Round 1

With nine picks off the board and a few trades already made between other teams (the Miami Dolphins jumped up to No. 3, selecting Tua Tagovailoa, and the Las Vegas Raiders moved up to No. 8 for Justin Herbert), our top-rated wide receiver was still available ahead at No. 10. The Cleveland Browns owned that pick, and weren’t a threat to pick him with so much receiving talent of their own. But the New York Jets lurked at No. 11 and should very much be in play for CeeDee Lamb. Just two Jets pass-catchers drew more than 90 targets last year: Jamison Crowder and Robby Anderson (now with the Carolina Panthers).

In reality, the Saints will probably trust in the depth of this draft class at receiver and wait to see who is available. But we aren’t here to make realistic choices, this is a mock draft simulating Bold Moves. So we called up the Browns and offered this year’s first-round pick, as well as our 2021 picks in the first and third rounds. That allowed us to move up from No. 24 to No. 10.

That’s a lot to give up, but Lamb is worth it. He’s the best receiver in a draft loaded with great prospects, owing to the clarity he plays with before and after the catch. Few players track the ball in flight as well as he does, working his way back to underthrown passes while climbing the ladder to compete for overthrown or contested targets. Lamb also has a great comprehension of where defenders will move in relation to him, allowing him to set up poor pursuit angles and create more yards after the catch. Those qualities combine for a fluid athlete who looks and plays faster than his measured timing in combine drills.

Giving Drew Brees a three-deep receiving corps of Michael Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, and Lamb would be an embarrassment of riches. Add in still-developing depth pieces like Deonte Harris and Tre’Quan Smith behind them and you’ve got one loaded depth chart, before you even consider other weapons like running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Jared Cook. Even if Lamb only catches, say, 50 passes as a rookie, having him available to open up the entire field in critical situations could be enough to get the Saints over the postseason hurdles that have thwarted them.

For the curious: in this mock draft, the best available receivers still around at No. 24 were Jalen Reagor (our 33rd rated prospect) and Michael Pittman Jr. (37th). Not trading up for Lamb would have meant reaching on a second-round value at receiver. Other players we hoped to consider like linebackers Kenneth Murray and Patrick Queen had also been snatched up. That left Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson and Utah State quarterback Jordan Love as the best players available, and neither of them could expect to see the field as often as Lamb in their rookie year with the Saints.

The pick: WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

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