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Former Saints QB leads his high school team to the state championship in Year 1

Former Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater has led his Miami Northwestern high school team to the state championship game in Year 1 as their coach:

Here’s more good news on Teddy Bridgewater, the former New Orleans Saints backup quarterback who quickly became a fan favorite when he stepped in to replace Drew Brees after a critical injury back in 2019. Bridgewater has since stepped up in his first year as a coach, having returned to his old stomping rounds at Miami Northwestern High School.

After a strong debut in the regular season, Bridgewater’s team has kept that momentum going into the postseason. They’ve advanced to the state title game after a series of dominant performances, knocking out playoff opponents by a combined tally of 221-12:

69-0 win vs. Barron Collier
64-12 win vs. Lely
48-0 win vs. Cypress Lake
40-0 win vs. Eau Gallie

Now they’re set up to play Raines in the FHSAA 3A State Championship Game. Raines is nothing to sneeze at, neither; they’ve won their playoff games by a combined score of 188-59 and overcame some adversity with a big halftime deficit in the semifinal. Bridgewater’s squad can’t take them lightly.

Still, this is a season Bridgewater can be proud of. It hasn’t been without controversy; an investigation into alleged player eligibility violations cleared them of wrongdoing, but Bridgewater has often aired his frustrations with the state of high school football recruiting on social media, and indicated he’s eyeing a return to the NFL. But for now his focus lies on winning a state title for his alma mater. They’ll have the opportunity to do just that at FIU’s Pitbull Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 14.

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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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More experts pick against the Saints than for them in Week 4

The experts have been wrong about the Saints two weeks in a row. Let’s hope that continues now that they like the Falcons to win in Week 4:

According to Pickwatch, 56% of NFL experts — a group of media analysts, former players and coaches — are taking the Atlanta Falcons over the New Orleans Saints in Week 4. They’ve been wrong about the Saints in each of the last two weeks, so let’s hope that trend continues.

Two-thirds of these same experts backed the Saints one week ago against the Philadelphia Eagles, which was a game New Orleans lost 15-12. And before that, an astounding 97% of them took the Dallas Cowboys. The Saints won that one 44-19.

Pro football is a tough sport to predict. Teams are often evenly matched and it may take only a slight advantage here or there for things to tailspin out of control. We’ll see what matters most on Sunday when the Saints match up with the division-rival Atlanta Falcons. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon CT/1 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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It’s safe to say Saints won draft-day Chris Olave trade

It’s safe to say the Saints won their draft-day Chris Olave trade. Washington just dealt another player they got with picks from New Orleans:

Well, it’s safe to say the New Orleans Saints won their draft-day Chris Olave trade with the Washington Commanders back in 2022. The Commanders traded another player they got with the picks New Orleans sold to move up for Olave in that year’s draft, parting ways with former first-round wide receiver Jahan Dotson. Meanwhile, Olave is coming off of back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

Remember, the Saints traded up to No. 11 in exchange for their picks at Nos. 16, 98 and 120. Washington made some other moves with those picks to acquire the following players:

WR Jahan Dotson
RB Brian Robinson Jr.
QB Sam Howell
TE Cole Turner

Two of them have already been dealt to other teams, with Dotson going to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday. Howell was traded to the Seattle Seahawks earlier this year. Turner has been limited to 22 of the last 34 games while Robinson has found moderate success as their lead running back.

And the Saints are continuing to lean on Olave. Guys like Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson, and Alvin Kamara will demand targets but he’s by far the most-accomplished young player in the room. Olave is both the present and the future at wide receiver for the Saints and his usage will reflect that. Expect another big year for No. 12 in 2024.

It’s just a shame the Saints haven’t gotten similar production out of Trevor Penning, who they spent several future draft picks to acquire in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Penning is fighting for a spot in the starting lineup after getting benched and moved from left tackle to right, which is disappointing no matter how you spin it.

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Saints reopen Ohio State pipeline in way-too-early 2025 mock draft

The Saints reopened their Ohio State pipeline in this way-too-early 2025 mock draft, but would they really pass on every first-round QB to do it?

It’s too early to seriously predict which players might be picked in the 2025 NFL draft, but the event draws interest year-round and speculation won’t slow down just because we’re in a quiet stretch on the calendar.

The latest way-too-soon 2025 mock draft comes from Curt Popejoy over at Draft Wire. While the New Orleans Saints have a solid position at No. 9 (which would be the payoff for struggling through a hard-to-watch season with fewer wins than losses), in this projection New Orleans passed on every quarterback in the draft. The first passer, Georgia’s Carson Beck, wasn’t drafted until No. 16.

For all the talk about next year’s class being better (which is a popular draft narrative every year, whether it’s true or not) there’s a real possibility the Saints could be stuck with mediocrity under center. If the Saints are bad enough to be picking this high, it’s because Derek Carr is playing poorly enough to be replaced.

Instead of drafting Beck or any other quarterback to replace Derek Carr, the Saints started this mock draft by spending the ninth overall pick on his Georgia teammate: left tackle Earnest Greene III. That pick is easy to understand. New Orleans has struggled to get much out of Trevor Penning after drafting him in 2022’s first round, and he’s now moving to right tackle while their 2024 first rounder, Taliese Fuaga, is being asked to play on the left side. If Penning is a total bust and Fuaga has to move back to his college position, it makes sense to draft a true left tackle to man that spot. Maybe the vision is for Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener to push Carr for the starting gig in 2025.

While that first-round pick makes plenty of sense, it’s easier to get excited about the Saints’ haul in Round 2. They selected Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson at No. 41 overall, making him the sixth running back to be picked in the first two rounds. That would be a huge shift after just one running back was drafted in that range this year.

Henderson has been a big-play threat at Ohio State, scoring 32 touchdown runs while picking up 10 or more yards on 71 of his 445 career rushing attempts. He’s averaged an impressive 6.2 yards per carry with the Buckeyes. There’s a real possibility that Alvin Kamara won’t be on the team next year (between his contract status and ) so the Saints could be on the lookout for a new lead running back. That’s the vision for Kendre Miller but he needs to prove he can handle that kind of workload after injuries interrupted his rookie year. Either way, someone like Henderson could be on their radar in 2025.

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The Athletic gives Saints’ draft class thus far a rare Grade A

The Athletic gives the New Orleans Saints’ 2024 draft class thus far a rare Grade A. Can they keep it up on Day 3?

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman took on the tough task of grading every pick all 32 NFL teams made in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL draft, and their early reviews are very positive for the New Orleans Saints.

Which is very encouraging to hear, seeing as the Saints have only made two picks so far. They need to get the most out of first-round right tackle Taliese Fuaga and second-round cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, so this is at least a good start. Here’s what Baumgardner wrote of Fuaga’s fit at No. 14:

The rush on quarterbacks really helped out a lot of teams in the back half of Round 1. It helped the Saints here, in a big way. Fuaga was a top-two tackle on some NFL boards, top-three on several more. And there wasn’t a team in the league more in need of tackle help than the Saints, who just landed a road grader.

Fuaga (6-5, 324) was dominant at times on the Beavers’ right side last season, as arguably the best run blocker in the country. This is a culture pick as much as anything else, too — Fuaga will help improve the team’s overall toughness up front. Great value for the Saints in the middle of the first round.

Grade: A

Here’s why Dochterman says the Saints earned such a high grade after trading up for McKinstry in Round 2:

New Orleans picked up a first-round talent, at its biggest position of need, in the second round. A fluid, versatile defensive back, McKinstry started 33 games at Alabama over three seasons. He intercepted just two career passes but defended 25 others and netted five tackles for loss. McKinstry (5-11, 199) ran a 4.47 40 at his pro day, and his 10-yard split of 1.44 seconds is considered elite.

Grade: A

For context on how rare this is, just two teams received an A-grade in each of the first two rounds: the Saints, Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Los Angeles Chargers. While the Saints and Lions didn’t have a third-round pick, the Steelers, Chargers, and Giants did, and they each continued to receive an A. The Eagles came up just short with a B-plus for picking Houston Christian’s Jalyx Hunt late in Round 3.

So out of 32 teams only six earned A’s in the first two rounds. Of those six, three kept it going into the third round. That’s some tough grading but the Saints are on the right side of it. Let’s see if they can sustain it with more smart pickups on the third and final day of the 2024 draft.

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Report: Saints calling teams to trade up in Round 1 of 2024 draft

NFL Media draft expert Daniel Jeremiah reports that the Saints are calling teams about trading up in Round 1 of the 2024 draft:

Are we in for another Mickey Loomis special? NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah shared a big piece of information in his final 2024 mock draft, which he had previously only alluded to on social media.

“The Saints have been calling teams to try to trade up, and I assume they want one of the top offensive tackles,” Jeremiah wrote, predicting the Saints will ultimately stay put and select Washington Huskies left tackle Troy Fautanu. He continued, “I’m not sure how they have the OTs stacked on their board, but I do feel highly confident that New Orleans will be taking a bookend blocker in Round 1.”

Jeremiah has been on the Saints’ case for a while; he previously tweeted that he couldn’t find a team with a bigger need in this draft class than the Saints have at offensive tackle, later adding that everything he’s hearing from sources around the league is that teams are working the phones to move up in trades for their favorite offensive tackles.

Which leads us to two different conclusions. The reasonable takeaway would be that the Saints are such an obvious fit for a first-round offensive tackle that other teams are working to move ahead of them, in case the blocker they like most is in New Orleans’ sights. If a team rates, say, Alabama’s JC Latham highest but fears the Saints will pick him, they’ll be calling now to try and leapfrog New Orleans.

Now the other conclusion: it’s the Saints themselves who are trying to get out in front. That’s backed up by what Jeremiah is reporting in his final mock draft, and it’s reasonable to think Loomis would work the phones upon hearing how other teams are trying to move ahead of him. It’s clear that the Saints desperately need a bookend tackle (two, really; Trevor Penning hasn’t earned anyone’s trust on the left side).

If Loomis sees a path towards getting this year’s best blocker, he’s going to act aggressively and pursue it. He has the rare job security to justify it. If the pick busts like Penning or Marcus Davenport, he’s confident he’ll be safe. He’s gotten away with these bad gambles before and he’ll try them again, sooner or later. Maybe he tries it as soon as Thursday night. It just seems ill-advised when this is such a deep draft class at offensive tackle. The Saints could probably stay put and still get a starting-quality blocker (like Fautanu), or else a difference-maker at another position. We’ll see how it plays out soon enough.

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2024 NFL mock draft roundup: Experts split on what Saints do at No. 14

The New Orleans Saints are selecting in the middle of the first round for the 2024 NFL draft, slotted in at No. 14. With a lot of variables in the draft, it’s hard to know who will be on the board when they get on the clock. That is reflected in most mock drafts as there is not a lot of consensus on who the Saints will select, outside of a couple repeat names.

We’ve rounded up the latest 2024 NFL mock drafts, where experts are mixed on what the Saints should do with the No. 14 overall selection. Here’s who those in the know like for New Orleans going into Senior Bowl week:

College Football Playoff All-Time Team Results

Who will be the next team to be added to the list of CFP invitees?

Monday night wraps up the 2022 college football season as the College Football Playoff championship game takes place between reigning champion Georgia and Cinderella story, TCU. Can Georgia become the first team in the College Football Playoff era to repeat as national champions?

Some teams have come close but nobody has won it all two years in a row since the current system went into place starting with the 2014 season. As we’re just hours from the ninth CFP drawing to an end, why not look back at the first nine years of this system and see how all invitees have fared all-time.