Health luck was low for the New Orleans Saints in 2025, and it resulted in a five-win campaign, their worst showing since 2005. This roster entered the NFL Draft with more talent than their 2024 results suggest, and they’ve added some interesting preps to help them rebound.
Is a big season ahead? We take a look at the players they brought in and spin it forward in previewing their 2025 outlook.
Looking for all 32 teams’ draft grades? Head to our 2025 NFL Draft Grades for All 32 Teams Tracker to see how we’ve graded other drafts.
Overall Saints Draft Grade: C
The vision is sound, but the execution is open to questioning. Kelvin Banks Jr. was their first pick (ninth overall), and while he comes to town with all of the physical traits you could ask for, his lack of attention to detail at the position is a concern.
That’s not to say that he will be a bust, but in drafting a centerpiece lineman ahead of securing a long-term solution to the QB position, you need him to be a massive hit and it’s fair to question if we will see that.
Speaking of the quarterback, Tyler Shough was a much talked about second round selection. The pride of Louisville has the type of physical traits that scream ‘long term starter’, but the problem is that “long-term” for him isn’t what it is for most first year QBs (26 years old).
If the team commits to him this season, taking a cautious approach with Derek Carr, then this grade would move closer to a ‘B’, but without clarity to his 2025 role, an older prospect comes with plenty of roster building risk.
Grades for Every Saints Draft Pick
- Round 1, Pick 9
Kelvin Banks Jr., OT | Texas
Grade: B-
The first pick of the Kellen Moore era in New Orleans is an offensive lineman – a fitting development after Moore won a Super Bowl with the OL-heavy Philadelphia Eagles. This year, it’s Kelvin Banks Jr. who anchors the Saints’ draft class.
Banks passes all of the cosmetic tests for a prospect. He’s a three-year starter, a first-team all-conference performer, a former five-star recruit, and a player of rare pedigree at 6’5”, 315 pounds, with 33 1/2” arms. The Saints presumably see a long-term future for Banks at tackle opposite Taliese Fuaga after declining Trevor Penning’s fifth-year option, but Banks could also provide value at guard.
Ultimately, the knock here is that Banks isn’t quite a top-10 player in the class. He’s athletic, experienced, and extremely physical, but even after three seasons as a starter, he still experiences lapses with balance, leverage maintenance, footwork, and hand precision. Those flaws may eventually force a move to guard, but with further refinement, he could stick at tackle.
- Round 2, Pick 40
Tyler Shough, QB | Louisville
Grade: B
The first quarterback of the Day 2 slate has been taken off the board – and it’s not Shedeur Sanders. It’s surprising, but reports from those keyed in with New Orleans suggested he wasn’t the preferred choice for Kellen Moore. Now, Moore gets his choice in Louisville’s Tyler Shough.
Shough is a polarizing prospect, to say the least. He’ll be a 26-year-old rookie, and his injury history is a long one. But of the remaining QBs, he’s one of the most talented.
He’s big, athletic, malleable off-platform, and has easy velocity generation and angle freedom, and his flashes of progression work and fearlessness are inspiring. With Derek Carr’s availability uncertain, Shough’s talent and experience ensure that he could start early on, and the long-term upside is there.
- Round 3, Pick 71
Vernon Broughton, DT | Texas
Grade: D
Defensive tackle was a secondary need for the New Orleans Saints entering the
draft. However, Vernon Broughton was a bit of a head-scratching pick, as most had him pegged as a Day 3 prospect.
The Texas defensive tackle (6’5”, 311 pounds) played five seasons in college, with four of his 6.5 sacks coming in 2024. He has enough first-step quickness to potentially make hay as a 3-technique but doesn’t have enough power to consistently shed blockers.
Most of his value lies in the pass rush, and he needs a fair amount of refinement there to contribute regular snaps.
- Round 3, Pick 93
Jonas Sanker, S | Virginia
Grade: B-
The Saints are set at safety in the short term with Justin Reid and Tyrann Mathieu. Therefore, Jonas Sanker represents a future investment at the position, potentially taking over for the Honey Badger as he approaches the end of his career.
Sanker emulates Mathieu’s versatility and physicality. He excels in the box in run support but also has decent coverage chops after playing snaps in the slot for Virginia.
Due to his stiff hips, he’s not an ideal fit in man coverage, but Sanker could eventually become a versatile zone coverage piece for the Saints.
- Round 4, Pick 112
Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma
Grade: B-
The Saints passed on an opportunity to add more weaponry for rookie QB Tyler Shough, and instead supplemented their linebacker room with Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman. Linebacker wasn’t the most pressing position to address here, but Demario Davis is getting older, and Stutsman does have starting potential.
Stustman has size, speed, and tenacity on the attack, and he was one of the most productive LBs in the class at the collegiate level. His range, tackling ability, and physicality forge a solid floor, and if he can improve his coverage feel, he could reach an even higher tier as a three-down player. There’s work to do, but he has the goods.
- Round 4, Pick 131
Quincy Riley, CB | Louisville
Grade: A
Many thought Quincy Riley could go on Day 2, leaving the Saints with a strong value near the end of the fourth round. Riley thrives as a zone coverage corner due to his tackling and ball skills, which resulted in 29 passes defended over the last two seasons.
Riley profiles as a perimeter cornerback, which was a significant need for New Orleans after losing Paulson Adebo in free agency and trading away Marshon Lattimore last season. If Riley can play right away, that would allow Alontae Taylor to remain in his more natural slot corner role.
- Round 6, Pick 184
Devin Neal, RB | Kansas
Grade: A - Round 7, Pick 248
Moliki Matavao, TE | UCLA
Grade: B+ - Round 7, Pick 254
Fadil Diggs, EDGE | Syracuse
Grade: A