Tag: draft picks

Ranking the Saints’ five best offseason additions: No. 5, Kool-Aid McKinstry

Kool-Aid McKinstry projects as a future starting cornerback for the Saints, but he still could make an impact in Year 1:

Marshon Lattimore. Paulson Adebo. Alontae Taylor or Kool-Aid McKinstry. That’s a New Orleans Saints secondary that has the potential to be one of the best in the league.

When the Saints selected McKinstry in the second round of this year’s NFL draft, they made one of their best additions of the offseason. Matter of fact, it was the fifth-best addition of their offseason.

The rookie is the first entry in our rankings of the five best newcomers to the New Orleans Saints. McKinstry’s greatest impact will likely come in 2025 and the future. That future impact was weighed both in his favor and against him.

It works against him because other players on this list should make a greater impact in their first year in black and gold. As of right now, it is unclear if he will be a starter when everyone is healthy.

His fastest route to the field is beating out Taylor as the starting nickel corner. McKinstry is unexperienced playing inside. Taylor was too before last season and went through growing pains. That’ll be one of the most exciting battles to watch in camp, and it could extend throughout the season.

McKinstry’s selection would lead you to believe Lattimore or Adebo could be playing their last season in New Orleans. McKinstry was a talented cornerback coming out of college who was picked with starting aspirations. His ball production slipped in his last season at Alabama but so did his targets. They plummeted from 80 targets to just 39 as a junior, per Pro Football Focus charting.

Feeling like the Saints have a plan for him elevates him into the top-five. He has the potential to be the starting nickel corner in 2024 or a starter on the outside in 2025. That mesh of future potential and present value makes him one of the best additions of the Saints offseason.

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A.T. Perry labeled a ‘forgotten’ draft pick to watch at Saints training camp

A.T. Perry is in line for a bigger role in 2023. Bleacher Report labeled the wide receiver as a forgotten draft pick to watch at Saints training camp:

New Orleans Saints wide receiver A.T. Perry was labeled a forgotten 2023 NFL draft pick to watch in the upcoming training camp by Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder. Holder has seen the swiftness the title of “bust” is placed on players. He wrote this article to partially fight that trend. Holder focuses on players you may have forgot from last year’s draft.

A.T. Perry obviously wouldn’t fit the “bust” category as a sixth round pick. He does, however, meet other criteria to be considered forgotten. Holder required a player to miss significant time last year due to injury or placement on the depth chart to be considered forgotten, Perry meets the latter prerequisite:

It’s no coincidence that all of Perry’s production came in the second half of the season when Michael Thomas went on injured reserve with a knee injury. He began the year behind Thomas on the depth chart but made the most of the opportunity, and the older receiver is no longer in the picture in New Orleans.

With a bigger role heading into year two, there’s plenty of reason to believe Perry is in store for a breakout campaign to emerge as the Saints’ No. 2 or 3 wide receiver this season.

This tracks with the common sentiment around Perry this offseason. When the Saints elected to not draft a wide receiver this year, Perry remained the most likely option as the third receiver. His 6-foot-5 frame gives Derek Carr a bigger threat while simultaneously being able to still stretch the field.

Perry caught 5 passes for more than 20 yards, and 3 of those receptions were over 30 yards. Perry’s first catch came in the game Thomas got injured. With Thomas no longer on the team, don’t expect Perry to wait until Week 10 to register his first reception. He should be a prominent piece of the receiving corps in 2024.

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B/R writer predicts Spencer Rattler will outplay his draft status

This Bleacher Report writer predicts Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler will prove himself having been worthy of a higher pick when given the chance:

The NFL draft is largely a guessing game, and every year we see players outperform their draft status. And Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay picked six rookies who could do just that. Rather than focus on the players who were drafted too early, Kay chose to highlight on the positive impact of some of those reaches. One team’s reach led to another team getting a bargain as highly-regarded prospects fell down the board.

One of the New Orleans Saints’ fifth-round selections, former South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler, was the latest draft pick to make Bleacher Report’s list. Kay’s statement is in tune with the excitement from Saints’ fans when the selection was made:

While New Orleans lacked the premium first-round pick required to land one of the top signal-callers in the 2024 class, it did come away from the draft with a potential solution to its quarterback woes. By utilizing a Day 3 pick on Spencer Rattler, the Saints finally have a developmental prospect with the ceiling of becoming a quality NFL starter.

Rattler should immediately push if not usurp Jake Haener as New Orleans’ second-string quarterback. His ceiling certainly provides more optimism in Rattler as a starter. Despite being selected at No. 150, there was a time where Rattler was thought of as a high first round pick. If he can reach his ceiling, Kay will look like the smartest guy in the room and so will the Saints.

It’s clear the South Carolina quarterback has natural talent. There’s a reason he went in the 5th round, however. There are clearly things Rattler needs to work out. Sitting behind Derek Carr for likely two years will give him the seasoning to make a smoother transition. It will be delayed gratification, but if Kay is correct New Orleans may have found Carr’s successor.

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WATCH: Chiefs draft picks arrive in Kansas City for rookie minicamp

Check out this video of the #Chiefs’ draft picks arriving at the team’s practice facilities for rookie minicamp.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to kick off their rookie minicamp this weekend with all of their picks from the 2024 NFL draft in attendance.

Along with their draft selections, players from around the country are set to commune in Kansas City with rookie minicamp invitations, which act as a foot in the door for future contracts with the team.

Though nothing is guaranteed for the invitees, participation in offseason workouts is a crucial part of life in the NFL.

Xavier Worthy and other rookies were seen arriving at the Chiefs’ practice facility on Friday in a video that was posted by the team’s official social media accounts.

 

As this is the prospects’ first taste of life in the NFL, the rookie minicamp is a crucial part of Kansas City’s offseason program and should provide plenty of intrigue for the coaching staff as they sculpt the Chiefs’ roster for next season’s title defense campaign.

List of Packers draft picks entering Day 2 of NFL draft

The Packers got started with Jordan Morgan in the first round. Green Bay has four picks on Day 2 and six on Day 3.

The Green Bay Packers checked a big box along the offensive line by selecting Arizona’s Jordan Morgan in the first round on Thursday night, and now general manager Brian Gutekunst will enter Friday night with four picks on Day 2 and six more on Day 3.

The work has only begun. Last year, Gutekunst added Luke Musgrave, Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft on Day 2. This year, he’ll have four opportunities — and maybe more, if a trade down happens at some point — to add to his young, ascending roster.

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Here are the Packers’ remaining picks entering Day 2:

Day 2 (Second and third rounds on Friday)

Second round, No. 41 overall
Second round, No. 58 overall
Third round, No. 88 overall
Third round, No. 91 overall

Day 3 (Fourth-seventh rounds on Saturday)

Fourth round, No. 126 overall
Fifth round, No. 169 overall
Sixth round, No. 202 overall
Sixth round, No. 219 overall
Seventh round, No. 245 overall
Seventh round, No. 255 overall

Action on Friday night begins at 6:00 p.m. CT. Packers Wire will have analysis throughout Day 2.

Here’s every Patriots pick in the 2024 NFL draft

The Patriots have eight picks in total ahead of the 2024 NFL draft

Finishing the 2023 season with one of the worst records in the NFL has positioned the New England Patriots well in the 2024 NFL draft.

Not only do they have all of their picks, including an extra sixth-rounder for trading Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they’re also picking near the top of the board in every round.

More importantly, they own the No. 3 overall pick in the first round.

That kind of draft capital was unheard of when the Patriots’ legendary quarterback and coach combo, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, were still tearing through the NFL.

Here’s every pick for the Patriots heading into the 2024 NFL draft:

  • Round 1, Pick 3
  • Round 2, Pick 34
  • Round 3, Pick 68
  • Round 4, Pick 103
  • Round 5, Pick 137
  • Round 6, Pick 180, Pick 193
  • Round 7, Pick 231

The Patriots have plenty of draft picks to get their struggling franchise headed in the right direction.

Of course, their biggest moment will come on Thursday night, when they finally make a decision on the No. 3 draft pick. Without question, it’ll be one of the most important moments in franchise history.

Saints have more Washington 2020 draft picks than the Commanders do

There are more players from Washington’s 2020 draft class in New Orleans than on the Commanders’ roster. But they outnumber the Saints’ own 2020 draft picks, too:

Don’t look now, but the New Orleans Saints have rostered more players from the Washington Commanders’ 2020 draft class than Washington themselves. There isn’t a single player that the Commanders picked in 2020 remaining in Washington. Two of them landed with the Saints this offseason: defensive end Chase Young (a first-round pick) and linebacker Khaleke Kudson (a fifth rounder). The Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Matthew Paras, a former Washington beat writer, first shared this observation.

But here’s the twist. There are more players from Washington’s 2020 draft class now suiting up for the Saints than New Orleans’ own 2020 draft haul. The Saints went into the 2020 draft talking up a quality-over-quantity approach, trading up three times and coming away with just four players: right guard Cesar Ruiz, linebacker Zack Baun, tight end Adam Trautman, and quarterback-turned-tight end Tommy Stevens.

That plan blew up in their face. The Saints cut Stevens early in the season after initially stashing him on their practice squad. They traded Trautman during the 2023 draft (to the Denver Broncos, reuniting him with Sean Payton). Baun left in free agency last month to sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. The only player remaining from that four-man band is Ruiz, who signed a contract extension last September.

So the Saints have two players from Washington’s 2020 draft class and just one of their own. That’s not the best of resources by either team. Regime change has already come for the Commanders (plus a change in ownership), and it might be on the way for New Orleans if the Saints miss the playoffs for the fourth year in a row and the third season with Dennis Allen as head coach. Hopefully they can turn things around, one way or another.

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Saints enter the mix for a 2025 comp pick thanks to Isaac Yiadom

The Saints entered the mix for a 2025 compensatory draft pick thanks to Isaac Yiadom. But they haven’t locked it in just yet:

The New Orelans Saints could be in play for a 2025 compensatory draft selection after the San Francisco 49ers signed away cornerback Isaac Yiadom this offseason according to OverTheCap’s Nick Korte.

After being a career journeyman that had not found much time on the field in the past few years, Yiadom found a resurgence in New Orleans. Once Marshon Lattimore went down with a midseason injury, Yiadom was called on to pick up the slack and he did more than just be a replacement-level player. He was very solid this year with the Saints and earned a bigger contract in San Francisco, reportedly worth $3 million.

The Saints currently own their first six draft picks in 2025. Their own seventh round draft selection was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade. Adding a seventh-round compensatory pick would essentially bring things back to default for New Orleans. With more free agents still out there it remains to be seen whether the Saints will earn a comp pick or outweigh it by signing more players.

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Chiefs’ weak L’Jarius Snead deal is more proof Saints shouldn’t trade Marshon Lattimore

The Chiefs got back a pittance for trading L’Jarius Snead, their franchise-tagged cornerback. It’s more proof the Saints shouldn’t deal Marshon Lattimore:

How much more proof do the New Orleans Saints need that trading Marshon Lattimore would be a terrible idea? The Kansas City Chiefs agreed to a deal sending franchise-tagged cornerback L’Jarius Snead to the Tennessee Titans on Friday night, and they got back a pittance.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs are getting a third-round pick in the 2025 draft while swapping seventh rounders in the 2024 draft coming up in April. That’s a very poor return for a player they thought so highly of as to use the franchise tag in the first place.

But it’s the going rate for high-end cornerbacks these days, and Snead is just the latest corner who is younger and more productive than Lattimore in recent years to be traded. As we’ve discussed before, the takeaway here for the Saints is not that they should trade Lattimore at a loss and accept a bad return in value. The lesson the market is teaching them is to not trade Lattimore.

It can’t be worth it. Even if Lattimore misses half the season with another freak accident injury, as has been the case the last two years, he’s still more valuable to the team than a third-round draft pick a year away. And that’s without getting into the complicated timeline and salary cap implications of moving him now or later this summer.

Teams aren’t valuing defensive backs like they used to. Pro Bowl-quality safeties were let go around the league earlier this month. Many of the best young cornerbacks are being traded for mid-round draft picks. The Saints have gotten by without Lattimore, but doing it again without the reliable depth that Isaac Yiadom and Lonnie Johnson offered last season is a dicey proposition. It’s in their best interests to mend fences with Lattimore and insure he’ll be starting for New Orleans in the fall. There won’t be a strong enough package of draft picks coming from another team to make trading him worthwhile.

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Saints could have traded for Justin Fields, if they had wanted to

The Saints had the draft picks to trade for Justin Fields, and they just hired his quarterbacks coach. It says a lot about their plans that he wasn’t considered:

It says a lot about the New Orleans Saints’ plans at quarterback that they never entered trade talks while the Chicago Bears were trying to find a new home for Justin Fields. The 25-year-old was dealt to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft; if he’s able to get on the field ahead of Russell Wilson and play well, it can turn into a fourth rounder.

The Saints could have beaten that offer. They own multiple picks in rounds five and six this year which is more lucrative than selections in 2025. They could’ve made a stronger offer than Pittsburgh did, had they chosen to.

And they had an inside scoop on Fields after hiring his quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko. Janocko worked closely with Fields the last two years in Chicago and knew everything there was to know about the young quarterback. If the Saints liked what he had to say, they would’ve made a move. But they didn’t.

Which gets to our point: the Saints weren’t interested. As we’ve been saying, they want to support Derek Carr, not threaten his position on top of the depth chart with someone who might be better. They don’t want to have more ugly moments were fans were booing him off the field and cheering on Jameis Winston as happened last year. That’s why they signed a mediocre backup in Nathan Peterman, whose best-case scenario is getting blitzed by Jake Haener in training camp before hanging on with the practice squad, maybe.

Carr was a tough watch for much of the 2023 season. Still, Saints decision-makers like head coach Dennis Allen and general manager Mickey Loomis are confident he can deliver on the expectations that come with his $150 million contract. To his credit, Carr was much more impressive through the last six weeks when ex-offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael began tailoring the offense to his strengths with more play-action passes and pre-snap movement. Allen hired an entirely new offensive coaching staff this offseason, including Janocko, with the goal of putting Carr in a position to succeed.

Does that mean they were right to pass on Fields? No. Teams should keep adding quarterbacks until they know they have the right one, whether that means rolling the dice in free agency, taking a flyer on another team’s castoff, or drafting one themselves. Carr, who turns 33 in a few weeks, has probably hit his ceiling without ever winning a single playoff game. Allen, Loomis, and the Saints as an organization are determined to find out if he can lead the team to success in spite of that. They’re going with Carr, sink or swim, and that’s why they’re not in on an exciting young quarterback like Fields. It’s why fans shouldn’t expect them to draft another passer coming out of college, either.

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