So we missed the window for our usual “Mock Draft Monday” feature on a 2025 NFL draft prospect. That’s going to happen when the New Orleans Saints suffer key injuries and lose a very winnable game to end their surprising season-opening win streak. So we’re picking it up with a look at four different options in the upcoming draft class.
We took the draft order from Tankathon’s latest projection, which had the Saints slotted at No. 21, and used the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator to pick for the 20 teams ahead of us.
This left us with several intriguing prospects. The best players available in PFF’s rankings include Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker, Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., LSU right tackle Emery Jones Jr., and Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Those are some great options to choose from.
Jones is clearly going to be the local choice here — beyond starring at LSU, he’s a legit top-15 talent, and the Saints would be lucky to get him as a tone-setting sure thing at right tackle to replace Trevor Penning. But you could just as easily make the case for the other guys.
Walker could improve a run defense that allowed almost 7 yards per carry to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, and probably offer more interior pass rush than other guys on the roster. Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders are both only signed through 2025.
Banks could also make sense for an offensive line pick. Taliese Fuaga has done a great job adjusting to left tackle, but many analysts predicted he could be a better fit at guard in the NFL. If Banks is a plug-and-play starter at left tackle, Fuaga could move inside or even go back to his college position on the right side if the Saints find another answer at left guard.
And then you’ve got Egbuka, who was arguably the most-hyped player in this group. At one point he was seen as a potential top-five draft pick. He certainly has the talent but his production took a serious hit last season (after suffering ankle and knee injuries) and he’s still working to reassert himself in the upcoming draft class. We should also consider he’s got a similar build to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed at a slight 6-foot-1, 205 pounds. How much does he add to the receiving corps?
In the end, we went with Banks. You can find receivers on the second day of the draft. Defensive tackle could be seen as a priority, sure, but realistically they’re going to play half as many snaps per game as one of the offensive linemen available here. And of the two offensive tackles available, Banks is a better prospect. He’s allowed half as many sacks and pressures as Jones on just 23 fewer snaps in pass protection, per PFF charting, while logging 233 more reps as a run blocker and drawing fewer penalty flags. They’ll both be 21-year old rookies (Banks is actually five days younger than Jones).
So who lines up where? We’re guessing Fuaga goes back to right tackle, Banks takes over on the left side, and Penning either tries out at left guard or is shown the door. Drafting Banks is not a perfect solution to their problems but this would be a big step in the right direction.
Still, at the end of the day we’re too far out from the draft to make any serious predictions. Who knows where the Saints will ultimately pick or whether someone like Banks is even going to be available? If nothing else this is a good reminder to watch Banks closely next Saturday against Mississippi State, and again on Oct. 12 in the “Red River Rivalry” game with Oklahoma. You can bet the Saints are keeping tabs on him.
