ESPN picks four Saints draft picks for 2025 NFL All-Rookie team

Are the New Orleans Saints on the way back to relevance? Maybe so. ESPN's Ben Solak highlighted four Saints players on his 2025 NFL All-Rookie team, three of them on the first team -- with quarterback Tyler Shough on the second team. That's tied with the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns for the most mentions on this year's All-Rookie team. But it's the Saints' fortune to have found four starters in the first four rounds of the draft that really wowed him.

One of them started at left tackle from Day 1. Solak picked Kelvin Banks Jr. as this year's best rookie left tackle, pointing to stats like his 87.7% pass block win rate and 76.1% run block win rate, and writing:

One of the quieter first-round picks, Banks has slid easily into New Orleans' left tackle spot and taken on a veteran's workload with aplomb. Rarely given tight end or chip help, Banks has been an above-average pass protector and has the quickness and flexibility that elite pass protectors often have. Those movement skills translate into the running game, where Banks has been a high-impact blocker as a puller and climber. The Saints got a good one.

But the other two Saints rookies to make the first team are both playing in the defensive secondary. With Brandon Staley installing a new playbook favoring zone coverage, it was vital to find players who best fit what he's looking for. And the Saints did just that by finding cornerback Quincy Riley in Round 4. Here's why Solak ranked him above second teamers Denzel Burke (Arizona Cardinals) and Maxwell Hairston (Buffalo Bills):

A fourth-round pick out of Louisville, Riley got his first significant action in Week 3 and his first start in Week 5. But he took the starting job with both hands and refused to give it back. A sticky downfield corner with surprising physicality, Riley has impressive production at the catch point despite his size (5-foot-11, 195 pounds), detailing a highly encouraging future. Riley was only the No. 3 corner for the Saints this season and had some classic rookie mental snafus, but with Alontae Taylor being a rising free agent in 2026, Riley might end up a starter in all packages next season. He has earned it.

Riley wasn't alone on the All-Rookie first team secondary. His teammate Jonas Sanker was Solak's first pick at safety, too. He's had a strong season with two interceptions and six passes defensed (plus a fumble recovery, three tackles for loss, and 78 total tackles). Not bad for a third-round pick:

One of my favorite rookies independent of position or draft capital, Sanker has shined in Brandon Staley's defense as a premier communicator and coverage player. He takes great angles, rarely false steps and doesn't get fooled by route distributions. Sanker looks like a 10-year vet but has the spry legs of a rookie, which allows him to make plays sideline to sideline. Sanker is also a reliable tackler at the third level and prevents explosive runs from becoming house calls. He is a rising star to watch.

Each of these rookies look to be building blocks for the Saints in 2026. With their quarterback and left tackle situations settled, the Saints already have two of the game's most important positions on offense locked down -- and a contract extension for Chris Olave is on the way to answer some questions surrounding their receiving corps. Defensively, they've got two good pieces in the secondary, and a promising linebacker in Danny Stutsman. If defensive tackle Vernon Broughton can bounce back from his injury and the Saints continue to pour resources into turning over Staley's personnel on defense and improving Shough's supporting cast on offense, this team could be a problem very, very soon.

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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: ESPN picks four Saints draft picks for 2025 NFL All-Rookie team