The New Orleans Saints go into this year’s NFL draft with the 28th pick. Mock drafts are coming out across all sports media. The Saints lost several key players in this years free agency. Predicting what the Saints will draft has been across many positions. This New Orleans Saints mock drafts overview could help hone into what the organization does on draft night.
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New Orleans Saints First Round Mock Draft Roundup
This article looks at various mock drafts from around the prominent NFL media. Last Word on Sports, CBS Sports, Pro Football Focus, NBC Sports, and ESPN have mock drafts currently available on their sites. The players selected are divided by offense and defense.
Saints First Round Mock Drafts on Defense
Last Word on Sports has the Saints taking defensive tackle Christian Barmore out of Alabama. Barmore might be seen as a stretch at the 28th pick. NBC Sports is the only other publication reviewed for this article that has a first-round grade on Barmore. Barmore is a massive tackle, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing over 300 pounds. The Saints lost Trey Hendrickson and Sheldon Rankins to free agency so a defensive lineman is a need.
CBS Sports also mocks a defensive lineman for the Saints. CBS has the Saints taking Jaelan Phillips at the 28th pick. It is doubtful that a true EDGE rusher lasts this long in the draft but if he does, the Saints do need a rusher to pair with Cameron Jordan. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Phillips going as high as the 18th pick. Should Phillips fall, the Saints would likely jump on the opportunity to draft him.
Pro Football Focus has the Saints taking a cornerback at the 28th pick. With Janoris Jenkins leaving via free agency, the Saints need someone to pair along with Marshon Lattimore. PFF has the Saints selecting Asante Samuel, Jr out of Florida State. No other reviewed publication has a first-round grade on Samuel at this time. It will be interesting to see what the Saints do if both Barmore and Samuel are available at the 28th pick.
NBC Sports is the last publication that has the Saints selecting a defensive player at 28. NBCSports has the Saints taking linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah from Notre Dame. Owusu-Koramoah is a coverage linebacker and could free up Demario Davis to play closer to the line. NBCSports also has the aforementioned Christian Barmore going at the end of the first round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints could very well have their selection of each player at 28.
Saints First Round Mock Drafts on Offense
The only publication reviewed in this article that has the New Orleans Saints going offense is ESPN. Mel Kiper and Todd McShay are the resident ESPN draft gurus. Each is highly regarded for their mock drafts. Currently, both have the Saints taking a wide receiver at 28. They differ on which wide receiver though. McShay has the Saints taking Elijah Moore out of Ole Miss. Kiper has Tutu Atwell from Louisville going to the Saints. Both receivers would bring different aspects to the team. Atwell is a gadget receiver who can do various things like sweeps while Moore is a slot receiver. With Deonte Harris making an impact last season on gadget plays, Moore might be the pick here for a Saints offense needing receivers.
New Orleans Saints in the First Round
All of these mock drafts do not take trades into consideration. The Saints under Sean Payton have never been shy about trading up to get their prospects. The Saints do possess five picks in the first four rounds of the NFL draft. Should a highly touted player slip due to other teams reaching, the Saints could use that ammunition to move up and grab a player. The next few weeks leading up to the NFL draft will likely see these mock drafts updated several times.
