It’s finally here: April brings us to the final stretch before the 2024 NFL draft, and mock drafts are picking up. Some of them are keying in on the New Orleans Saints’ top team needs and draft-day priorities. Others are exploring different scenarios with picks that may seem like a luxury, at best, or a crippling mistake, at worst.
This projection from Bleacher Report’s scouting department falls closer to the lower end of the spectrum. B/R/ has the New Orleans Saints bypassing their worst vulnerabilities along the offensive line, defensive end, and at the skills positions to splurge on a new cornerback. Alabama star Terrion Arnold is a great player, but he wouldn’t solve many of the Saints’ biggest problems. We’ll let B/R’s team explain why they went with this pick.
“Arnold is a versatile cornerback with a high football IQ to play in multiple schemes. When Lattimore went on injured reserve in the middle of the season, it showed the lack of depth in the Saints’ cornerback room,” wrote B/R scout Cory Giddings, referring to games in which the Saints allowed 168, 205, 99, and 133 passing yards without Lattimore. He added, “Arnold would also be in line to become CB1 before his rookie contract expires.”
The Los Angeles Rams got the better of New Orleans while throwing for 325 yards, but a top-10 passing offense is going to beat a top-10 passing defense almost every time. The Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons in blowout victories to close out the season in which they were forced to throw more often, accumulating 292 and 311 passing yards but scoring just 13 and 17 points, respectively. New Orleans’ secondary intercepted the Bucs and Falcons twice in each of those games.
A big part of the Saints’ thinking in making Lattimore available for trade was how well their secondary performed without him. Obviously the situation is different now; rumors suggest Lattimore is likely to return for 2024, and the poor trade market for veteran corners means the Saints would be moving him at a loss. They’re a better team with him on the roster, so it doesn’t make sense to trade him or draft his replacement in the first round.
Some players who have been popular picks for the Saints didn’t make it to the 14th overall pick. Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu was snapped up one spot ahead, by the Las Vegas Raiders, with B/R arguing he should learn a new position at right tackle. Alabama right tackle JC Latham, Arnold’s college teammate, was taken a few spots earlier after the Los Angeles Chargers traded out of the top-10.
But others who would make more sense for New Orleans than Arnold were still on the board: guys like Washington left tackle Troy Fautanu (who went to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 16) and Oregon State right tackle Taliese Fuaga (to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 18). To say nothing of UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu, who the Saints have shown plenty of interest in during the pre-draft process.
This isn’t a knock on Arnold. He’s going to be a great pro for some team. If the Saints can make more moves ahead of the draft to reinforce their offensive line with competition for James Hurst at left guard and a better backup plan for Ryan Ramczyk at right tackle, then they could justify the luxury of investing in a high-end cornerback. Paulson Adebo will be a free agent in 2025 and it’s still possible a team makes a strong trade offer for Lattimore later this summer. They should add a corner at some point after losing Isaac Yiadom, Lattimore’s top backup, to the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. But the way things stand right now, targeting Arnold in the first round is a luxury they can’t afford.
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