Tag: prospects

Recapping Saints draft picks, undrafted rookies from last 5 Senior Bowls

Recapping New Orleans Saints draft picks, undrafted rookies from last five Senior Bowls

It’s time for the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl, which will allow some top draft-eligible players to showcase their talents in front of NFL coaches. The New Orleans Saints are a team that has shown a tendency to draft players that participate, so it is worth following this week in search for future Saints players.

A whopping 42% of the Saints draft picks over the last five years have participated in the Senior Bowl. It is clear that New Orleans is big on this week in their current draft prep process.

Here are all of the current and former Saints over the last five seasons that came from the Senior Bowl:

Saints pick a surprising LSU product in Mel Kiper mock draft

The Saints picked a surprising LSU product in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, adding a big-time wide receiver in Brian Thomas Jr.:

There’s a long-running narrative that the New Orleans Saints avoid drafting players out of LSU, but it’s not like they pointedly pass on the Tigers each year — it’s just rare for the stars to align so that those players stay in Louisiana after turning pro. And the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper changes that trend, though maybe not in the way the Saints-LSU fan contingent might expect.

It’s not Jayden Daniels going to the Saints at No. 14 overall in Kiper’s most recent projection, but one of his receivers: and it isn’t Malik Nabers, neither. With the top three receivers all being picked inside the top-10, it’s LSU standout Brian Thomas Jr. going to New Orleans. Here’s why Kiper says he’s a good fit:

Derek Carr had an up-and-down debut season in New Orleans, and his sizable contract almost certainly means he’ll be back as the starter in 2024. But what do we know about the playmakers around him? Chris Olave is a star who has put up back-to-back seasons with 1,000 receiving yards. After that? There are big questions. Michael Thomas likely will move on this offseason, while Alvin Kamara has regressed in recent years. And while Rashid Shaheed showed he can be a useful complementary receiver, Carr could use another asset in the receiving game to try to boost this offense.

Thomas, the third of the LSU offensive players off the board in this projection, led the FBS with 17 touchdown catches last season while averaging 17.3 yards per reception. He had just three drops on 93 targets. He can take the top off defenses and be a stellar No. 2 option as a rookie. Plus, the born-and-raised Louisiana kid wouldn’t have to leave the state.

Thomas posted modest numbers through his first two years at LSU before breaking out in 2023 with 68 receptions for 1,177 yards. He primarily lined up out wide in the Tigers’ offense but was still a threat to make plays after the catch (averaging 5.7 yards per catch with the ball in his hands). He went 7-of-13 on contested catches this year (53.8%) and is 17-of-36 (47.2%) on those targets in his career.

Look for the Saints to stock up on receivers this offseason. Right now they have just two of them under contract for 2024 in Chris Olave and A.T. Perry, though Rashid Shaheed will return as an exclusive rights free agent. Michael Thomas is technically signed but the Saints must choose whether to extend his contract or release him from it before free agency starts in March.

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Several Saints assistants working with 2024 draft prospects at Shrine Bowl

Several Saints assistant coaches are working with 2024 draft prospects at the East-West Shrine Bowl. New Orleans added 8 players from last year’s event:

The New Orleans Saints will have a heavy presence at this year’s East-West Shrine Bowl, which makes sense given how many future NFL players have participated in the event. And the 2024 draft class is following that pattern.

Three Saints assistant coaches have been assigned to work with draft prospects at this year’s Shrine Bowl, all on the West Team. It’s as good an opportunity for future pros to work with NFL coaches as it is for each of these men to advance their careers.

Here’s a quick look at them and the players they’ll be working with:

Saints address the trenches in recent three-round mock draft

The Saints addressed the trenches in a recent three-round mock draft, improving their pass rush and hitting the reset button at left tackle:

Mock draft season begins to ramp up as the NFL regular season begins to wind down. The New Orleans Saints draft spot is up in the air, with the NFC South winner still undecided. They currently sit around the middle of the first round, which Curt Popejoy used for his recent three-round mock draft for Draft Wire.

With the No. 13 overall selection, this mock draft has the Saints selecting UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu. This would be a stellar, albeit characteristic, selection for New Orleans. Some believe Latu to be the best defensive prospect in the draft, but (Saints fans cover your eyes) has serious medical concerns. Latu suffered a neck injury during his sophomore season that caused him to medically retire from football. He was cleared to play in 2022 and has been good to go for the past two seasons. During those two seasons he has racked up 23.5 sacks and 34 tackles for a loss along with two interceptions. He’s a very talented player that could end up as a steal for the Saints.

In the second round, with the No. 46 overall selection, the Saints then took offensive tackle Jordan Morgan out of Arizona. The Trevor Penning selection is looking worse and worse as time goes on, so it is looking like the Saints may need to go back to the drawing board at left tackle. Pro Football Focus gave Morgan one of their highest pass blocking grade at 87.7 for last season. He is a large tackle with five seasons of football under his belt. The hope is that he would be able to come in and contribute early on.

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Saints draft: 10 early candidates to be New Orleans’ first-round pick in 2024

Top prospects in the 2024 NFL draft are already deciding whether to go pro or stay in school. These 10 names should be on the New Orleans Saints’ radar:

Top prospects in the 2024 NFL draft are already making the tough decision whether to stay in school or turn pro, and the New Orleans Saints could be in a good position to add a difference-maker after losing their last two games — so it’s a great time to brush up on which players might be available.

With the Saints projected to be picking at No. 12 overall after their recent losses, they’ll have their pick of some high-end talent coming up out of the college ranks. And they’ll need the help. They need upgrades along the offensive and defensive lines, at the skills positions, and at quarterback. Derek Carr hasn’t played well enough to keep the Saints from evaluating all of their options.

Saints one of several teams with scouts at Ohio State-Minnesota

The Saints were one of several teams scouting Ohio State-Minnesota. Could they reopen the Buckeyes pipeline in the 2024 draft?

This shouldn’t surprise anyone, but the New Orleans Saints had a scout in the building for Saturday’s college football game between Minnesota and Ohio State, per Eleven Warriors’ Dan Hope.

New Orleans has pulled a lot of talent from Ohio State over the years — some notable names on their current roster include cornerback Marshon Lattimore, linebacker Pete Werner, and wide receivers Chris Olave and Michael Thomas. They also drafted rookie safety Jordan Howden from Minnesota earlier this year, so it’s safe to say the Saints weren’t keeping their attention on just one sideline.

But Ohio State ran away with this one 37-3, and some of their top 2024 draft prospects showed out. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (the No. 1-rated player in the upcoming class) had a relatively quiet game, catching 3 passes for 30 yards and a touchdown, while his teammate Emeka Egbuka led the Buckeyes with 5 catches for 83 yards. Running back TreVeyon Henderson gained 146 rushing yards and had two scoring runs on just 15 carries.

Any of them could help the Saints in 2024. Thomas could be a free agent if the Saints don’t work out a new deal with him after the season, and their running game been nothing to write home about. A big-play threat like Henderson could add a lot to their struggling offense. Egbuka could make a lot of sense as a Thomas replacement.

Don’t overlook defensive end JT Tuimoloau, either; the 6-foot-4, 270-pound first-round prospect nails the size thresholds Dennis Allen looks for at the position and he came away with a couple of quarterback pressures and a fumble recovery. Maybe he’s the guy who could take some pressure off Cameron Jordan?

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New Orleans Saints spotted scouting UNC’s loss to Clemson

The New Orleans Saints were spotted scouting UNC’s loss to Clemson, giving them insight on a potential rival quarterback in Drake Maye:

The New Orleans Saints were spotted scouting UNC’s loss to Clemson on Saturday, possibly giving them insight on quarterback Drake Maye, a potential future rival. The Tar Heel Times’ R.J. Bynum noted the Saints as one of six NFL teams with scouts at the game, including the Atlanta Falcons — who were one of a few teams to send multiple representatives to the press box.

Atlanta is projected to pick inside the top-10 next April, putting them in range to trade up to the top of the draft for their chosen passer (just like the Carolina Panthers did in targeting Bryce Young this past cycle). There’s a non-zero chance that Maye could end up being a dirty bird.

If so, his performance on Saturday may have been illuminating. Maye had a bit of a meltdown in the game, completing just 16 of his 36 pass attempts for 209 yards, throwing both a touchdown and an interception. He was sacked four times but rushed for 67 yards, doing his best to give the offense a spark. He’s been pushing USC star Caleb Williams for the top spot in the 2024 draft class and a rough game like this will give NFL evaluators a lot to mull over.

What about the other NFL hopefuls on the field? Clemson’s first-round cornerback prospect Nate Wiggins intercepted Maye to seal the win late in the fourth quarter, forced a fumble on a touchdown-saving play earlier on, and finished second on the team with 7 tackles (6 solo).

Clemson linebackers Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter each played well (Trotter had 11 combined tackles, a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a pass deflection) and are both projected to be top-50 picks should they declare for the draft. But it remains to be seen which underclassmen will enter the draft, and it’s anyone’s guess who the Saints were eyeing on Saturday.

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Alvin Kamara, Alontae Taylor spend their bye week visiting Tennessee-Georgia game

Alvin Kamara and Alontae Taylor spent their bye week catching the Tennessee-Georgia game:

A lot of NFL players choose to spend their bye weeks in a lot of different ways. Some of them like to take a quick vacation out of town or spend time with their family, and others take the opportunity to go back to college and catch a game at their old stadium. That’s what New Orleans Saints stars Alvin Kamara and Alontae Taylor did on Saturday.

Kamara and Taylor were spotted on the Tennessee sideline for the Volunteers’ game with the Georgia Bulldogs. Both players endeared themselves to Vols fans during their time at Neyland Stadium, as did their most recent opponent: Joshua Dobbs. A college teammate of Kamara’s, the Saints running back spoke about Dobbs’ success in a quick chat with Karthik Venkataraman for WBIR Sports.

“It’s exciting, I’m happy for him,” Kamara shouted over the 101,915-strong crowd. “He’s always been a baller, he’s a gamer. So given the opportunity I knew he’d perform. It’s definitively exciting for him and happy that he’s able to excel in the position that he’s in.”

Georgia won the day 38-10, but Tennessee tried to make a fight of it. Vols running back Jaylen Wright sprang free for a 75-yard touchdown run on their first play from scrimmage but was limited to just 15 yards on his eight subsequent carries. The usually-explosive Tennessee passing attack was smothered by Georgia’s defense.

The Saints have added plenty of talent from Tennessee in recent years, but they oddly don’t have a single Bulldog on the roster. Georgia’s top 2024 draft prospects include tight end Brock Bowers (who caught 7 passes for 60 yards) and right tackle Amarius Mims (who recently returned from ankle surgery), as well as cornerback Kamari Lassiter (who finished with a tackle and a pass deflection). Maybe 2024 is the year the Saints go down to Georgia.

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Saints invest top picks on defense in updated 2024 mock draft

Mock Draft Monday: The Saints invested their top picks on defense in these updated 2024 projections, but do they really need another corner?

It’s another week and another Monday, so it’s time to review another mock draft. The latest projections from Curt Popejoy at Draft Wire have the New Orleans Saints investing their top 2024 NFL draft picks on defenders — but do they really need another cornerback?

We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Popejoy’s mock draft starts strong with the Saints landing Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton. “Johnny” Newton would be a dynamic playmaker to pair with Bryan Bresee in the middle of the New Orleans interior line; he’s the best pass-rushing defensive tackle in college football and has the athleticism to line up all over the formation.

NFL teams may question Newton’s length by pro standards (he’s listed at 6-foot-2 with 32-inch arms) but he weighs in at 295 pounds and has enough proven production to outweigh those concerns. The Saints should draft him if they can. Malcolm Roach could be leaving in free agency in the spring and their two veteran pickups this offseason, Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders, haven’t fully met expectations on top of the depth chart.

So what about that second-round pick coming back to the Saints from the Denver Broncos? Popejoy made a curious selection here in linking New Orleans to Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa. Now, Tampa is a fine player, making full use of his physical tools to break up a lot of passes — Pro Football Focus charting found he has forced 19 incompletions in two years as a starter, and counting. If anything, he’s a little taller than the Saints usually prefer at 6-foot-2.

But what would a boundary cornerback add to the Saints defense next season? Marshon Lattimore is still in his prime, and though Paulson Adebo will be entering a contract year the team already has Alontae Taylor coming along well. They’ve developed other competent backups like Isaac Yiadom, so spending a top-40 pick on a corner wouldn’t be the best use of resources. It’s arguably the strongest position group on their team. Tampa would be a luxury they can’t really afford given protection issues along the offensive line and poor quarterback performance.

So who could be better options in the second round? Here are the next five players to go off the board in this mock draft:

  • WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
  • WR Johnny Wilson, Florida State
  • LT Jordan Morgan, Arizona
  • DT Kris Jenkins, Michigan
  • DE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State

We’ve got a long way to go until the 2024 draft kicks off. The Saints are only halfway through their season, and they’re always more active in free agency while working to address team needs before the draft anyway. If they can’t reach the postseason, it’s worth asking whether they’ll have the decision-makers in the building we expect. Dennis Allen’s job should be on the line if he can’t get the Saints into the playoffs, and that’s far more important than any draft picks waiting to be made six months from now.

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Saints scouts spotted in attendance at Penn State-Northwestern game

Saints scouts were spotted in attendance at Saturday’s Penn State-Northwestern game, where plenty of 2024 draft prospects helped their case:

A small crowd of NFL scouts were spotted at Saturday’s college football game between Penn State and Northwestern, including the New Orleans Saints. Penn State beat writer Seth Engle reports that the Saints were among ten teams with representatives on hand for the matchup at Ryan Field on Saturday.

So who were they watching? Penn State left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu is one of the highest-rated prospects in the 2024 draft class and a veritable top-10 pick (if not top-5). But his teammates Kalen King (a cornerback) and Demeioun “Chop” Robinson (a pass-rushing linebacker) are also seen as surefire first rounders, so there was no shortage of NFL talent on the field. Penn State routed Northwestern 41-13, so there’s plenty of impressive game tape for the Saints’ scouts to pore over as they prepare for the 2024 draft.

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