7-round Saints mock draft: What would Kellen Moore do?

The New Orleans Saints have a relatively clear frontrunner for the head coaching vacancy they have, and it is Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. With the Saints set to meet with him once again after the Super Bowl is over, it definitely seems that he is the candidate they would most prefer to have at this time, and ultimately his offensive acumen could bring new life to the team. The Senior Bowl is just about in the books, too, and several prospects helped themselves out there — an event we know the Saints like to scout heavily.

With that, we created a mock draft using the Pro Football Focus simulator on standard settings to put together a Moore-centric projection:

Round 1, Pick 9: RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

HONOLULU, HI – OCTOBER 12: Ashton Jeanty #2 of the Boise State Broncos celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half of the game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on October 12, 2024 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)

Ashton Jeanty feels like the most Moore consistent pick here, as despite the running back position not being a desperate need, explosive offense is. Giving him a chance to have an explosive offensive playmaker right out of the gates, and someone to add to the running back room to take pressure off Alvin Kamara, is a safe bet.

Round 2, Pick 40: OL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA – OCTOBER 29: Grey Zabel #74 of the North Dakota State Bison against the Illinois State Redbirds at FARGODOME on October 29, 2022 in Fargo, North Dakota. (Photo by Sean Arbaut/Getty Images)

Building the offensive line out for the run game is the next key to bringing the Moore offense together. With left guard being a desperate need, and Grey Zabel having played there at multiple points collegiately, the Saints select him and flesh out their offensive line.

Round 3, Pick 71: DL Deone Walker, Kentucky

Nov 23, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Kentucky Wildcats defensive tackle Deone Walker (0) celebrates a recovered fumble against the Texas Longhorns during the third quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-Imagn Images

Fleshing out the trenches on the other side, the Saints select Deone Walker out of Kentucky to put alongside Bryan Bresee. The Saints love their Senior Bowl picks, the Eagles love their defensive line picks, merge the two narratives and you get an extremely high upside defensive tackle.

Round 3, Pick 93: TE Elijah Arroyo, Miami

Sep 27, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes tight end Elijah Arroyo (8) looks on after scoring a touchdown against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Eagles and Moore have always loved having a tight end to be a reliable option for their quarterback, and on the board still is Elijah Arroyo out of Miami. Another Senior Bowl player who’s been rising up boards with his play there is worthy of taking the Saints’ spot at TE.

Round 4, Pick 110: DE Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech

Nov 30, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies defensive lineman Antwaun Powell-Ryland (52) sacks Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Tony Muskett (7) during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Antwaun Powell-Ryland feels very Eagles esc. when it comes to his size, at only 251 pounds he is able to generate high level speed and leverage at the DE position. The saints desperately need to get away from their giant frame DE narrative, and Powell-Ryland’s production in 2024 makes you happy to do so.

Round 4, Pick 130: S Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin

MADISON, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 07: Hunter Wohler #24 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts toward the student section after breaking up a pass in the second quarter against the South Dakota Coyotes at Camp Randall Stadium on September 07, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

Hunter Wohler feels very reminiscent of the Dallas Cowboys safeties Kellen Moore Worked with, most similarly to Jayron Kearse. Despite low interception numbers, his tackling is off the charts and consistent production in coverage makes him an intriguing option to add to the Saints DB room.

Round 6, Pick 186: QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

Dec 20, 2024; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (9) throws during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Kurtis Rourke is an intriguing QB prospect who despite playing in the MAC for 5 of his 6 seasons was extremely productive. In 2024 at Indiana he broke out and was a quality quarterback for the Hoosiers, and could be a good depth piece for New Orleans to develop over time.

Round 7, Pick 254: WR Bru McCoy, Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – OCTOBER 12: Bru McCoy #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs with the ball in the first quarter during the game against the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

As much as I wanted to select wide receiver earlier, the value was not there as much as I would have preferred, and there are free agents with ties to Moore (Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Noah Brown) who could fill the role. With that, since we’re working on getting offensive weapons for Moore to work with, let’s build up the wide receiver group with Bru McCoy. At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds he has a quality frame to build off of and could be a jump ball receiver the Saints desperately need for red zone targets.