Saints make aggressive move in latest mock draft
The New Orleans Saints have many avenues for early in this year's NFL Draft. You never want to simply draft for need, but the Saints always find a way to be aggressive. They are the most consistent team when it comes to trading up in the draft. New Orleans rarely trades down. One of the […]
The New Orleans Saints have many avenues for early in this year's NFL Draft. You never want to simply draft for need, but the Saints always find a way to be aggressive.
They are the most consistent team when it comes to trading up in the draft. New Orleans rarely trades down. One of the most recent mock drafts was a perfect example of their mantra.
Brad Spielberger of PFF projected a trade for the Saints with the New York Giants in his new mock draft.
The Saints traded picks 29, 115, and 165 for picks 25 and 240. That value makes sense.
With the 25th pick, New Orleans took Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy.
Saints 2018 first-round edge defender Marcus Davenport just departed in free agency to the Minnesota Vikings, and 2021 first-round edge defender Payton Turner has come along slowly with just 315 total snaps over his first two seasons.
The beauty with Murphy is that while he builds his arsenal as a pass rusher, with some technical refinement necessary to add to his nasty bull rush and long-arm moves, he can be a positive against the run early in his career. Murphy’s 80.2 run-defense grade over the past two seasons is a top-30 mark among FBS edge defenders, and his 21.2% positively graded play rate against the run is 20th. He has a rare combination of high-end strength to set the edge and disrupt plays at the point of attack and speed to pursue ball carriers.
Interior offensive line makes a lot of sense here, as well, but New Orleans will likely be able to target the position with their second-round pick at No. 40 overall.
This selection makes plenty of sense considering the Saints lost Marcus Davenport in free agency. Carl Granderson played well in spurts last season, but New Orleans loves to invest in the trenches.
Improving their defensive line early in this year's draft is definitely on the table.
As a toolsy pass rusher with impressive upside, getting Murphy late in the first would be exciting for the Saints.
