While the Saints season draws near its end, some fans are already looking ahead to the NFL Draft in April. Quite a few Who Dats are calling for the team to “tank” in order to increase their odds for a higher draft pick. However, there’s still some valuable time left in the season to evaluate what the team already has on the roster and what holes they may need to fill on the roster moving forward.
So, where should the black & gold focus when the draft rolls around? What’s the biggest position of need? Does anyone really know yet? Saints Sideline Reporter Jeff Nowak says it’s probably too early to make those decisions and that’s why he expects the Saints to end the season strong rather than trying to “tank” for a higher pick in the draft. Beyond that, there isn’t a sure-fire star waiting to be drafted #1 overall as there may have been in years past, Nowak adds. “There’s no Joe Burrow. There’s no Andrew Luck. There may be a quarterback picked #1 overall, but it’s going to be that the team that picks in that spot desperately needs it. We’re talking about a team like the Browns or the Jets who aren’t close to having their quarterback in the building,” he went on to emphasize.
The Saints are among a cluster of teams who currently sit at 3-10 and if Tyler Shough continues to play the way he did against Tampa Bay, they may win enough games to drop out of the top five draft picks. There are juicy upcoming matchups against the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans that are winnable with the type of play displayed against the Buccaneers. Wins against those teams could potentially drop the Saints closer to picking tenth overall than first in the draft.
So, where should the team’s focus be when it comes to toeing the line between player evaluation and trying to pick up wins down the home stretch of the season? Nowak expects the Saints to hone in on playing winning football as the season ends rather than focus on hypothetical scenarios. However, there is a little wiggle room, he adds. “If it’s week 18 and you win and get the 5th pick or lose and get the 3rd pick, you might see the team sit some players down. The Eagles did that a few years back,” noted Nowak.