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The New Orleans Saints are setting themselves up to approach the 2020 NFL Draft from a variety of directions, thanks to a talent-rich roster and a manageable list of pending free agents. However, their most pressing needs may lie at wide receiver and at cornerback, and a new three-round mock draft from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter acknowledged that.
Reuter connects the Saints with Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in the first round, pairing the Sun Devils prospect with a first-team All-Pro wideout in Michael Thomas. Aiyuk is best known for his ability to gain yards after the catch and track vertical passes thrown deep downfield, so he could theoretically help out a Saints passing game that’s struggled to gain those chunks of yards through the air. He’s one of several receivers competing to be picked in the first round; a strong showing at next week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis could solidify his draft stock.
In the third round, Reuter has the Saints picking Florida State prospect Stanford Samuels III. Samuels is a tall, wiry defensive back (listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds) with a knack for getting his hand on the ball. He intercepted eight passes (with 16 total passes defensed) in three years for the Seminoles, lining up all over the secondary in zone coverage. He probably needs to bulk up to thrive in the pros, but he’d be a good fit for a Saints team severely lacking depth at cornerback; just three corners are under contract right now, and either Janoris Jenkins or Patrick Robinson could be salary cap cuts.
But what happened in the second round of Reuter’s mock draft? The Saints packaged this pick (No. 56) last year to acquire both Erik McCoy and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Reuter projects it to be traded again. It’s owned by the Miami Dolphins right now, but Reuter has the Detroit Lions ending up with it, and selecting Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Winfield is a tremendous talent (he intercepted seven passes in 2019 alone, and forced two fumbles), but you have to imagine the Saints are happy with what they got out of their involvement with this pick.
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