Saints strike gold in first two rounds of latest mock draft
Mock draft season is upon us! The latest national mock draft from ESPN is a seven-round mammoth from Jordan Reid. The New Orleans Saints came away with two impressive prospects in the first two rounds of the draft. Luckily, both players fill important needs for the Saints as well. In round one, New Orleans grabs Notre […]
Mock draft season is upon us!
The latest national mock draft from ESPN is a seven-round mammoth from Jordan Reid. The New Orleans Saints came away with two impressive prospects in the first two rounds of the draft.
Luckily, both players fill important needs for the Saints as well.
In round one, New Orleans grabs Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer with the 29th overall pick.
Derek Carr is the Saints' new quarterback, but he has to get more help around him. He's a passer known to involve his tight ends often, so adding a security blanket would be helpful. Mayer has the potential to be an instant contributor as a run-blocker and as a pass-catcher.
He has the potential to be a key target in the middle of the field, as he's capable of running a diverse route tree. He had 138 catches and 16 scores over his final two college seasons.
Mayer would be a home run selection for the Saints.
The Saints like to have two solid tight ends for personnel packages, and the combo of Mayer and Juwan Johnson is exciting to consider for the team and their fans.
Johnson has made strides for New Orleans over the past two seasons, but adding top-end competition for him would be smart. Both players would play massive role for the Saints for years to come.
In round two, the Saints select Michigan interior defensive lineman Mazi Smith.
The Saints let David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle leave in free agency, and they brought in Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd as replacements. Still, they could use another priority pick on a defensive tackle. Smith is the best run-stuffer in this class. Despite his lack of pass-rush production — he had one sack last season — he improved over the course of the 2022 season. In a multiple front scheme, Smith would quickly become a key contributor.
New Orleans attacks a position of need once again in round two.
Smith is arguably an end-of-round-one talent in this class, and the Saints grab him with the 40th overall pick. Smith is an intriguing run defender, and a duo of he and Khalen Saunders will vastly improve the run defense for New Orleans.
Smith would immediately play a role on defense for the Saints.
If the start of the draft looks like this for New Orleans, you can consider this year's draft class a win for the Saints.
