NFL roster cuts are right around the corner, and the New Orleans Saints are so close to ending one of their worst trends. The Saints have waived at least one rookie draft pick in each of the last five years, but their 2023 draft class is poised to break that streak — all seven players are in good position to make the team and help out this year, including late-rounders like safety Jordan Howden and wide receiver A.T. Perry.
You can’t say that about many of the draft classes that preceded them. Between poor planning for rookie draft picks and position valuation (spending too many picks on areas that were already flush with talent), the Saints have wasted a lot of draft picks in recent years. Thankfully that trend appears to be ending.
Here are all of the rookie draft picks the Saints released during roster cuts from 2022 to 2018: