Tag: draft picks

Saints learned from Cardinals’ tampering mistake with Eagles head coach candidate

The Cardinals were once found guilty on tampering charges for Jonathan Gannon. The Saints are working to avoid that as they pursue Eagles coach Kellen Moore:

If the Philadelphia Eagles lose offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to the New Orleans Saints, it will be the second time they’ve lost their offensive coordinator in three seasons. It’s happened after both of their Super Bowl appearances. Coincidentally, they will have lost their play caller to the host city’s team both times as well.

After losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon stayed in Phoenix to coach the Arizona Cardinals. Kellen Moore could have a similar fate in New Orleans.

And the Saints are taking every precaution to not have the same fate as the Cardinals. When Arizona hired Gannon, they had to swap third-draft picks with the Eagles because the NFL determined Arizona was guilty of tampering. Philadelphia received the No. 66 pick in exchange for the No. 94 pick, plus a fifth-round selection in 2024.

New Orleans hasn’t succumbed to the same pitfalls the Cardinals fell victim to. Arizona contacted Gannon for the first time the day after the NFC Championship Game. NFL rules dictate the process very clearly: when speaking with candidates, teams must first hold a virtual teleconference interview (capped at three hours). After that, they can meet in person either at the team facility or another location, and those talks can take eight or nine hours to cover everything. Further discussions can happen, but you’ve got to follow the process.

You may think to yourself the Saints did the same as Arizona. They did fly to Philadelphia after Moore’s offense put up a season-high 55 points to win the NFC. The difference is that New Orleans had followed NFL protocol to the letter. They already interviewed Moore virtually, but that was the first time the Cardinals talked to Gannon. This small difference of not being the initial contact is the difference between receiving tampering penalties.

What if they misstepped? New Orleans has two third-round selections. They’d most likely have to part ways with their first pick at No. 71 and drop down to No. 95 or 96 (depending on the Super Bowl outcome).

That’s a difference of 24 to 25 slots by simply adhering to the NFL regulations. The Saints need to stock talent right now, so dropping down in the draft is only acceptable via trade. They’ve done a good job following the rules to this point. Let’s hope they don’t drop the ball before they’ve crossed the goal line.

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Broncos not projected to get any comp picks in 2025 NFL draft

The Broncos are not expected to receive any compensatory draft picks in 2025.

Each spring, the NFL awards compensatory draft picks to teams who essentially lost more than they gained in free agency in the previous year (the exact formula is more complicated than that). The comp picks are awarded beginning with the end of the third round.

This year, the Denver Broncos are not expected to receive any comp picks. OverTheCap.com estimates that the team’s loss of center Lloyd Cushenberry was canceled out by the signing of wide receiver Josh Reynolds.

Meanwhile, Denver’s loss of inside linebacker Josey Jewell was canceled out by the signing of safety Brandon Jones. Additionally, the Broncos signed linebacker Cody Barton and defensive lineman Malcolm Roach in 2024. So Denver won’t get extra picks in 2025.

The Broncos have not been awarded a comp pick since 2018, when they received one extra pick. Before that, Denver received four comp picks each year from 2015-2017. Overall, they have received 22 comp picks since 1999.

The Broncos hold seven picks to use in the 2025 NFL draft (April 24-26).

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Where Saints draft picks stand after Washington wins Divisional Round

The Washington Commanders won in the Divisional Round and advanced to the NFC Championship Game. How does that impact he New Orleans Saints’ 2025 draft picks?

The New Orleans Saints have been eliminated from the playoffs for some time now, but their overall order of picks in the 2025 NFL draft is still being shifted thanks to a trade made earlier this season.

When the Saints traded Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders in the middle of the year, they received three draft picks in the third, fourth and sixth rounds. That sixth rounder was the same pick the Saints traded to Washington this summer for John Ridgeway III, so they got it back. Given that the Commanders keep winning games, those picks keep drifting further back in the draft order.

Here is where the experts over at Tankathon have the full New Orleans draft stock after Washington’s latest playoff victory:

  • Round 1, Pick 9
  • Round 2, Pick 40
  • Round 3, Pick 71
  • Round 3, Pick 93 (via Washington)
  • Round 4, Pick 110
  • Round 4, Pick 129 (via Washington)
  • Round 6, Pick 182
  • Round 7, Pick 251 (projected compensatory)
  • Round 7, Pick 254 (projected compensatory)

This is a perfect year to have so many selections, as they are trying to rebuild their roster and they don’t have much money to do so. A large portion of these nine draft picks are going to have to compete next season.

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New Orleans Saints ranked bottom-3 in 2025 offseason assets

A complicated salary cap situation makes the New Orleans Saints a less-than-appealing destination. PFF ranked their offseason assets third-worst in pro football:

The New Orleans Saints are coming off of their worst season in a long time and don’t have much going for them this offseason in looking to improve.

Pro Football Focus’ Tomo Riske recently put together a graph showing each team’s full assets entering this offseason. That is combining their draft capital, salary cap space and contract restructure potential.

When adding all of those things together, the Saints rank No. 30 out of 32 teams. The only two ranked below them would be the division-rival Atlanta Falcons and awkwardly-placed Seattle Seahawks, who don’t have much to build around or build with.

Luckily for New Orleans, they do rank among the teams with the most draft capital in the league. When adding together the PFF value for their picks, they rank at No. 7 out of 32. Not bad.

Their negative cap space is what is holding them back, obviously, as they rank dead-last. While they can potentially restructure some contracts to open up more cap, that is the practice that has them in such a mess right now.

The best bet may be just riding it out, taking their lumps and coming back refreshed in 2026. We’ll see if Mickey Loomis and Co. agree.

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Broncos order of picks in 2025 NFL draft

The Broncos hold seven picks in the 2025 NFL draft, including their own selections in the first four rounds.

The Denver Broncos currently hold seven picks in the 2025 NFL draft, including their own selections in the first four rounds.

After finishing the 2024 regular season with a 10-7 record and then getting knocked out of the playoffs in the Wild Card round, the Broncos will pick 20th overall in the first round of the draft.

Denver does not hold a fifth-round pick after trading that pick and pass rusher Bradley Chubb to the Miami Dolphins in 2022 in exchange for running back Chase Edmonds and first- and fourth-round draft picks. (The Broncos later used that first-round pick to acquire coach Sean Payton in 2023.)

Denver also does not hold a seventh-round pick after trading that selection and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

The Broncos have their own picks in the first four rounds for the first time since the Russell Wilson trade, and they hold three picks in the sixth round following the Baron Browning trade from earlier this season.

Here’s a look at the team’s order of picks in next year’s NFL draft, with help from prosportstransactions.com.

Broncos order of picks in 2025 NFL draft

  • Round 1: own pick (20th overall)
  • Round 2: own pick (51st overall)
  • Round 3: own pick (85th overall)
  • Round 4: own pick (TBD)
  • Round 6: acquired from Cardinals (TBD)
  • Round 6: own pick (TBD)
  • Round 6: acquired from Eagles (TBD)

The league will award compensatory picks beyond the third round this spring, but Denver is not projected to get any comp picks in 2025. The exact placement of the Broncos’ picks in the second half of the draft will be known after other teams receive their comp picks.

The 2025 NFL draft will be held in Green Bay from April 24-26.

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Just 4 teams have drafted fewer players than Saints since they hired Mickey Loomis

Just four teams have drafted fewer players than the Saints since they promoted Mickey Loomis to GM. Years of trade gambles haven’t paid off:

There are only four teams that have spent fewer selections in the NFL draft than the New Orleans Saints since they promoted Mickey Loomis to general manager back in 2003.

Those teams are the Minnesota Vikings (285), Los Angeles Chargers (282), Pittsburgh Steelers (268) and the league-low Green Bay Packers (267 players drafted), according to the data from Stathead and Pro Football Reference.

You could argue that the Saints have been successful despite owning so few draft picks through Loomis’ habit of trading them away. Over that same time period under Loomis, the Saints rank 10th-best in win percentage (going 199-157, or .558). And that’s the case for all five of these teams, which rank inside top-11.

That’s not to say the few draft picks are the exact reason for that, though. It is also important to consider stable quarterback play, what the coaching staff is doing and how that may hide any potential mistakes or misfortunate. Whether it’s Sean Payton and Drew Brees, Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy or just going from Philip Rivers to Justin Herbert under center, getting the right people in the right positions (and keeping them there) has lifted each of these squads and made up for what they lacked on the depth chart.

But now Loomis doesn’t have Payton or Brees propping him up. Years of gambling on draft-day trades hasn’t paid off. His record without Payton leading the team is 49-66, a win percentage of just .426. That would be the seventh-worst win percentage in the league since 2003. If Loomis can’t get this head coach hire right, that’s going to be his legacy.

All things considered, it will be interesting to watch how the Saints make use of their opportunities in the 2025 NFL draft with a very important offseason ahead.

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New Orleans Saints tied for sixth-most picks in 2025 NFL draft

The New Orleans Saints are tied for sixth-most picks in 2025 NFL draft. It’s vital that Mickey Loomis make them count every time the Saints are on the clock in April:

The New Orleans Saints were eliminated from the playoffs a few weeks ago and coming off of one of their worst seasons in years.

For many fans, the 2025 NFL draft has been the only thing on their minds for a while. The good news is that they have a ton of draft capital to work with.

Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports recently compiled each draft pick that each team in the league has, and the Saints are tied for the sixth-most with eight selections.

The team with the most selections is the Jacksonville Jaguars with 10. The Minnesota Vikings have the fewest with three.

The final order is yet to be determined, but here is every pick that New Orleans owns in the 2025 draft:

  • Round 1, Pick 9
  • Round 2, Pick 40
  • Round 3, Pick 71
  • Round 3, Pick 91 (via Washington)
  • Round 4, Pick 110
  • Round 4, Pick 128 (via Washington)
  • Round 6, Pick 182
  • Round 7, Pick 251 (projected compensatory)

We won’t find out until they’re confirmed before the start of free agency in March, but the Saints may qualify for multiple seventh-round compensatory picks this year. Even if it’s a late-rounder, they could use the extra ammo. Nine picks would tie several other teams for the second-most behind Jacksonville.

With limited cap space this offseason, the Saints are going to need to build through the draft. It looks as though they will have the resources to have plenty of chances to find contributors. With so many holes on the roster, they will likely just go with the best player available at each chance. At the same time, general manager Mickey Loomis has earned a reputation as a gambler, and the possibility of bundling those later picks to trade up early in the draft has to be burning a hole in his pocket.

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When will the Broncos pick in the first round of 2025 NFL draft?

The Broncos are set to pick 20th overall in the 2025 NFL draft.

After being eliminated from the NFL playoffs with a 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the Denver Broncos are set to pick 20th overall in the 2025 NFL draft.

Fourteen teams make the playoffs each season, so the final 14 picks in the first round are determined as clubs are knocked out of the postseason. Denver is now set to pick at No. 20, according to Tankathon.

The Broncos have their own picks in the first four rounds for the first time since the Russell Wilson trade, and they hold three picks in the sixth round following the Baron Browning trade from earlier this season.

Here’s a look at the team’s order of picks in next year’s NFL draft, with help from prosportstransactions.com.

Broncos order of picks in 2025 NFL draft

Denver does not hold a fifth-round pick after trading that pick and pass rusher Bradley Chubb to the Miami Dolphins in 2022 in exchange for running back Chase Edmonds and first- and fourth-round draft picks. (The Broncos later used that first-round pick to acquire coach Sean Payton in 2023.)

Denver also does not hold a seventh-round pick after trading that selection and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

The 2025 NFL draft will be held in Green Bay from April 24-26.

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Broncos won’t pick higher than 19th overall in 2025 NFL draft

The Broncos’ 2025 NFL draft position will be finalized after the playoffs. Denver won’t pick higher than 19th overall.

After clinching a spot in the NFL playoffs, the Denver Broncos won’t pick higher than 19th overall in the 2025 NFL draft.

Fourteen teams make the playoffs each season, so the final 14 picks in the first round won’t be determined until after teams are knocked out of the postseason. The higher pick Denver could hold in April is 19th overall, according to Tankathon.

The Broncos have their own picks in the first four rounds for the first time since the Russell Wilson trade, and they hold three picks in the sixth round following the Baron Browning trade from earlier this season.

Here’s a look at the team’s order of picks in next year’s NFL draft, with help from prosportstransactions.com.

Broncos order of picks in 2025 NFL draft

Denver does not hold a fifth-round pick after trading that pick and pass rusher Bradley Chubb to the Miami Dolphins in 2022 in exchange for running back Chase Edmonds and first- and fourth-round draft picks. (The Broncos later used that first-round pick to acquire coach Sean Payton in 2023.)

Denver also does not hold a seventh-round pick after trading that selection and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

The 2025 NFL draft will be held in Green Bay from April 24-26.

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Saints should be winners of Marshon Lattimore trade after newest injury

The New Orleans Saints should feel like winners of the Marshon Lattimore trade. He’s missing another Washington Commanders game with a new hamstring injury:

The New Orleans Saints traded Marshon Lattimore away earlier this season, and should consider themselves the winners after he is missing yet another game due to injury with the Washington Commanders.

It was a bittersweet moment when the Saints sent Lattimore along with a 2025 fifth-round selection to the Commanders in exchange for a package of third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks in 2025 back in November. He was a four-time Pro Bowler in New Orleans, but it felt like it was time for the parties to go their separate ways.

Lattimore has played in just two games since the trade, one against the Saints, and has looked very good in them. The problem is that he is still struggling to stay healthy with his new team. He hasn’t played a full campaign since 2021 and is now set to miss yet another game against the Atlanta Falcons after re-aggravating his hamstring injury.

New Orleans should be happy that they capitalized on his value while the iron was hot. They got their draft picks for him and can now wipe their hands of the situation. Having him still constantly making appearances on the injury report while the Saints hit rock bottom would have only made things worse. At least the draft capital will help out the inevitable rebuild.

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