We’ve got the latest New Orleans Saints picks in a new three-round mock draft from Curt Popejoy over at Draft Wire, which brought them a first-round defensive lineman and added some new elements on offense.
You can find our own Saints Wire staff collaborative mock draft here, but let’s dig into each pick from this projection and consider whether they were the best fit with the prospects available at those slots:
Round 1, Pick 29: DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson
Bresee has been a popular pick for the Saints — everyone knows they’re looking for more help along the defensive line, and he’s widely considered to be a prospect teams are targeting near the end of the first round. He’s also been hit with some of the same red flags other recent Saints first rounders have carried: an injury history, inconsistent on-field performance, and sky-high athletic potential. The Saints have swung and missed on first-round defensive linemen like Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner, and they could do it again with Bresee.
Round 2, Pick 40: RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
Gibbs has drawn a lot of comparisons to Alvin Kamara, so it makes sense to add him to the depth chart if either of these things are true: Kamara will be suspended for six or more games this year, and the Saints plan to move on from him next offseason. Pairing Gibbs with Jamaal Williams would give the Saints a very dynamic one-two punch at running back, and having all three players available is an embarrassment of riches. But if Kamara is still in the team’s long-term plans, drafting a running back this early might be a tough sell.
Round 3, Pick 71: WR Kayshon Boutte, LSU
Boutte has had a rough pre-draft process. He put up pedestrian numbers at the NFL scouting combine and chose to stand on them at LSU’s pro day last week, and his stock appears to be tumbling as other receivers climb up draft boards. He’s also coming off a kind-of-mediocre final season at LSU with too many dropped passes and just 48 receptions for 538 yards. Other receivers who better fit what the Saints look for athletically and stylistically in this mock draft were Rashee Rice (drafted at 74) and Xavier Hutchinson (picked at 102).
