Picks – Syndication Server

Re-grading the Marshon Lattimore trade after Commanders lose in playoffs

Looking back at the New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders trade revolving around Marshon Lattimore after Sunday’s NFC Championship loss.

The New Orleans Saints traded star cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders earlier this season. Now that the Commanders have been eliminated from the playoffs following their NFC Championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, we can take a look back at how both sides have fared in the deal.

Washington sent the Saints their 2025 NFL draft picks in the third, fourth and sixth rounds in exchange for Lattimore and a 2025 fifth-round selection.

It is not every day that a team trades away a fan-favorite, four-time Pro Bowler before they turn 30 and everyone is happy with the deal. That has been the case here, though.

With New Orleans staring down the barrel of a tough rebuild, Lattimore didn’t really fit into the future plans and already been struggling to stay healthy. Getting rid of his contract and adding multiple draft picks was about as good as the Saints could have asked for.

Saints Grade: A

Washington, however, is likely not nearly as happy with their side of the deal. Lattimore missed six games due to injury after getting traded away. When he was on the field, he looked off.

There is a chance that the Commanders cut their losses this offseason and cut him this offseason. It is either that or pay him $18 million next season and $18.5 million in 2026. Since they gave up the draft capital, perhaps they give him another offseason to try and get back into form before they separate.

Commanders Grade: D

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Where Saints draft picks stand after Washington Commanders lose NFCCG

The Washington Commanders’ season ended with an NFC Championship Game loss on Sunday. Here’s where the draft picks they traded to the New Orleans Saints fall:

With the Washington Commanders falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game, the New Orleans Saints’ 2025 NFL draft slots for their current picks are nearly finalized.

The team had been awaiting the conclusion of the Commanders’ season for a while due to the amount of draft capital they received from the Marshon Lattimore trade. To take us back to the trade, the team received third-, fourth-, and sixth-round selections in exchange for their fifth rounder and Lattimore.

Because of Washington’s loss, the team is now scheduled to select at pick No. 93 (third) and 129 (fourth). The additional sixth-round selection that the team received was finalized at the end of this years regular season, as it was originally given up by New Orleans in a trade for John Ridgeway III. We’re still waiting for compensatory picks to be awarded which will impact the draft order in rounds four through seven.

As of right now, here’s a list of where the team is currently projected to select via Tankathon (picks in bold text are finalized):

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 185
Round 7, Pick 253 (projected compensatory)

Many didn’t expect the Commanders to make it as far as they did, which ultimately lowered the value of this trade. With that said though, the picks will be all of what the team makes of them come April, which will be a very crucial time of year for this organization.

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Saints’ draft positioning is a product of NFL’s crowded basement

The Saints only won five games and are barely picking inside the top 10. It’s because the bottom tier of the NFL has been worse than usual:

Recently, I was reading an article from CBS Sports where the writer made an interesting observation on the New Orleans Saints’ position in the 2025 NFL draft. Will Brinson wrote that, “the Saints won enough games this year where they don’t really have a great draft pick (No. 9 overall.)”

While that is an accurate description of the situation the Saints find themselves in, the phrasing caught my attention. Saying the Saints won enough games to hurt their draft position didn’t feel right when New Orleans only won five times.

So, I took a look at the past three years to see where winning five games would have gotten you. Since the NFL expanded to 17 games in 2021, five victories secured you top-six selection. The last two years a team picked fifth overall with just five wins. The Carolina Panthers picked sixth in the 2022 NFL draft, as the lone five-win team.

It’s not that the Saints won too many games per se, but rather that the NFL’s basement is more crowded than usual. In 2024, the entire top-10 has five wins or fewer. There are four teams with five wins this season, the most since 2019.

Winning five games would have guaranteed you to pick near, if not inside, the top-five. This year the ceiling is the seventh overall selection. New Orleans’ unfavorable positioning is truly a reflection of how bad the lower tier of the league has performed.

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2025 NFL draft order: Where could Saints be picking after Week 18?

Where could the New Orleans Saints be picking after Week 18? Win or lose, here’s how the 2025 NFL draft order could shake up after the final whistle:

If the 2025 NFL draft started today, the New Orleans Saints would be picking at tenth overall. They’re the league’s only five-win team, and their advantage in the strength of schedule gives them an advantage over the six-win San Francisco 49ers; San Fran’s opponents have combined for a .566, giving New Orleans a tiebreaker at .507 going into the final week of the regular season.

So we’ve established that No. 10 is their floor. It’s where they’ve been for several weeks despite a couple of losses. Obviously they didn’t choose this, but it’s been a bad year for the Saints to go belly-up. Nine other teams have lost 12 or more games, which is a huge outlier compared to other years. Four have lost 13 games, so hypothetically the highest the Saints could pick is fifth, with a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday putting them at 5-12. Here’s why their true ceiling is lower than that.

Just look at the teams ahead of them, all of whom go into Week 18 with a 4-12 record:

No. 5 overall: Jacksonville Jaguars (SOS at .474)

No. 6 overall: Carolina Panthers (SOS at .496)

No. 7 overall: New York Jets (SOS at .500)

No. 8 overall: Las Vegas Raiders (SOS at .544)

No. 9 overall: Chicago Bears (SOS at .555)

The idea that the Saints could move up hinges on any of these five teams winning. The problem is that even if they all finish at 5-12, the Jaguars, Panthers, and Jets have a tiebreaker with the Saints thanks to their lower strength of schedule. It’s unlikely any of those teams’ SOS would improve enough to make a difference after Week 18, so really the best the Saints could hope for is moving up to eighth or ninth.

What would that take? A move up would require the Raiders to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Las Vegas, while the Bears need to upset the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Chargers and Packers have both clinched wild-card seeds but neither playoff team is resting their starters with seeding still undetermined in Week 18. They’re both playing to win.

So look for the Saints to be stuck at tenth (win or lose in Tampa Bay) once the dust settles. There’s a slim chance they could move up to eighth or ninth, but it’s just not likely. They haven’t gotten many breaks this season, and it doesn’t look like their fortune will change much after Sunday’s final whistle.

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New Orleans Saints add playmaking Georgia Bulldogs safety in mock draft

The New Orleans Saints added playmaking Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks in this 2025 NFL mock draft. The well-rounded DB could be a top-10 pick:

The New Orleans Saints have holes pretty much everywhere on defense, which opens up everything for the 2025 NFL draft.

With the Saints also seemingly locked into a just ok spot in the draft order, going best player available seems like the best strategy moving forward.

That’s exactly what Yahoo Sports‘ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald did in their latest mock draft, selecting Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks at No. 10 overall for New Orleans.

Here is what the writers had to say about the pick:

“The Saints can’t be picky at this point in their roster building journey. They’ll need help just about everywhere as they try to rebuild while staying cap compliant. Starks is a strong player to add on the backend of their defense who can play any safety position.”

The elite defensive back is known for his highlight reel interceptions, but has become a player that is well-rounded as a defender. He has 193 tackles, with six for a loss, and six interceptions through three seasons. Those numbers will only continue to grow as the Bulldogs advance through the College Football Playoffs.

Starks would be able to moved around the defense and can play above average at either safety spot and in the nickel position. He would be a scheme-versatile, exciting starting point for the next era of the New Orleans defense.

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NFL Week 15 picks: See who experts are taking in Commanders vs. Saints today

Who are the experts riding with in Week 15?

The Washington Commanders (8-5) face the New Orleans Saints (5-8) in NFL Week 15 action from the Caesars Superdome.

It will be the first game in the burgundy and gold for cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who will face his former team. The Commanders traded for Lattimore at last month’s NFL trade deadline. Lattimore spent the first 7.5 seasons of his NFL career in New Orleans.

Since Washington acquired Lattimore, he’s been sidelined with a hamstring injury. He practiced fully last week and will start.

Meanwhile, the Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen after a 2-7 start. New Orleans promoted special teams coach Darren Rizzi to interim coach, and the Saints have won three of their last four.

However, entering Sunday’s game, New Orleans will be without starting quarterback Derek Carr. Second-year QB Jake Haener will make his first career start. Haener will be bereft of offensive weapons, as the Saints have lost Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Taysom Hill over the last several weeks.

The good news for Haener is he’ll have running back Alvin Kamara.

As expected, the Commanders are big favorites over the Saints. While oddsmakers see Washington coming away with the win, what do the experts think?

According to NFL Pickwatch, 99% of the expert picks favor the Commanders. Washington has been on the other side of these odds for years. Just a few weeks ago, the Commanders were double-digit favorites over the Cowboys and lost a wild game.

Anything can happen in the NFL.

Prediction and betting odds for Commanders vs. Saints in Week 15

Analyzing Commanders vs. Saints game with odds and lines, predictions and best bets.

The Washington Commanders (8-5) are back in action Sunday, traveling south to face the New Orleans Saints (5-8).

Washington looks to continue its playoff push. The Commanders lead the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC’s No. 7 playoff seed by half a game.

The Saints enter Sunday’s game winners of three of their last four games but will likely be without starting quarterback Derek Carr. Carr suffered a fractured non-throwing hand and a concussion last week. Jake Haener is expected to start for New Orleans.

Below are the latest odds and our final score prediction for Sunday.

Commanders vs. Saints game odds:

All NFL Odds via BetMGM:

Point spread: Commanders -7.5 (-110) / Saints +7.5 (-110)
Money line: Commanders -400 / Saints +310
Over-under: 43.5 (O: -110 / U: -110)

Commanders vs. Saints injury updates:

Commanders DT Daron Payne: Questionable (back)
Commanders K Zane Gonzalez: Questionable (left foot)
Commanders WR Noah Brown: Out (kidney, placed on IR)
Saints LB D’Marco Jackson: Out (ankle)
Saints WR Bub Means: Out (ankle)
Saints QB Derek Carr: Doubtful (left hand, concussion)

Commanders vs. Saints prediction, pick:

Bryan Manning:

The Commanders are coming off a much-needed bye week. They did receive some bad news last week when coach Dan Quinn revealed wide receiver Noah Brown would likely be out for the remainder of the season. On Sunday, expect OC Kliff Kingsbury to establish the run early and create some downfield shot plays to Terry McLaurin. Also, don’t be shocked to see Dyami Brown to continue to receive more opportunities. Defensively, the Commanders will get after Jake Haener early and often. Commanders 31, Saints 10

Ivan Lambert:

Well, the Commanders just signed their seventh kicker to their active roster this season.

But the Commanders are looking to pound the ball many times against the Saints, hoping the place-kicker problems won’t matter in New Orleans.

CB Marcus Lattimore makes his debut, but WR Noah Brown is most likely lost for the remainder of the season.

Most Commanders fans will have not even heard of Saints starter QB Jake Haener.

If the Commanders can control RB Alvin Kamara, getting on top of the Saints early, it could result in a miserable start for Haener.

The Saints’ run defense is one of the worst in the NFL, so look for Kliff Kingsbury to have the Commanders and Jayden Daniels running the ball. Commanders 26, Saints 13

Serena Burks: The Commanders are fresh off their bye week and facing a struggling Saints team that has lost several skill players this season. The Saints haven’t been eliminated from playoff contention yet, but the likelihood is slim in the ultra-competitive NFC. The Commanders are still on their way to a wild card berth as long as they continue to win, and with more players healthy this week, the likelihood that they win on the road is good. The Commanders have some serious offensive weapons, and the Saints’ defense ranks near the bottom of the league in most metrics. Meanwhile, the Saints have limited offensive weapons, mainly Alvin Kamara, and the Commanders’ defense is equipped enough to handle a one-dimensional attack. Commanders 35, Saints 13

Commanders vs. Saints channel, start time, streaming:

The Commanders vs. Titans game starts at 1:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on FOX.

Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

Hero World Challenge 2024 odds, course history and picks to win

It’s time for a fun week in The Bahamas.

Golf’s silly season is here, and the first tournament up to bat is Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge in Albany. Although the 15-time major champion isn’t in the field, we’ll still be treated with some of the best players in the world including Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark and Patrick Cantlay, among others.

Tony Finau, amid countless LIV Golf rumors circulating around social media, withdrew from the field on Monday.

Because this isn’t an official PGA Tour event, the winner will not earn any FedEx Cup points. One thing is official, however — the money. Sunday’s champion will go home with $1 million of the $5 million purse.

Without further ado, let’s jump into our betting preview and see who we’ll be targeting in The Bahamas.

Hero World Challenge: Tournament hub

Golf course

Albany Golf Course | Par 72 | 7,449 yards

2023 Hero World Challenge — Scottie Scheffler plays his shot from the 18th tee during the final round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Course on December 03, 2023 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Hero World Challenge betting odds

Player	Odds	Player	Odds
Scottie Scheffler	(+220)	Sahith Theegala	(+2200)
Ludvig Aberg	(+850)	Jason Day	(+2200)
Justin Thomas	(+1000)	Robert MacIntyre	(+2500)
Sungjae Im	(+1400)	Akshay Bhatia	(+2500)
Sam Burns	(+1400)	Aaron Rai	(+2500)
Russell Henley	(+1400)	Keegan Bradley	(+2500)
Patrick Cantlay	(+1600)	Cameron Young	(+2800)
Wyndham Clark	(+1800)	Sepp Straka	(+3000)
Brian Harman	(+2000)	Nick Dunlap	(+3500)
Tom Kim	(+2000)	Matthieu Pavon	(+8000)

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Picks to win the Hero World Challenge

Justin Thomas

Odds: 10/1

Analysis: Woods’ best buddy has finished T-5 or better in four straight appearances at the Hero, including a third-place finish last December. In his last Tour start, the Louisville product tied for second at the Zozo Championship in Japan.

Tom Kim

Tom Kim walks on the first green during the third round of the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

Odds: 20/1

Analysis: In a 20-man field, getting +2000 odds for Tom Kim is too good to pass up. Despite missing the cut in his latest Tour start — Shriners Children’s Open — Kim finished second a week later at the DP World Tour’s Genesis Championship. He’s played in the Hero once, finishing T-10 in 2022.

Robert MacIntyre

Odds: 25/1

Analysis: Unlike many of the players in this field, MacIntyre has been playing golf this fall. In his last two DP World Tour starts, the Scot finished T-19 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and T-7 at the DP World Tour Championship. This will be MacIntyre’s first appearance at the Hero.

Week 13 loss didn’t help Saints’ draft pick, but MNF’s outcome could

Losing to the Rams didn’t help the Saints’ draft pick, but Monday night’s result could. Be sure to cheer against Sean Payton and the Broncos:

Well this stings. The New Orleans Saints’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13 didn’t even help their position in the 2025 NFL draft order. But they aren’t out of the woods yet. The Denver Broncos’ game with the Cleveland Browns on “Monday Night Football” could do a lot to help them out. All Saints fans need to do is root against Sean Payton (or for Jameis Winston).

The Saints went into their matchup with the Rams projected to pick at No. 9 overall, per Tankathon. They’re still at No. 9 after losing to LA, which put their record at 4-8. The Browns are slotted ahead of them at 3-8, and a loss to the Broncos on Monday night could keep them there.

But a win would tie Cleveland with New Orleans, both at 4-8. Their head-to-head result wouldn’t put the Saints ahead, but their lower strength of schedule (.495, at the moment) would help them against the Browns (whose SOS is .512 before this Broncos game). So if the Browns win, they would drop down behind the Saints, who would move up to the eighth overall pick.

For now. There are five more weeks left in the regular season to determine who picks where at the top of the NFL draft. The Saints aren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and they showed plenty of fight in that loss to the Rams; don’t expect them to go in the tank and hope for a better draft pick. We’ll keep tracking where they rank through the weeks ahead, but know this is a fluid process.

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Saints would be thankful to get this Michigan standout in the 2025 NFL draft

The New Orleans Saints would be thankful to get Michigan standout Mason Graham in the 2025 NFL draft. He could care what ails their run defense:

It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints defensive line isn’t what it used to be. They’re giving up 5.0 yards per rushing attempt this season, second-worst in the NFL. Second-year pro Bryan Bresee has made some strides as a pass rusher but he hasn’t quite developed into the three-down asset the Saints hoped for, at least not yet. He could use some more help in the middle of the line.

That’s why Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy linked the Saints to Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham in his latest projection. He’s a finalist for the exclusive Outland Trophy, the national award for college football’s best interior lineman. Graham is both one of the youngest players in the 2025 NFL draft class (he turned 21 in September) and one of its best athletes, pound-for-pound or otherwise.

The 6-foot-3, 318-pound junior brings high-end movement skills for someone his size; he fires off the snap and can cross a guard’s face in a hurry. But he also has the lower-body strength needed to anchor the line and not give ground against advancing opponents. He’s someone who could set up his teammates by occupying multiple blockers, clogging lanes, or forcing the offense to send extra attention his way.

So he could be a good fit with the Saints. They’ve tried to rebuild their interior line after letting David Onyemata walk away in free agency a couple summers ago, but even with free agent signings like Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders and late-round draft picks like Khristian Boyd, the group still lacks an edge. Maybe Graham can be the guy to turn the tide. We’ll just have to wait and see whether the Saints will be in position to draft him next April. If they’re still picking at No. 9 overall, like in this mock draft? They should have a shot.

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