Already ready for Bourbon Street.
My New Orleans Saints are in a major rebuilding year after a horrific 2024 season that saw coach Dennis Allen fired midway through the season, quarterback Derek Carr missing much of the season with an injury, and a 5-12 record that saw the Saints finish last in the NFC South, behind even the Carolina Panthers.
Tough times in the Big Easy.
And it hasn’t gotten much better over the offseason. The Saints are in salary cap hell, and the quarterback position still remains a big question mark after it was revealed that Derek Carr is suffering from a shoulder injury that may require him to undergo surgery that would force him to miss the entire 2025 season.
All I’ve gotta say is that our new coach, former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, has his work cut out for him this year.
There were a lot of questions over whether the Saints would draft a quarterback with the #9 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which would have been the first time the team has drafted a QB in the first round since the 1970s. Initially it was thought that New Orleans might be a landing spot for Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, but in recent days it seems like Sanders’ draft stock has fallen with the Saints and they instead had their eye on Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart.
But as it turns out, the streak of not taking a quarterback in the first round continued.
The Saints instead opted to shore up their offensive line, which was patchwork last year due to injuries, and selected Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
Banks spent his entire college career with the Longhorns, and made it to the College Football Playoffs last year before losing to eventual national champions Ohio State. And he was one of the top offensive linemen in college football, being named First Team All-SEC and winning the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and the Lombardi Award in 2024, along with the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the best interior lineman in college football.
It’s not a set-the-world-on-fire pick, but it gives the Saints a piece to their offensive line that they desperately need, and still allows them to pick a QB in the second round assuming Dart is still available.
But it seems that not everybody was excited about the pick…
Immediately after dad’s name was announced, Banks’ baby could be seen throwing up as his parents celebrated:
Already partying a little too hard, eh? Slow down on the milk, it’s going to be a long night.
It was an adorable moment, and no doubt one that the parents will remember for a long time.
And hey, if dad is still living in New Orleans 21 years from now, the kid will already be prepared for what it’s like on Bourbon Street.
Welcome to the Big Easy, kid. Hope your dad’s ready for the challenge that’s ahead of him, because Lord knows the Saints need all the help they can get right now.
