Saints draft picks: Ranking 5 best combinations for New Orleans’ two Round 1 selections
The New Orleans Saints have employed an interesting draft strategy this year. They packaged the No. 18 pick in the draft with No. 101, No. 237, next year’s first-rounder and 2024’s second-rounder to get the 16th and 19th picks in this year’s draft. They seem to be trying to give new head coach Dennis Allen some talent in this year’s draft, but to do so it’s essential they land their two 2022 first round picks.
There’s no doubt the Saints, as constructed, have enough holes on their roster to justify the trade. Left tackle, wide receiver, safety, and (long-term) quarterback are all question marks for them right now, so landing Nos. 16 and 19, in theory, allows them to take out two birds with one stone.
Draft capital is also important to the Saints as they continue to try to work their way out of salary cap issues. Drafting players with (at minimum) four years of control is valuable to NFL teams, which the Saints are trying to leverage.
Mickey Loomis appears to see the Saints as contenders, but this trade was an acknowledgement they have very real issues on their roster that need addressing immediately. So, which moves do the most for the Saints immediately as they try to reload with the departure of Sean Payton?
Here are five combinations the Saints could pursue in the 2022 draft to immediately make their team better.
Combination 1
- No. 16: Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
- No. 19: Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
The Saints signing Daniel Sorensen does very little to address their problem at safety. Adding Jaquan Brisker gives them a rangy safety that would help to alleviate the departure of Marcus Williams, while letting new signing Marcus Maye play in and out of the box. Although Kyle Hamilton is unquestionably the top safety in this year’s draft, Brisker isn’t getting a lot of buzz as the No. 2 guy due to the sheer gravity (and speculation) around Hamilton.
Garrett Wilson is a more straightforward pick. He and Chris Olave are two of, if not, the best two receivers in this year’s draft, and the Saints have always had an affinity for Ohio State products. Wilson joining Michael Thomas in the receiving corps would fill a massive hole New Orleans is dealing with.
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Combination 2
- No. 16: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
- No. 19: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
The departure of Terron Armstead is a very real problem for the Saints. He’s been a mainstay on the Saints’ offensive line, and while James Hurst has been a good spot tackle it’s hard to imagine him as a longterm option for New Orleans. Trevor Penning is a reliable option with great feet, a must in the Saints’ movement heavy running game and inimitable screen game. Armstead’s replacement needs to be able to do the things he did, especially with Pete Carmichael Jr. — a disciple of Payton’s offense — taking over.
Jameson Williams would be an unconventional pick for the Saints, but there are a lot of things to like about him. His speed would complement Jameis Winston’s arm well and allow the Saints to open up the offense, plus playing opposite Thomas would do him a lot of favors.
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Combination 3
- No. 16: Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia
- No. 19: Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
The Saints taking a quarterback at 19, especially a project with the upside of Desmond Ridder, isn’t as far-fetched as it appears. The Saints love their Senior Bowl prospects, and although Ridder wasn’t particularly impressive on the field, teams liked what they saw off it. Matt Miller has pegged the Saints as a team that could scoop Ridder up, but the question is how early they’d do so if they wanted to.
Jordan Davis fits the Mickey Loomis M.O. of drafting, as his position isn’t necessarily one of need for the Saints but it will be in the future. David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle are both in contract years, so this would take the pressure off to re-sign both of them. Davis’ excellent play in the run game would be valuable for a Saints defense that has thrived off stymying the run in the past few seasons, and he can force the issue inside.
Combination 4
- No. 16: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt
- No. 19: Drake London, WR, USC
It’s no accident this is the third different receiver being tied to the Saints in this article alone: The Saints need to get whoever is on the board at 19 if they don’t go for one at 16. Whether it’s Drake London, Williams, Wilson, or Olave, the idea is to get someone. London is one of the best receivers in this draft, but his hype has been slightly overshadowed by the talent coming from the Buckeyes.
Kenny Pickett would be an investment pick. Much like Ridder, Pickett would sit at least a year behind Winston to get his sea legs under him. The Saints seem to be interested in Pickett, but as one of the consensus best quarterbacks in this draft it’s hard to see him falling this far. If he does, expect the Saints to jump on him at No. 16.
Combination 5
- Package 16 and 19 together, trade up to No. 9 with Seahawks, draft Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
This is the kind of move the Saints would 100 percent make if Hamilton slips down to No. 9. There will be opportunities for the Saints to move up this year — plenty of teams seem interested in moving down — and it simply isn’t a Saints mock unless they’re trading up at some point or another.
Kyle Hamilton is a sensational safety who could go anywhere from No. 3 to No. 15, so this would be a sweet spot. There was a lot of buzz in last year’s draft about the Saints moving up to make an aggressive move for a cornerback, but they didn’t have the draft position to move up high enough to do so. This year, they have more leverage, and Hamilton is the best player at a position of need for New Orleans.