Whew: the New Orleans Saints are making up for lost time by trading up again in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, targeting Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener. New Orleans spent a 2024 fourth rounder to upgrade one of their 2023 seventh-round picks (Nos. 227) to a fourth-round selection (No. 127) from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Haener was compared to Drew Brees before the draft, so this isn’t too surprising. He’ll have time to pick up the offense and prepare to back up Derek Carr once Jameis Winston’s contract expires after this season. It’s kind of poetic that the Saints drafted one Fresno State quarterback to back up another.
This leaves the Saints with two more picks on the third day of the draft, in the fifth round (No. 146) and another choice in the seventh round (No. 257). They’re projected to receive a pair of fourth-round compensatory picks in 2024 for free agent losses in 2023, so this was a smart move.
More to follow…
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