If there’s ever been a year for Mickey Loomis to break his streak of NFL drafts without a trade down (dating back to 2007!), it’s this one: the New Orleans Saints are getting perilously older at multiple positions and they’re short on draft picks. Restocking the roster is going to be tough with just two picks in the top four rounds.
At the same time, the 2024 draft class is remarkably top-heavy. A historically small class of underclassmen declaring has winnowed the talent available in the later rounds, where the Saints expect to have most of their selections once compensatory draft picks are announced in a week or two. Some crafty maneuvering — moving down early on, packaging those later picks to move up in the middle rounds — could pay off in a big way.
But beyond Loomis continuing to snub trade offers and move down, there isn’t much historical precedent for trading out of the 14th pick. We went back and studied every draft class since 2004 to get an idea of what the Saints could ask for in a trade down in 2024:
2023
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded up from No. 17, sending the New England Patriots a fourth-round pick (No. 120). Pittsburgh was targeting Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones who played two games at left tackle before starting 11 consecutive games at right tackle.
2021
The New York Jets traded up with the Minnesota Vikings, who sent back a fourth rounder (No. 143) to move down from the 14th overall pick to the Jets’ selection at No. 23. Minnesota added a pair of third-round picks (Nos. 66 and 86) for their trouble. The Jets spent the 14th pick on offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker who started his rookie year at left guard and has spent time at three other positions since.
2018
Ugh. The Saints were on the wrong side of a trade down this year — they sent their fifth-round pick (No. 147) and the next year’s first rounder so they could move up from No. 27 to the 14th pick, targeting Marcus Davenport. The Green Bay Packers made off like bandits in this deal.
2007
This was a blockbuster: the Jets traded all the way up to No. 14 from the 25th pick, sending the Carolina Panthers their second- and fifth-round selections (Nos. 59 and 164). Carolina did send back a sixth rounder (No. 191) to balance the scales. And the player New York coveted so badly? Darrelle Revis, a four-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, and recent inductee to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
