By Ross Jackson
After some major changes along the unit, the New Orleans Saints’ offensive line will be one of the most pertinent position groups to watch throughout training camp.
From new starters to bolstered depth and changing schemes, the offensive line will be both a source of hope and anxiety for many fans until questions are answered once the season begins.
A New Starting Five
While four of five starters from last year will return in 2025, only two will be in the same position. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz will remain at center and right guard respectively. Meanwhile, last year’s starting left tackle Taliese Fuaga is expected to move to right tackle while last year’s right tackle Trevor Penning gets his first show on the interior at left guard.
The team’s new starting left tackle, first-round pick Kelvin Banks Jr., was one of the nation’s best offensive lineman last year. In fact, he won college football’s Outland Trophy, which goes to exactly that, the best offensive lineman in the country.
With all of those adjustments, the starting five will be put in position to either improve from last year’s injury-riddled season or continue to be an area of need going into the 2026 offseason.
The Biggest Question
While Banks will be a first-time NFL starter right away, the bigger question mark is Penning. Not because there’s doubt around him, but there is a lot of curiosity. Many believe, including head coach Kellen Moore, that Penning’s strengths will play to his benefit on the interior. Should that come to fruition, the Saints could have a very impactful inside rushing game and benefit from the 2022 first-rounder’s athleticism as a pulling guard.
Building Up The Depth
This year’s offseason additions of offensive linemen Dillon Radunz and Will Clapp Jr. both help the Saints with what was a glaring issue in 2024. The dropoff from starter to backup, and in some cases the backup’s backup, was far too steep and cost the team a lot of chances to compete.
With a healthy starting lineup and reliable backups, the Saints could be looking at a much improved situation in 2025.
Alvin Kamara rushes over 10+ yards last season pic.twitter.com/DkvCJAYdE9
— Saints Tape (@SaintsTape) July 16, 2025
New Run Scheme
A lot of this piece has focused on the run game because, with a young quarterback, it seems likely that the ground attack will be set to carry the team moving through this year. But the other truth of the matter here is that Moore has consistently put together strong games throughout his coaching career.
Add to that the addition of run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti, a first-time position coach in New Orleans, and the returns of associate head coach and running backs coach Joel Thomas and offensive line coach Brendan Nugent. It’s clear that this area of the game will be a major focus for the offense.
The protection in the run game will be vital to the team’s success if, as expected, it’s the rushing attack that acts as the heartbeat of the offense.
Pass Protection For Young Passers
There are two important elements here. One is the simple fact that the line will have to keep its young passer, rookie Tyler Shough, or second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler clean and free of pressure as much as possible in order to maximize the passing game.
The other side of the coin is that the line will likely have to assist in identifying pre-snap elements along with its quarterback. McCoy becomes the feature there, which is a great arrangement for Rattler or Shough.
Pre-snap protection calls are going to be pivotal to the offense’s ability to move the ball and keep the quarterback from being hounded. Last year, Saints quarterbacks were pressured at the NFL’s No. 8 rate (37.4%). Moore’s Eagles were among the middle of the pack at No. 15 with 34.1%.
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