For the first time in my entire life, I’m doing research on college players in the draft. I’m going through positions and evaluating their strengths and weaknesses and how they could potentially fit into the Saints scheme. I’ve never been a huge college football guy but I’ve been doing a lot of reading, research, and watching a lot of highlights and film on these upcoming players in the draft.
There are quite a few players I’m intrigued by, and I was able to snatch one of those players in this mock draft. Offense is the main focus I took with the first three picks because of how much help the Saints need along with depth. Of course free agency will play a role as to who the Saints would pick and I took that into consideration when drafting these players.
No more talking from me, here is what my mock draft looked like.
Round 1, pick 18: WR, Chris Olave
Drafting Chris Olave with the Saints first pick was solely based off the circumstance that t he Saints were not being super aggressive in the receiver market in the offseason. Maybe getting a guy like Zach Pascal or James Washington ended up on the Saints which led to the Chris Olave pick. When I made the pick Jamerson Williams was available, however his torn acl is what kept me away from drafting him. Yeah, he could be available by week one and be limited all offseason, but the Saints wouldn’t take that big of a risk on an injured guy. They’d take the safer pick and get the guy who can transition into an NFL system flawlessly without an early injury setback. Drake London was available as well, but the injury is what had me on the fence.
With Olave, you know what you’re getting. He can be a difference maker on the offense and has the ability to run essentially any route whether it’s short, intermediate, or deep. He’d make a good second wide receiver next to Michael Thomas and has good yards after the catch abilities and can be a physical guy as well, making him a well fitting player in the Saints system. To go with that, he’s just a smart player. The Saints like smart players, smart players are good players. It also helps that he goes to Ohio State, that’s checks one box off for the Saints front office.
What makes Olave a great option at receiver is his route running. His understanding of the game allows him to find the blind spot of defenders in man or zone and exploit them on his route. Sometimes though his routes can get lazy and his cuts become rounded off routes. In the NFL rounded off routes result in the defender making a play instead of the receiver. Another area of concern could be his size, he is 6’1 but his weight could be concerning. What would happen when he goes against a physical corner? Those games are when his route running will need to be at its highest peak. If the corner presses him will he be able to get into a momentum and create space or will the physicality of the corner prevent him from being a factor? These are things that could come into consideration for the Saints if they want to draft him.
A pro comparison could be Devonta Smith & Odell Beckham.
Round 2, pick 50: T, Daniel Faalele
A 6’9 400 pound tackle with decent mobility sounds promising. With the Saints in a predicament on current left tackle Terron Armstead, the tackle position may be in need for the Saints. Especially after a struggling year from the offensive line. Yeah, technically the Saints could put James Hurst at left tackle, or switch over Ryan Ramczyk to left tackle, but it feels like it’s a position that needs to be addressed in the draft, whether it’s the first or second round pick.
Faalele is a strong guy, he isn’t an athlete but his strength makes up for his lack of mobility. However as a tackle, he doesn’t need to be super athletic or mobile, but as long as he has a good initial lateral step he’ll be a solid player. With his size as well, it’s hard for anyone to get around him or through him easily. His size and arm length also allows him to provide assistance to his guards in the run game (which is needed). His hands are violent which gives him the first initial attack against his defender. As a pass blocker he’s solid, and in the run game he’s decent. The lack of athleticism and mobility doesn’t allow him to be the best run blocker, but if he can get to the second level he’ll provide his guys with blocks to work with.
While there are a lot of positives to his game, there is some downside. His size sometimes gets the better of him and his weight goes on his toes causing an imbalanced player. A speedy edge rusher like T.J Watt (who the Saints play) could be dangerous and exploit this weakness. Another thing to note is on film, he sometimes doesn’t keep his eyes open and head on a swivel. If the defense disguises a blitz his eyes get lost on his initial guy and has trouble picking up the blitzing man. This is something that Cesar Ruiz and Andrus Peat have a hard time with.
The good thing however about these problems is that they are fixable problems. Some problems can’t be fixed, with some professional coaching and veteran leadership from Ramczyk these little details in his game can be improved and develop pretty quick.
A pro comparison would be Trent Brown.
Round 3, pick 97: G, Dylan Parham
The Saints depth at the offensive line position was the worst it’s been in a very long time. It’s been the strength of the team for a while but it’s time to restructure the depth, and in doing so possibly look into the future. I took Dylan Parham as a guy who would provide good reassurance at the guard position on both sides in the scenario Peat or Ruiz go down.
Parham is a guard with above average speed with quick feet. His eyes are always ready for pickup with his head on a swivel (something Ruiz and Peat, once again struggle with). If the defense disguises a blitz he does a good job of picking it up. Picking up stunts and misdirected blitzes has been a struggle for the guard position for the Saints. Not only would this pick provide reassurance now, but in the future if Ruiz or Peat leave New Orleans, Parham would have experience in the system already and the team wouldn’t have to worry about addressing the interior offensive line that offseason.
Parham is an efficient run blocker and a patient pass protector. His arm length is what holds him back.
His arm length and body strength isn’t the best. In pass protection a power bull rusher with lengthy arms could run over Parham or get him on the ground quickly. With that, sometimes his feet love too fast and it results in a missed block or missed assignment. Which is what could be fixed in New Orleans with some coaching.
He also has the flexibility to play left guard, right guard, and even played some right tackle. Definitely a guy the Saints look for in terms of depth every year in the draft and free agency. A versaille guy with good upside and can play a few different positions.
A pro comparison would be Matt Paradise.
Round 3, pick 98: CB, Marcus Jones
An athletic and physical freak, the 5’8 185 defensive back would be a key fit for the Saints. He’s athletic and his physicality allows him to be a factor in run defense. A strong special teams player and man coverage guy from the slot.
Some of you may be thinking “why draft a slot corner when we have Chauncey and P.J and Roby?” Here’s the reasoning. The Saints have Roby for another year, and there isn’t a guarantee he comes back the way the starting secondary has been playing. Malcolm Jenkins is getting old and could retire soon, so Chauncey or P.J could move to the starting safety role. This is where Jones comes in, he could play the role that Roby currently has and/or learn safety as well. Essentially become another P.J Williams and Chauncey Gardner Johnson with the flexibility to play two to three different positions.
His special teams abilities as well could be used really creatively and uniquely. He’s a solid return man so if he and Deonte are back returning kicks, a possible trick play could be interesting and fun to watch.
Playing him at gunner wouldn’t be a terrible idea either on the opposite side of J.t Gray if Ty Montgomery doesn’t end up staying this season.
He’s just a do it all kind of guy. He even played some offense as well at receiver and running back while making an impact. If Sean Payton wanted to, I’m sure he could use Jones as another Taysom Hill, similar to what Deebo Samuel is or Jalen Waddle if he developed him into that kind of player. He is a fun player to watch and has the attitude to fit in with the Saints.
The downside to Jones however is his eyes. Sometimes they get caught in the backfield too long or lost on the receiver and not knowing when to turn his head and make a play. Sometimes he jumps the pump fake or the quarterback’s eyes leaving him to get burnt. That being said, it would be hard for him to make a play covering a big physical receiver due to his size which could get concerning against a team like the Bucs who have multiple physical players. His tackling could use improvement as well, not a huge problem but something that could be better.
A pro comparison would be Budda Baker or Tyrann Mathieu.
Round 4, pick 120: S, Kerby Joseph
Similar to the last pick, with Malcolm Jenkins getting old, it could be a good idea to have someone take reps behind him, like Kerby Joseph. He doesn’t have to be the answer at safety when Jenkins leaves, but he does have good qualities to him. Good enough qualities where he could serve as a solid backup and have a big special teams contribution.
With development behind both Jenkins and Marcus Williams he could become a guy with high upside. He’s a very athletic safety with decent range. He’s a ball hawk and isn’t afraid to be physical with the receiver. He isn’t the fastest or quickest guy but where he lacks speed, he makes up for with his instincts and game awareness. Understanding certain situations and knowing the opponent.
His football IQ prevents a lot of mistakes and allows him to be physical. When his football IQ fails him however he isn’t going to make a play, he gets stiff and can’t make open field tackles and struggles staying elusive. Quick ball carriers with a juke move could probably get by Joseph. When he plays he’ll either make a jaw dropping play or leave you frustrated.
This is solely a depth pick, nothing much to it. A pro comparison would be Micah Hyde or similar to rookie year Marcus Williams.
Round 5, pick 159: TE, Cole Turner
Tight end isn’t a huge need but giving a new face a shot wouldn’t hurt. Cole Turner has great high point ball skills as a physical weapon. He has the ability to play outside, slot, or the regular tight end position. A good receiving tight end who has a lot of production in the red zone.
Goal line fades or goal line crossing routes are his money routes. His route tree though is very limited. He struggles running routes and tends to round them off. His short route running abilities are very limited, which could be an issue for Sean Payton who loves doing tight end screens, crossers, and simple flat short routes.
His run blocking ability isn’t good either, which is a no no for Sean Payton. To be on Sean Payton’s roster and start, you gotta block as a tight end. However with tight end probably needing a reevaluation, it wouldn’t hurt drafting a tight end late in the draft.
A pro comparison would be Jimmy Graham. A good vertical threat, not the best short receiver or blocker.
Round 6, pick 213: DT, Tyler Davis
Interior defensive line needs the second guy, someone who can make plays happen when Onyemata isn’t there. It’s not the biggest need but definitely something that needs to be addressed. That’s why I took Tyler Davis. The Saints couldn’t get any pressure from the interior when Onyemata was out and it was horrific to watch. No pressure at all.
He has good athleticism and is capable of being a shifty defensive tackle. He has strong violent hands making him a strong tackler and lethal at shedding blocks. As the second interior guy with a three point technique, he’s a solid pass rusher. His size and ability to move fast allows him to keep his balance and doesn’t get in the ground often. He could take up multiple blockers as well, allowing someone else to make a play. He wouldn’t be an flashy guy but he’d make plays around other flashy guys. You wouldn’t want to rely on him to be the main point of pressure.
What he lacks is explosion off the line and getting too tall. The low man wins, and when he gets tall it limits his pass rushing capabilities and run stuffing abilities. His arm length as well isn’t ideal for a defensive tackle, which at times causes him to miss tackles. A pro comparison would be Tyeler Davidson.
If the Saints draft anything similar to these and their basic needs checked off, they’ll be in good shape for the offseason and going into the regular season. I will do another mock draft soon and I’ll take a different approach each time I do one and I won’t take a repeated player. Here is proof I got each of these players in the mock draft and I wasn’t making it up.
If you want to see more or would’ve done something different leave a comment and help support me so I can do more content like this for you all.
Written By Kadin Janisch
