It is going to be quite a while until the New Orleans Saints are highly competitive again, given the fact that their roster is already aging out at many positions, and at some other positions is just lacking talent for a long-term future. On the bright side, they were able to put together a rather promising 2025 draft class, which includes a cornerstone offensive tackle, a potential quarterback of the future, and much more.
With that said, let’s grade each of their draft selections from 2025, barring the three who have had minimal to no playing time: defensive lineman Vernon Broughton (on injured reserve) as well as tight end Moliki Matavao and edge rusher Fadil Diggs (on the practice squad).
LT Kelvin Banks Jr.
Kelvin Banks Jr. has had an eerily similar season to the one Taliese Fuaga had just last season in his rookie year. A decent clip of penalties and pressures allowed, but overall, showcasing some extremely impressive reps for a young player, and he has done a good job both protecting the quarterback in most cases and generating running lanes. While not perfect, he has been able to really help the Saints keep things afloat, given how broken up their offensive line has been once again. With Erik McCoy and Fuaga out, and both guard positions being lackluster, Banks Jr. has been one of the most steady performers of the group.
Grade: A-
QB Tyler Shough
This is a hard grade to put together, as the reps for Tyler Shough have been very minimal. With only two starts to his name so far, the analysis is pretty all over the place. Against the Los Angeles Rams, he looked to be dealing with some of the jitters that come with being a rookie quarterback, especially going against a defensive line unit such as that one. Then, against the Carolina Panthers, he started slow, but after two absolute bombs, he gained some confidence and led the Saints to their second win of the season. It is clear what Kellen Moore and company saw in him, and if he continues to produce this way, his grade will climb further.
Grade: B-
S Jonas Sanker
Another very difficult player to grade, as Jonas Sanker has been starting the vast majority of the season, which is a ton to ask of a young rookie who is still learning the ropes. He has been beaten deep a couple of times, notably in the New England Patriots game, but has also put together performances like against the Panthers and Buffalo Bills, where he is pretty much silent outside positive plays. The very volatile nature of his production this season leaves him with a lower grade than he probably deserves, but recent weeks indicate this could rise quite drastically by the end of the year.
Grade: B-
LB Danny Stutsman
Danny Stutsman is nearly an incomplete grade, given he has only played 63 defensive snaps, which makes him hard to grade. His special teams versatility has been promising at the bare minimum, and when he comes on the field, there is a pretty noticeable difference when compared to Pete Werner. With a bit more playing time recently, he has shown that he can be a force on the field, so that is a positive, but really, he just has not seen the field enough to put him above the central grade for the time being.
Grade: C
CB Quincy Riley
As someone who initially was vocally disappointed with Quincy Riley’s early performance in the season, this writer believes the young cornerback has really been able to shed his early inconsistencies. While he still has a difficult play here or there, as expected, he has continued to improve more and more with each rep he gets, which is what the Saints need alongside their other two starting cornerbacks. While he has a long way to go before being considered a highly touted corner, he is finding his footing in an extremely difficult position.
Grade: C+
RB Devin Neal
With the injury to Kendre Miller, it was expected that Devin Neal would find a substantial chunk of playing time in the middle of the year. Unfortunately, Alvin Kamara has just taken on a bigger workload, leaving Neal behind a bit. Against Carolina, Neal got a few rushing attempts and in four rushes had 22 yards, so it is clear he is rather effective when used. There just is practically no sample size to work off of, despite some positive blocking reps as well.
Grade: C