In the end, it wasn't at all a surprise.

New Orleans Saints first-year coach Kellen Moore and Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis were symbiotic in their belief of building a team inside-out, fortifying the offensive and defensive lines as the top priority.

The Saints took another step toward that goal Thursday night in the first round of the NFL Draft, selecting Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. with the ninth overall pick – the second consecutive year New Orleans has taken an offensive tackle in the first round and the fourth time in the last seven years that the Saints have selected an offensive lineman with their first pick.

"This is a trenches game, this is a game that is won up front in a lot of ways and obviously, my background has been around that in a lot of places I've been and certainly this place is invested in it, and we feel like we can continue to do that," Moore said. "So we feel like we're building a strength in that offensive line. We've got a ton of really good talent there and we're really excited about that."

Banks, a unanimous All-American last season who won the Outland, Lombardi and Jacobs Blocking trophies, expected an early call in the draft and received it from the Saints.

"I definitely felt like the Saints were an option," he said. "My meter on the draft meter was from a position of 6 on down, so I felt pretty confident when I talked to the Saints at the Combine and they felt pretty confident in me, obviously, because they picked me.

"At the Combine it was definitely a good meeting for me. I went in, drew up some plays but also just to see what type of organization they were and get a sense of personality. So we had a great meeting there and at Pro Day, (Saints offensive line) coach (Brendan) Nugent ran a drill and we got to interact a little bit."

Banks only has played left tackle since his sophomore year in high school; the last time he took game reps at right tackle was early that season, he said.

New Orleans returns standout Taliese Fuaga, last year's first-round pick, at left tackle (Fuaga exclusively played right tackle in college). New Orleans' current right tackle is Trevor Penning, the second of the team's two first-round picks in 2022, who was drafted to play left tackle but after a couple of seasons of injuries and struggles, was flipped to right tackle last year and started all 17 games.

But Banks said he has no position preference. In 42 starts at Texas, the 6-foot-5, 315-pounder allowed just three sacks.

"I haven't talked to them about playing, but I'll play wherever," Banks said. "If I'm one of the best five (linemen) on the field and they give me the opportunity to start and I earn that right, then I'm going to play wherever they put me.

"I don't care. If I'm the best five on the field and it's at guard, then that's where I'm playing. I've been training on every side. What I'll do is in my training I'll make sure that I do right side run sets and run-block drills and different things like that, and I'll switch over to the left side and do that as well."

"We're going to give it plenty of flexibility throughout this whole offseason process, and allow those guys to go through this, give ourselves the flexibility to get the best five on the field, (and) we feel like we have depth beyond that," Moore said. "So it's going to be a great opportunity for us."

Banks started as a freshman at Texas and was a two-time team captain.

"I've said this all along: I would tell any player coming into our program, if you want to be great, be like Kelvin Banks," Texas Coach Steve Sarkisian said. "His demeanor, his work ethic, his drive, his attention to detail, his ability to remain consistent in his approach on and off the field, it all shows in his play.

"He's a high-level player who obviously has all the measurables that the NFL is looking for in a great left tackle, and he started there for us from the day he arrived as a freshman."

Banks described himself as smart, physical, fast thinking with quick feet. He hopes to use those attributes to earn playing time early for the Saints, who finished 5-12 last season.

"I went to UT when they were trying to turn that program around," he said. "The biggest thing for me is just buying into the coach's culture. Whatever culture he's trying to instill, just me buying into it and putting my head down and working hard, finding my place on the team and once I find that place, then just do what I can and my part for the team.

"Not try to worry about what somebody else is doing, but worry about what I can do to help this team win games. I'm definitely ready to take on any challenge that comes."