Dennis Allen is entering his third season as the New Orleans Saints head coach. His tenure has proven many things but one of those is his ability to properly identify and address a need, specifically in the NFL draft. Quality of the players is up for debate, however, he’s proven he knows what holes need to be filled. This is noteworthy when predicting the 2024 first-round pick.
Wide receiver was a major issue going into his inaugural season. Sean Payton trusted his offensive acumen, to a fault, to scheme players open. Allen didn’t have the luxury to even be that confident as a defensive minded coach. Chris Olave was Allen’s first pick. The other clearly glaring hole was offensive tackle that season after Terron Armstead’s departure. This led to Trevor Penning being the second first-round pick of 2022.
Last season, the Saints were in desperate need of pass rush. The response was to draft a defensive tackle and defensive end in the first two rounds. Bryan Bresee delivered in his first year while Isaiah Foskey played a season-high 20 snaps in a Week 5 blowout of the Patriots.
As they say “results may vary.” Olave and Bresee are examples of good picks, while Penning and Foskey haven’t truly seen enough time to fully know what they will be. His talent evaluation may be spotty, but he has shown an understanding of what needs must be addressed. The Saints have needs at offensive tackle, defensive end and wide receiver. Those needs aren’t as glaring as year’s past, but those are the most likely first round candidates.
