The Saints had one of the most exciting offseasons in the league. While they were not able to re-sign anyone this offseason, they were able to make a huge trade that set them up for the future. This gave them the second pick in the draft, and allowed them to choose their quarterback of the cycle. With 41 players they also knew that they had to acquire draft picks in order to fill out their roster. They ended up trading most of their late picks next year in order to get picks this year. After all of the trades they ended up with 15 picks total. The picks were 1,2,3,3,4,5,5,6,6,6,6,7,7,7,7. They only have picks 1,3 for next year so they will have to make some moves during next season’s draft, however, they had no choice. They needed to acquire picks in order to give themselves a 53 man roster for the season. In this article we will take a look at these new players and a brief description on why they were picked.
RD 1, Pick 2: Bryce Young 77 OVR STAR (Alabama)
The choice to take Bryce Young over CJ Stroud came down throw power. Young ends up with 88 thp, however, he has 86 short, 85 mid, 81 deep, 88 tup and 87 tor. This all combined with his 86 speed and 90 acc. He is the faster, more developed of the two, however, Stroud ends up with 3 more throw power. Young comes in with a STAR development trait out of the box but the real test to see who was the right choice will be determined when the ddt comes out. If Bryce gets SS or better he would have been the right choice.
RD 2, Pick 18 LT Mason Brooks 69 OVR (Ole Miss)
Brooks was picked to replace Ruiz. He isn’t the strongest player but he will be moved to guard. He is an average player who can be molded into a great player. He does have a great shot at getting a development trait.
RD 3, Pick 9 RB Deuce Vaughn 74 OVR (Kansas State)
Vaughn wasn’t the pick that coach Burn wanted, however, that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t happy with him. He is a speedy player who will take over as the starting running back for the Saints. He can do everything that will be asked of him in this offense. His only issue is his 76 injury. For a team that loves to use their running backs, will he be able to stay on the field is the question.
RD 3, Pick 18 WR Rakim Jarrett 73 OVR (Maryland)
With Olaves suspension for the first four games, the Saints needed a wide receiver and they got a player who is lighting fast. Jarrett has 93 speed, 94 acceleration, 93 agility, and 91 change of direction. He has over 80 catching and catching in traffic. He is the perfect player to step in for Olave. When Olave is back on the field, he will give the Saints a speedy wide receiving combo that will make it tough for teams to play man coverage on.
RD 4, Pick 18 LE Tuli Tuipulotu 69 OVR (USC)
He was a depth pickup that has the potential to earn a development trait. He wont start, however, he will sit behind Jordan and look to replace him in the next season. He has a nice starting baseline at 89 strength, 74 speed, and 78 power moves.
RD 5, Pick 9 C Ricky Stromberg 70 OVR (Arkansas)
Stromberg was picked up due to the need at offensive line. Ironically he is better than the player picked in the second round and most likely will start in Ruiz’s place. He has 88 strength, 84 run block, and 81 pass block. This was a steal for the Saints in the fifth round and he will look to anchor their line for the rest of the cycle.
RD 5, Pick 11 FS Brandon Joseph 70 OVR (Notre Dame)
Joseph was another player picked in order to provide depth at a position of need. He wont start but he may be able to be sneaked in when needed. The Saints like to have their safeties in zone, even on man plays. Joseph has the speed and zone ability to fit into that scheme as he comes out of the box with 88 speed 83 zone.
RD 6, Pick 17 CB Tiawan Mullen 67 OVR (Indiana)
With trading Adebo, the Saints needed depth in their corners. Mullen was picked strictly due to his measurables. He has 92 speed, 94 acceleration, 92 agility. This will come in handy when he plays in the slot. His man and zone need work, however, most times he will be user controlled which could result in interceptions.
RD 6, Pick 25 Cam Jones 58 OVR (Indiana)
Jones overall has a lot to be desired, however, his 92 speed, 95 acceleration, and 91 agility is what makes him great. When he is on the field he will be flying to the ball carrier. It doesn’t matter what he is asked to do, he will get there quickly. Coach Burn likes to run man blitzes, similar to the entire league, but with Jones, those blitzes will hit home quicker than most other teams.
RD 6, Pick 29 Camren Mcdonald 64 OVR (Florida State)
This was an odd pick for a team with 3 tight ends on their roster, however, Mcdonald comes out of the box with 83 speed 94 acc. He will be able to get to speed quickly, however, his other traits leave a lot to be desired. The plan is to most likely have him sit behind Hill and gain experience from one of the fastest old tight ends in the league.
RD 6, Pick 32 Keondre Coburn 69 OVR (Texas)
The Saints found their starting defensive tackle in the sixth round. Coburn is a raw player, however, he is very strong with 95 strength. He does leave room to be desired with his 71 block shed, 73 power moves, and 71 finesse moves, however, for a six round player he is the real deal.
RD 7 pick 18, RE Brandon Dorlus 68 OVR (Oregon)
The Saints went with the best player available on their board in the 7th round and they may have found their end of the future. Dorlus comes out of the box with 82 strength, 76 speed, 77 power moves, and 74 block shedding. He will be able to sit behind Jordan and gain knowledge from one of the best ends in the league.
RD 7 Pick 26, QB Grayson Mccall 63 OVR (Coastal Carolina)
Mccall was the only quarterback left that the Saints had scouted. He is a fast player with average accuracy who will do fine as a backup quarterback. The Saints needed their third quarterback and found him. The hope is that he will never have to play.
RD 7 Pick Evan Hull 59 OVR (Northwestern)
You never want to miss on a pick, however, Coach Burn knows that he missed on this pick. The Saints needed a third running back for depth purposes so he went with the fastest one remaining. Hull has 91 speed but he lacks everything else. His only plus side is the fact that he can catch the ball so in a pinch he could come in on passing downs.
RD 7 Pick 31, LT Tyler Steen 67 OVR (Alabama)
Most people won’t ever hear from the guy picked before mr irrelevant, however, the Saints are hoping that this pick becomes a mainstay on their offensive line. The Saints went with the best player available for their final pick, and got a project player who starts out with decent pass and run blocking skills. He will be a good depth piece that has the luck of sitting behind one of the best offensive tackles in the league.
In all the Saints had 15 picks in this draft and hit on 11 of them. 11 players are at least 67 overall or better. All of these players will be on the Saints for the remainder of the cycle and will have the opportunity to be developed into great players. The Saints got themselves at least 6 starters including Young, Vaughn, Jarrett, Stromberg, Coburn, and Jones. Young and Vaughn will have a great shot at being in the running for rookie of the year. All in all, the Saints success will be on how their rookies play. Was it the right move trading their veterans and relying on rookies? Coach Burn feels it was the right move and direction for his team. The DDT and this upcoming season will tell all. We will come back halfway through the season to see how these rookies are doing. For now, we wait for the exciting results of the DDT in just a short few days.
