The New Orleans Saints had their 2024 draft war chest expand significantly on Friday when the league announced its compensatory selections.
New Orleans was granted three additional fifth round picks, and now owns nine total selections.
Here's how those picks break down:
- 1.14
- 2.45
- 5.149
- *5.167
- *5.169
- *5.174
- 6.192
- 6.201
- 7.230
The three comp selections were granted to offset the departures in free agency of Kaden Elliss and David Onyemata to the Falcons, and Marcus Davenport to the Vikings. Teams are granted comp selections based on a formula that weighs free agent signings against qualified losses.
The next question for the Saints will be how they deploy their selections. Based on recent history, it's highly unlikely they make all nine picks. The Saints are well known for being aggressive in the draft, packaging multiple picks to go up and target a player they've got confidence in. Results have been mixed, however, with some recent trade ups including moves to go get DE Marcus Davenport and TE Adam Trautman, neither of whom are on the team. The Saints also traded for an extra pick to take Trevor Penning in the first round of the 2022 draft, a move that has been criticized with the young player not seeing much of the field through two seasons. There have been hits, though, with other trade ups netting players like Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, among others.
The Saints pick at No. 14 in the first round when the draft kicks off on Thursday, April 25 in Detroit.
