Yikes. A lot has changed for the New Orleans Saints over the last year, but not enough to change where they’re projecting to pick in the upcoming NFL draft. After they sent the No. 10 overall selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, the Saints are currently on track to pick at No. 11 overall in the 2024 draft. More losses for Dennis Allen’s team will only push that selection higher.
On paper, the Saints should easily climb out of this hole and put more of their attention on the playoffs than the next draft cycle. They’ve got the league’s easiest schedule ahead of them and many of their upcoming opponents are missing key players. Allen has the coaching staff and quarterback he wanted in place. So why do they keep losing games?
You have wonder if Allen will be around to make the pick for the Saints in 2024 if it ends up being as high as current standings have it (if not higher inside the top 10). General manager Mickey Loomis picked Allen as his head coach over other candidates because he believed Allen had the best chances of keeping their core together and remaining a playoff team.
Instead, they’re on the outside looking in on the NFC playoff standings, and this team has hemorrhaged core players in free agency like Terron Armstead, Marcus Williams, and David Onyemata, among others. Allen has not met expectations through his first 23 games as their head coach. What if he never does?
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