Round 7:

This pick was traded in the package that acquired Eli Apple, who signed a free agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. That sets the Saints up to qualify for a sixth-round compensatory pick in 2021, so maybe it worked out well for everyone.

For the curious: of the players listed in the cloud at our final selection, Bowden, Taylor, and Roy each made it thorugh the seven round without being picked. That means the Saints would hav ethe opportunity to recruit them as undrafted free agents, which is an area they’ve won big with before (just look at Deonte Harris, a rookie first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler).

There were spots we still wanted to address, and in the reality the Saints will probably make a trade or two up the board to target specific prospects they’re confident will be able to do that. It would have been nice to add a highly-rated cornerback early, as well as greater offensive line depth, but the value was just never there at the right time. The Saints went into this mock draft with one of the NFL’s strongest rosters, and they leave it having addressed several positions of need while laying the groundwork for sustained success in the future.