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The New Orleans Saints went into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with a glaring need at linebacker. Beyond the streak of injuries at the position — projected starters Kiko Alonso and Alex Anzalone each ended last season with injuries — there isn’t a long-term fix on hand, with Demario Davis joining Alonso and Anzalone in next year’s unrestricted free agent class.
With LSU Tigers prospect Patrick Queen available once the Saints went on the clock at No. 24, it appeared to be an easy match. So the Saints choosing to go in a different direction with Michigan Wolverines center Cesar Ruiz rubbed many fans the wrong way.
And that’s something Saints coach Sean Payton is attuned to. He admitted as much in a conference call with local media after the first round concluded.
“We know we’ve got a need position at linebacker,” Payton said. “We’ve got to fill that some way, shape or form. Now that may not be through the draft, but it would be nice if we could fill it through the draft.”
Payton added that the team anticipates a run on linebackers in Friday’s draft selections (the second and third rounds), and agreed that a trade up the board might make sense, if the value surrendered made it worth it.
While the Saints aren’t likely to add any prospects who will demote Alonso or Anzalone right away, they could certainly find someone who might push special teams captain and first-man-up Craig Robertson down the depth chart. In addition to Queen, the only other linebackers picked so far include Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray, and Texas Tech’s Jordyn Brooks.
So as Payton suggested, it’s something to keep an eye on during Friday’s picks. The Saints will go on the clock next at No. 88 overall (they traded this year’s second-round pick as part of a package in the 2019 draft, eventually netting starting center Erik McCoy and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson), but it’s important to remember that the team owns all of its 2021 draft picks, and is projected to receive two extra compensatory selections. Trading up is in Payton’s DNA, and it shouldn’t shock anyone if he vaults up the board again.
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