The 2023 NFL Draft is here, so what do the New Orleans Saints actually need?
WWL Radio's Bobby Hebert answered exactly that question on SportsTalk this week, breaking down the three biggest needs for the Saints heading into the draft, and a handful of players he'd target.
Listen to the full segment in the player below. Can't see the embed? Click here.
One clear theme? They need to be ready to contribute right away. The question to answer first and foremost: “Can a player truly play at the highest level from the get-go or will he be a developmental player," Hebert says.
SAINTS PICKS
- RD1: 29
- RD2: 40
- RD3: 71
- RD4: 115
- RD5: 146
- RD5: 165
- RD7: 227
- RD7: 257
That's part of the reason he likes the RB position in this year's draft as a need for the Saints, and he'd be perfectly fine addressing it in the first round if Texas standout Bijan Robinson is still on the board at No. 29.
"We almost have to take it like [Alvin Kamara is] missing half the season and will not be available," Hebert said. "So I know, as a quarterback, OK, we need to keep defenses off-balance. So I don’t know if he’ll be available but Bijan Robinsion, to me, all I know is that he’s widely considered one of the draft’s best overall players. It’d be almost like a slam dunk that he’s going to have success.”
Another option, possibly at 40, could be UCLA's Zach Charbonnet.
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NEXT UP? That'd have to be defensive tackle, if it fits. Reaching for a DT just to get one isn't the answer.
“You want your linebackers to be able to flow and make tackles," Hebert said. "Who’s going to occupy blockers? And not only occupy blockers, but make individual plays themselves as far as whether it’s with a pass rush or actually getting tackles.”
Some options in the early rounds? Clemson's Brian Bresee, Michigan's Mazi Smith or Pitt's Calijah Kancey.
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FINALLY, the outside of the lines could use a long look to, with defensive end a stocked position in the 2023 draft. The Saints still have Cam Jordan, but how much does he actually have left in the tank? Will Payton Turner ever really show up? More bodies will be a necessity.
The big question is body type. The Saints typically err toward bigger DEs, meaning players like Georgia's Nolan Smith, Iowa State's Will McDonald and LSU's BJ Ojulari wouldn't really fit that mold.
Who would? Iowa's Lukas Van Ness would make sense (though you'd probably have to trade up), as would Clemson's Myles Murphy or Georgia Tech's Keion White.
“I think I’m more intrigued with guys that could contribute right away for us, more a defensive end," Hebert said. "You could force a defensive tackle to work out. It doesn’t mean they won’t just be another body and you’ll never call another name out."
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