Kelvin Banks, Jr. set to cash in major signing bonus.
The New Orleans Saints have signed first-round draft pick Kelvin Banks Jr. to a four-year contract worth $27.73 million, securing the former Texas Longhorns standout as a cornerstone of their offensive line.
Banks, selected ninth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field, is set to receive a fully guaranteed contract that includes a signing bonus of approximately $16.8 million, slightly above the projected slot value for his draft position. The deal underscores the Saints’ commitment to fortifying their offensive front after a 5-12 season, their worst since 2005.
A 6-foot-5, 315-pound left tackle, Banks arrives in New Orleans after a decorated college career. He started all 42 games during his three seasons at Texas, earning the 2024 Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman and the Lombardi Award, while twice being named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Banks’ consistency and versatility made him one of the top offensive line prospects in the draft, with scouts projecting him as an immediate impact starter at either tackle or guard.
“I’ll play wherever they put me,” Banks said after being drafted. “If I’m one of the best five linemen on the field and I get an opportunity to go out there and start and to earn that right, then I’m going to play wherever they put me”.
Banks, a native of Humble, Texas, was a five-star recruit out of Summer Creek High School and started at left tackle as a true freshman for the Longhorns. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian praised Banks’ reliability and mental makeup, calling him “a premier tackle in the NFL”