Mock draft season begins to ramp up as the NFL regular season begins to wind down. The New Orleans Saints draft spot is up in the air, with the NFC South winner still undecided. They currently sit around the middle of the first round, which Curt Popejoy used for his recent three-round mock draft for Draft Wire.
With the No. 13 overall selection, this mock draft has the Saints selecting UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu. This would be a stellar, albeit characteristic, selection for New Orleans. Some believe Latu to be the best defensive prospect in the draft, but (Saints fans cover your eyes) has serious medical concerns. Latu suffered a neck injury during his sophomore season that caused him to medically retire from football. He was cleared to play in 2022 and has been good to go for the past two seasons. During those two seasons he has racked up 23.5 sacks and 34 tackles for a loss along with two interceptions. He’s a very talented player that could end up as a steal for the Saints.
In the second round, with the No. 46 overall selection, the Saints then took offensive tackle Jordan Morgan out of Arizona. The Trevor Penning selection is looking worse and worse as time goes on, so it is looking like the Saints may need to go back to the drawing board at left tackle. Pro Football Focus gave Morgan one of their highest pass blocking grade at 87.7 for last season. He is a large tackle with five seasons of football under his belt. The hope is that he would be able to come in and contribute early on.
