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The New Orleans Saints spent all of their remaining picks in the 2020 NFL Draft to move up in the third round, targeting Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun and Dayton tight end Adam Trautman in a pair of trades.

But where did the draft experts project them to be picked? The Saints graded both prospects as top-40 selections internally, and scouting reports from various media outlets also rated them highly. Here’s a quick survey:

The Athletic

Dane Brugler was a fan of the pickups; Trautman was his top-rated tight end prospect, projected to be picked late in the second round or early in the third. While the rookie’s lack of experience at the higher levels of college football is worth noting, Brugler spoke highly of the attributes Trautman brings to the NFL:

Overall, Trautman doesn’t have the body of work vs. top-level competition, but his athleticism and pass-catching traits for a player his size make him a highly intriguing prospect, projecting as a future NFL starter and top-75 draft pick.

As for Baun: Brugler graded the Wisconsin product as his fourth-best linebacker and a fringe first-round talent, talking up Baun’s athleticism in the open field and positional versatility. Brugler’s scouting report summary:

Overall, Baun’s evaluation requires some projection because he won’t be a full-time rusher in the NFL, but he displays the fluid athleticism, smarts and motor to line up as a stack linebacker and nickel pass rusher, projecting as a top-40 prospect.

The Draft Network

Meanwhile, Kyle Crabbs spoke highly of Trautman’s versatile route tree and strength as a blocker, though he acknowledged it’ll take some time before the tight end is ready to contribute against NFL competition:

Trautman has length, burst, dominant reps as a blocker, violent hands and the production you would expect from an NFL talent playing on the smaller competitive fields. Trautman will need time and patience, but he can be a seam busting tight end and red zone threat who can align in traditional alignments or flexed wide.

However, Crabbs’ colleague Joe Marino expressed reservations about the time it will take to get Trautman up to speed. Between his background as a high school quarterback who didn’t catch a game until he arrived at Dayton and the low level of competition he faced there, Marino said, Trautman is very much a developmental pick — but a worthwhile one given his skills.

And while he also anticipates a learning curve for Baun, Marino expects the linebacker to fit in and play often for just about any defensive scheme in the league. Crabbs was in agreement with that take, saying that Baun will find the most success in a defense that allows him to move up all over the field. Marino’s summary:

He projects favorably to a 3-4 outside linebacker role at the next level where his versatility to rush the passer, drop in coverage and defend the run is optimized given his modest mass and length. With that said, I believe he can also play SAM linebacker in 4-3 base defenses and rush the passer off the edge on passing downs, making him a scheme-versatile prospect.

ESPN

While Trautman wasn’t included in every analyst’s top-50 lists, Baun was ranked the 31st-best prospect by Mel Kiper. Kiper credited Baun for his ability to play all over the defensive front and generate pressure off both the left and right sides.

NFL Network

Daniel Jeremiah was also a fan of Baun’s, though Trautman didn’t make his top tier, either. He hyped up Baun’s positional flexibility and all-around athleticism, and has a player comparison in mind:

He spends a lot of time playing over tight ends and gets the best of them in the run and pass games. As a rusher, he has a good initial burst and can really bend at the top of his rush. He has a nifty inside counter move and he can get skinny before closing on the quarterback. He mixes in a stutter/bull rush, but usually stalls out after generating some push. He is very athletic as a dropper in coverage. He is very good as a back-side run defender because of his burst and effort. Teams will differ on where to play him at the next level. He reminds me of former USC LB Uchenna Nwosu, someone whose versatility the Chargers have tapped into. I’d do the same with Baun.

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