The New Orleans Saints have their next head coach and a host of picks to build with, but what will they address in the upcoming NFL draft?
There will be a lot learned at the NFL Draft Combine scheduled for next week in Indianapolis, but as things stand right now there are two positions that come up the most in mock drafts: defensive end and cornerback.
Interestingly, of the mock drafts surveyed for this listing, the most common name pinned to the Saints at No. 9 is not the same as the most common position. Of the 15 mocks surveyed, seven have the Saints building on their defensive line, but with six different players selected. That group includes:
- Nic Scourton, edge, Texas A&M
- Mykel Williams, edge, Georgia
- Jalon Walker, edge, Georgia
- Mike Green, edge, Marshall,
- Shemar Stewart, edge, Texas A&M
- Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Of that group, only Stewart appeared more than once.
The only players to appear more than twice were at different positions, one being Michigan CB Will Johnson, which is a direct result of the Saints dealing Marshon Lattimore by trade to the Commanders midseason. Rebuilding that position would make sense.
Another popular route would be for the Saints to add a weapon on offense, with three mocks, including WWL Radio's Mike Detillier's, landing Penn State TE Tyler Warren, and another two Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan. One other mock got a bit fancy and had the Saints trading up to No. 4 (Patriots) to nab Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.
There were no offensive linemen, running backs, linebackers or safeties landing with the Saints in the mocks surveyed, though multi-round mocks did land on several of those positions with later picks. The Saints go into the draft with 9 overall selections, including two third-round selections.
Here are the results of the 16 mock drafts surveyed.
WWL RADIO (Mike Detillier)
- 9, Saints: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Why: "A talented big-man receiver who is a major mismatch in coverage. Warren is a versatile playmaker who caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and 8 TDs last season for Penn State."
Of note: If the Saints did draft Warren at No. 9, it'd mark the first time they spent a first rounder on the TE position since Irv Smith in 1993 (No. 20), and just the second time in franchise history they've taken a TE in the first round. The last time the Saints spent anything higher than a third-round pick on the position was for Cam Cleeland (No. 40 overall) in 1998.
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PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (Justin Lewis)
- 9, Saints: Nic Scourton, Edge, Texas A&M
Why: "Nic Scourton isn’t perfect, but nobody else in this class possesses his blend of technical prowess, bend, size, and power."
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FOX SPORTS (staff)
- 9, Saints: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Why: "Before the season started, several mock drafts had Johnson in the top five, as the Michigan man has been a lockdown corner for three seasons at the FBS level. ... He'll have an immediate impact on a Saints secondary that allowed 238.5 pass yards per game, the sixth-worst mark in the league."
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NFL DOT COM (Gennaro Filice)
- 9, Saints: Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
Why: "New Orleans needs a fresh influx of edge juice. Cam Jordan, the last Saint to reach double-digit sacks with 12.5 in 2021, is in the twilight of his career, while Chase Young’s heading back into free agency. Carl Granderson can’t do this alone. Now, when it comes to drafting defensive ends, the Saints clearly have a type: big and traitsy."
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CBS SPORTS (Josh Edwards)
- 9. Saints: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Why: "After trading away Marshon Lattimore at the deadline, New Orleans has a need at cornerback and Will Johnson has the potential to be one of the best players from this draft."
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CBS SPORTS (Chris Trapasso)
- 9. Saints: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Why: "The Saints just missed being able to pick Brock Bowers a year ago and now get their own freakish specimen at the tight end position."
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SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (Daniel Flick)
- 9, Saints: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Why: "What happens with quarterback Derek Carr? New Saints coach Kellen Moore needs to answer that soon, but no matter who’s under center, New Orleans desperately needs receivers. ... The 6' 5", 212-pound McMillan has two years of elite production, and his size and ball skills pair well with the savvy, nuanced [Chris] Olave."
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PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK (Anthony Pasciolla)
- 4. Saints (trade with Patriots): Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Why: "The New Orleans Saints are stuck in the middle of the pack with Derek Carr at the helm, which is why they made a shocking trade for Sanders. Because the Colorado Buffaloes star lacks polish, he could sit behind Carr for at least half a season."
Of note: The mock didn't specify what the Saints would've given up in such a deal. For reference, when the Texans traded up from 12 to 3 with the Cardinals in 2023 they sent the No. 12 selection and 33 selections, along with 2024 1st and third round selections. This trade would be five spots up the board as opposed to 9, but the compensation would be significant.
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SHARP FOOTBALL ANALYSIS (Brendan Donahue)
- 9. Saints: Jalon Walker, edge, Georgia
Why: "Walker ... should immediately help a Saints defense that ranked 30th in total yards allowed last season whether it’s by rushing the passer or dropping into coverage. He showed the capability to do both last season."
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SPORTSNAUT (Matt Johnson & Andrew Buller-Russ)
- 9. Saints: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Why: "The New Orleans Saints desperately need more playmakers for Kellen Moore’s offense to function. Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan ... [will] complement Chris Olave’s skillset and would in the short-term provide Derek Carr with two excellent pass-catchers."
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NFL DOT COM (Daniel Jeremiah)
- 9. Saints: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
Why: "The Saints ranked third to last in yards allowed last season, so they have to improve on that side of the ball. New head coach Kellen Moore saw the impact a dominant pass rush can have on a squad during his time with the Eagles. New Orleans selects Green, a very polished and productive rusher."
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THE DRAFT NETWORK (Daniel Harms)
- 9. Saints: Shemar Stewart, edge, Texas A&M
Why: "Investing in the trenches is already a good way to go about team building, but after the Eagles tore through the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl, it could lead to a fad. Shemar Stewart is a question mark in this class but moves unlike someone who weighs 290 pounds. The Saints' young defensive end swings haven't paid off, but Stewart's versatility and physical tools are a good bet to make."
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THE 33RD TEAM (Kyle Crabbs)
- 9, Saints: Shemar Stewart, edge, Texas A&M
Why: "New Orleans may have secured an offensive-minded coach in Kellen Moore to carry this team into the future but Mickey Loomis is still running the show. Loomis has a habit of drafting big, long and powerful defensive linemen -- much like they're getting here in Shemar Stewart. Stewart has elite potential and boasts a high floor as a run defender from the jump."
- 40, Saints: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
Why: "New Orleans simply needs dynamic young talents to build around to the future. Emmanwori has a good argument for best player available here and boasts elite tools."
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WALTER FOOTBALL (Charlie Campbell)
- 9, Saints: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Why: "The Saints go with the best player available and land a tackle to pair with Bryan Bresee. ... Graham (6-3, 318) has good size and is a disruptive presence. He has serious power to shed blocks, bull into the backfield, and stuff runs at the point of attack. Graham also has the quickness and athleticism to create some interior pass rush."
- 40, Saints: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
Why: "Taysom Hill is coming off an injury and the Saints could use another big-bodied receiving weapon to go with their smaller speed receivers. ... Taylor is a dangerous receiver who combines good route-running with quickness, athleticism, size, and natural feel. Taylor had 55 receptions for 546 yards and two touchdowns. He has played well as a receiver and showed the ability to help in pass protection and block the C-gap. Taylor looks like a potential three-down starter for the NFL."
- 71, Saints: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
Why: "The Saints could use a quarterback to eventually replace Derek Carr. ... There is no doubt that Ewers can make all the throws with pocket-passing ability. He has a live arm, reads the field well, and has serious passing talent with the ability to throw accurately downfield. Team sources said Ewers has good makeup, football I.Q., and should interview well."
- 93, Saints: Fadil Diggs, DE, Syracuse
Why: "With Cam Jordan aging and Chase Young hitting free agency, the Saints could use more defensive end talent. ... He has a good skill set with size, athleticism, and quickness. In 2024 with Syracuse, Diggs had 45 tackles with 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble."
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WALTER FOOTBALL (Walter Cherepinsky)
- 9, Saints: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Why: "The Saints lost Marshon Lattimore in a trade to the [Commanders], so they’ll need to replace him early in the 2025 NFL Draft. Will Johnson, who had a tremendous showing during the championship run, has a plus skill set and upside."
- 40, Saints: Jonah Savaiinaea, OT, Arizona
Why: "The Saints can’t count on Ryan Ramczyk playing again, so they may use a second-day pick on a tackle. Jonah Savaiinea is a quick blocker with plus athleticism."
- 71, Saints: Bradyn Swinson, DE, LSU
Why: "The Saints struggle to get to the quarterback, so they could spend a first- or second-day pick on an edge rusher. Bradyn Swinson has a good combination of speed and strength."
- 93, Saints: Dorian Strong, CB, Virginia Tech
Why: "The Saints could spend multiple picks on cornerbacks to replace Marshon Lattimore. Dorian Strong has nice size and high potential."
- 108, Saints: Ty Hamilton, DT, Ohio State
Why: "The Saints had terrible play at defensive tackle last year. Ty Hamilton has quickness and athleticism to emerge as a starter in the pros."
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DRAFTTEK (staff)
- 9, Saints: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Why: "It feels like GM Mickey Loomis has been chasing his tail for 5+ years with attempts to fix these problems. In this mock, offensive-minded head coach Kellen Moore, the new guy, looks to add a new recipe - a versatile and powerful weapon to the offense."
- 40, Saints: Jihaad Campbell, ILB, Alabama
- 71, Saints: Bradyn Swinson, edge, LSU
- 93, Saints: Anthony Belton, OT, NC State
- 111, Saints: Nohl Williams, CB, California
- 130, Saints: Thor Griffith, DT, Louisville
- 207, Saints: Miles Frazier, OL, LSU
- 254, Saints: KeAndre Lambert-Smith, WR, Auburn
