulations and praises for the offensive tackle, his partner-in-crime and former teammate, Arch Manning, has also shared a message.

The Longhorns QB1 shared the photo of his teammate, who got drafted by the Saints, and wrote, “Nola getting a good one @thekelvinbanksjr” on his IG story. Manning, who started in two games last year after Quinn Ewers’ injury, got elite pass rush protection from Banks and notched up more than 1,000 passing and rushing yards in total in the season. The left tackle was even named the SEC offensive lineman of the week after the Longhorns’ SEC face-off against Mississippi State. Banks was the leading player on the field as the offense led by him tallied 522 yards in total, with Arch Manning totaling 325 yards alone.

The relationship between the now Texas QB1 and Kelvin Banks started before the duo joined Texas. Both players hail from New Orleans and attended high schools in the city. However, they were enrolled in different high schools. Still, Banks’ influence was always apparent on Manning.

The OT met the young QB during the spring practice when he was being chased by several colleges. Banks even said, “It looked like he was already one of the UT guys.” The duo’s bond has always been strong, and now, with Manning’s test of the 2025 season coming close, the QB would certainly hope he could learn a thing or two from his partner in crime.

Why Saints drafting Kelvin Banks Jr. could be a genius move?

The ninth pick with the New Orleans Saints was always going to be quite unexpected, as different mock drafts presented different players at the position. The OT didn’t even visit the Saints in the ‘top-30′ visit that has been widely reported and didn’t even have a private workout, which teams tend to usually have with players. The move was quite stealthy and executed with much less hype than expected. The OT impressed the Saints’ head coach, Kellen Moore, in a formal interview, and the Saints never really looked past him after that.

Now the player has finally joined the roster and will look to fill the gaps that the Saints had last season. Last season’s offensive line was something of a problem for the franchise, as Penning failed to show up on crucial occasions, and Fuaga’s role change to left tackle didn’t quite reap the rewards. In that sense, the signing of Kelvin Banks fills an immediate hole in the tackle spot and provides depth and talent in the trenches.

Banks’ immense talent and top-tier athleticism provide much more than the Saints would want. At 6’4″ and 320 lbs, the OT would be a formidable presence in the O-line, offering exceptional protection to their already injured QB, Derek Carr. Carr, who is currently out after a reported shoulder injury, has speculation mounting that he will miss some crucial time with the team. Although the Saints were aware of Carr’s injury issues, there is now hope that he will recover sooner than anticipated.