NEW ORLEANS SAINTS POSITIONAL NEEDS HEADING INTO THE NFL DRAFT

The New Orleans Saints still have needs heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, but many can still be solved. Since Dennis Allen took over as head coach, the Saints showed the ability to identify the biggest need on the team and draft a solution. This was shown in 2022 with the picks of Trevor Penning and Chris Olave and the draft picks of Bryan Bresee and Isaiah Foskey in 2023. Tackle and wide receiver were by far the biggest need in 2022, and defensive tackle and edge rusher were the biggest need in 2023. Although some of these players have not fully worked out, the team still drafted what was the biggest need at the time. I decided to become the Saints front office and rank the team's needs going into the NFL Draft.

The tier list will be ranked from most important to least important, starting at the S tier and ending at the D tier. If a position is not mentioned, it does not need to be fixed at this time. Players who could be drafted by the Saints to address a certain need will also be listed.

S Tier - Tackle

Like in 2022, tackle is the top need going into the draft. The considerable difference is that the Saints need both a left and right tackle in this year’s draft. In 2022, the Saints had Ryan Ramczyk as a sure thing at right tackle. They were able to focus on left tackle, and now that we are two years removed from that draft, that position is still a top need. This is with Ryan Ramczyk’s injury worsening and the potential of him never being able to play a snap in the NFL again.

Tackle is one of the most important positions in the NFL, and the Saints must find players that can fill this need. Getting at least one tackle in the draft is vital to this team’s future success, but that still won’t be enough for that position. I would not be surprised if a tackle does get drafted at pick 14, and then the Saints sign a tackle on the opposite side in free agency. Pick 14 on a tackle is necessary and should not be used on any other position.

OT: Olu Fashanu, Taliese Fuaga, J.C. Latham, Troy Fautanu

A Tier - Defensive Tackle & Edge Rusher

The next tier of team needs is both on the defensive line, defensive tackle and edge rusher. Last year, in the 2023 NFL Draft, these two needs were at the top of the list, but now they are a tier lower. Why is this? Well, starting with the defensive tackle position, Bryan Bresee was a great pick, but run defense is still a massive issue. Bresee and the other defensive tackles were not as impactful on run defense as previously hoped. The most important run defender on the roster, Malcolm Roach, was not re-signed by the team, so now there is no certified run defender at defensive tackle on the roster. This issue is not a new one, and the cause of this can be pinpointed to when the Saints traded away their nose tackle at the time, Malcolm Brown. The team should invest at least one pick at defensive tackle in this year’s draft, which could happen at 45.

Edge Rusher is the next need, and we can all agree that this need is not caused by a lack of effort. The Saints have been looking for a certified Edge rusher since allowing Trey Hendrickson to walk in free agency. As of now, this position group for the team is not bad, with the rise of Carl Granderson, the signing of Chase Young, and the 2nd round capital invested in Isaiah Foskey, who flashed at times last season. This is promising but should not stop the Saints from investing a pick in one more edge rusher. The best thing about edge rushers is that no team in the NFL can have too many of them. It is the quarterback on the defensive side of the ball, and having a perfect edge rusher room could change the outlook for the Saints. As I said before, one more pick could do this, and the Saints would not need to invest first round capital into it. The other interesting thing is that the Saints are not staying true to their normal edge rusher mold, so there will be even more options in the draft. This change will also allow the team to target faster edge rushers that will help elevate the speed on the defensive line, and as we know, the Saints struggle with that.

DT: Johnny Newton, Braden Fiske, Darius Robinson*, Justin Eboigbe

Edge Rusher: Laiatu Latu, Darius Robinson*, Mohamed Kamara, Chop Robinson

(*Darius Robinson could play both positions)

B Tier - Wide Receiver, Strong Safety, Guard

This tier of positions is important but can be fixed with much less urgency than the last two. Before free agency, I would have said that WR would be in the A tier, SS would be in the C tier, and Guard would be in the B tier. These three positions have landed in the B tier because of the different moves that have been made since then. Starting with wide receiver, the Saints have signed three in free agency this year, and that is why it has moved a tier down. With these signings and the emergence of A.T. Perry, the team should feel more comfortable with this room. The issue is that having one more WR who can create an amazing starting trio with Chris Olave and Rasheed Shaheed is very enticing. We also have seen injuries pile up in the WR room, and investing more capital for depth could be important.

Strong safety has become a larger need after free agency, and this is mostly because Marcus Maye was cut from the team. Besides Tyrann Mathieu, who is mostly a free safety, Jordan Howden is the other starting-caliber safety on the roster. Howden had a solid rookie year and can secure the strong safety spot, but he is very good at playing all around the field. The Saints may want to get a true strong safety so they can be flexible with Howden. This can be done in the draft, and it can also be done in free agency with a player such as Justin Simmons.

The last position in the B tier can arguably be put into the S or A tier. The Saints do not have a certified starting left guard at the moment. There is the belief that Nick Saldiveri will be able to take that starting spot, but it might be important to have a contingency plan behind him. Like a strong safety, this can be done in the draft or free agency. There is a strong chance that the Saints will draft a guard in a later round while signing one in free agency after the draft. This could be done by bringing back Andrus Peat or signing Dalton Risner. It would be smart for the Saints not to invest all their belief in Saldiveri and sign/draft other players as backup plans.

WR: Malachi Corley, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Keon Coleman, Ryan Flournoy

SS: Jaden Hicks, Malik Mustapha, Kalen DeLoach

Guard: Cooper Beebe, Christian Mahogany, Tanor Bortolini

C Tier - Cornerback, Running Back, Linebacker

The C tier is positions that could use depth but also can be used to help on special teams. Beginning with cornerback this is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, position group on the team. The question becomes, if Marshon Lattimore is traded, should the Saints draft some depth? The answer is yes, they should, but trading Lattimore is not the only reason. Just like wide receivers, there have been depth issues when injuries arise. Going back to the Lattimore situation, if the Saints trade him, then Alontae Taylor and Paulson Adebo will be your number one and two. This is still a very good corner group, but now the Saints need a slot corner to take Taylor’s former spot.

Although running back is not a strength of this draft class, the depth at that position is pretty good. The Saints will be able to find a late-round running back that can contribute in special teams and the offense. Klint Kubiak likes to use running backs in all different ways, and having as many weapons as you can will make this offense more dynamic. There is also the possibility that Jamal Williams and Alvin Kamara will be off the team after next season, and at that point, you will need another running back to partner with Kendre Miller. The Saints can start that contingency plan in this year’s draft.

The linebacker position is last in the C tier, and this need is very similar to that of the running back group. The Saints actually have decent linebacker depth going into the 2024 NFL Season with the signings of Willie Gay Jr. and Khaleke Hudson. Drafting a linebacker in the late rounds will help with special teams and add a contingency plan for after this coming season. Demario Davis is getting older, Willie Gay Jr. has only been signed for 1 year, and Pete Werner is a worry in the long term. Getting more depth that can learn from the starting Linebackers could be very beneficial in the long run.

CB: Cam Hart, Elijah Jones, Jaylin Simpson

RB: Dylan Laube, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Emani Bailey

LB: JD Bertrand, Edefuan Ulofoshio, Tyrice Knight

D Tier - Tight End and Quarterback

The D tier consists of two position groups that can have a player drafted for depth, but there really is no need for it. Starting with Tight end, the Saints are set at that position, even though they were not that impactful last season. Juwan Johnson is a great pass-catching tight end, and Foster Moreau is a great blocking tight end. This tandem can be perfect under Klint Kubiak’s scheme, given the strengths of both players. Regarding the draft, the Saints can add another tight end in a late round or undrafted free agency as a depth piece. This would probably be a blocking tight end because of how important blocking is in the Kubiak scheme.

I know Derek Carr did not have the season we hoped for, but he is the starter for at least next season, and there is no changing that. I wanted to mention quarterback because if one of the prospects that the Saints really like falls to them in any round, then there is a possibility they draft them. Other than that, I doubt the Saints draft a quarterback at all, and the team has been hinting at this with the signings of Nathan Peterman and Kellen Mond. I know those are not flashy names, but they will compete with Jake Haener for the 2nd string, and whoever loses out will compete for the third string. That looks to be the plan, and I doubt the Saints will change that unless what I mentioned before occurs.

TE: Erick All Jr., Theo Johnson, Brevyn Spann-Ford

QB: Michael Penix Jr., Spencer Rattler, Michael Pratt

2024-04-23T14:06:16Z dg43tfdfdgfd