I’m inclined to think the Saints would ideally like to leave this draft w/ Bowers (2 Viewers)

[Kegger]

I have run a few dozen mock drafts and we potentially could have the opportunity to draft Fuaga at 14 and Jordan Morgan at 45. Then we could move penning to left guard and the offensive line would be set for several seasons.

I've seen it said that Penning is too tall to play Guard

 

[Infoman]

I've seen it said that Penning is too tall to play Guard

Penning and Peat are the same height.... both I have seen listed at 6' 7'' or something close... Not saying, just saying.

 

[Lionsaint]

Different players and circumstances but they moved peat inside pretty quick. I was never as down on him at LG as some but after this past season I’m wondering how well he would have done at LT if allowed to develop more when he younger. Penning has played what, 7 games (I think), at LT and everyone wants to write him off completely or move him inside to LG. Seems way too soon to make either of those decisions. Just my opinion.

 

[St. Widge]

Different players and circumstances but they moved peat inside pretty quick. I was never as down on him at LG as some but after this past season I’m wondering how well he would have done at LT if allowed to develop more when he younger. Penning has played what, 7 games (I think), at LT and everyone wants to write him off completely or move him inside to LG. Seems way too soon to make either of those decisions. Just my opinion.

Personally I just want them to take the BPA at #14, which I think it is likely an OT, and not let Penning affect who they pick. If the pick is a LT then I'd move Penning to RT and if that OT is a RT then I would keep Penning at LT and sign Peat to compete with him or backup if Penning can win the job. And if we take both a LT and RT let the three of them compete an the best two start at OT and you move the other to LG.

Basically, I don't want to make decisions based on what we are going to do with Penning. They just need to draft the best players they can and if it means that Penning has to move to RT or LG then so be it.

 

[Jesse Custer]

With Ram's knee, getting a tackle of some kind becomes a priority in the first two rounds.

 

[Lionsaint]

I agree we need a OT. Right or left I don’t care. Only way I’m good with us not getting an OT is if we get Bowers. My point with Penning had nothing to do with who we should draft. Just saying I hope the team doesn’t move him inside after just a handful a games even though he played bad at LT in those games.

 

[DSnfla]

I completely agree but honestly, I don't think any one player we draft this year makes a difference on the number of games we win this year. The odds of that happening are quite low. I really like Bowers but rookie TE's coming in and having a major impact in year one are really rare. So basically you have to look at Bowers numbers this season minus the numbers of the TE position without him and then add back in the expected numbers of the players that would have gotten the ball without him. I know LaPorta made a big impact last season with Detroit but that's really quite rare.

I still think we should draft a QB this season. I really got my hopes up for Penix but it looks like he'll go top 10 now. If he is there at the most important position and we draft a TE I really am not optimistic. I also really don't like the QB's next year. This year's class is spectacular. Penix would be the consensus #1 pick next season. I would even be ok with trading up for him. If we aren't going to do a full rebuild 3 seasons post Brees then we at least have to put some contingencies in place or last season may have been the high of this franchise for the next decade.

I agree with taking Bowers @14 and that the odds are that he's gone, but he is not just a rookie TE. He's the best TE prospect in quite a few yrs. Drafting Bowers would very much have an impact on W/L he opens up so much and would disguise many other things we do at a position that we would not have gotten much production from.
I also disagree with drafting a QB this yr and probably next yr. DC is here for probably 2 more seasons. The advantage to having that prized rookie QB is his salary. If we say drafted a QB this yr then we still have to pay DC for another 2 yrs so by yr 3 if that QB is starting we get only a couple yrs to see if he is THE guy before we have to pay him big $ and eat up a bigger % of the cap. I think the thing to do is build a good OL , shore up some positions on D and add talent to the team in the next 2 yrs while getting down the cap. Then you draft your QB that you think is gonna be the guy. he'll have a strong OL WR's that are reaching their prime. a D with some younger core players. That gives the new franchise QB a strong cast to work with.
Also there is no way I'd trade up for Penix. 1st we would not have to , he'll be there @ 14 , and like I said this is not the yr to draft a QB

 

[DSnfla]

I have run a few dozen mock drafts and we potentially could have the opportunity to draft Fuaga at 14 and Jordan Morgan at 45. Then we could move penning to left guard and the offensive line would be set for several seasons.

Fuaga has only played RT and really projects as a G. to think that he would come in and start @ LT is a reach Morgan also projects as a G his pocket range is not good he gets beat around the outside , not good for a OT
Moving Penning to G would not be wise at this time. He will be given every chance to be starting LT above anyone we bring in including a draft pick or even Peat . Most of TP's problems are gone with Marrone, Look for him to be much improved under Barton and Dennison

 

[SweetT]

I find it funny that so many people on here thin the only way we're fixing the OT issue is by drafting 1 @ 14. Do you really think that if we draft Bowers or Odunze or maybe even Nabors @ 14 we are nit going to add a FA OT like Peat or Becton as insurance if Penning is not ready to start?? Ya'll act like if we don't get an OT @ 14 the OL is lost

There was a stretch of 5-6 years where the Packers and the Patriots both did not draft any OLine in the 1st rd. Both had great QBs, but both were two different QBs in certain ways. TB12 was not mobile and stayed in the pocket. Rogers improvised with his legs, when he had to improvise. Both of those teams during that 5-6 year stretch had crazy success by going deep into the playoffs every year. Both are considered HOF and one is what people call the GOAT. Now, if those teams had these types of QBs, why wouldn’t they draft Olinemen during those 5-6 years? Many would say that Rogers did not have a good OLine. Yet how was he able to have success and get his team to deep playoff runs?!?! He found a way to get the ball to his playmakers, by improvising with the play calling. Like I said before……coaching.
TB12 was said to have a good Oline during that stretch, but they were a product of finding system receivers who were quick off the LOS. They picked apart the defense until they had an opportunity to take a “kill shot”. Once again……coaching. Teams do not need a 1st round player all across their Oline. If you have good coaching and a good offensive system in place, with a better than average QB, you can have success. Coaching has to find a way to mask their deficiencies. Just re-sign Peat (I can’t believe I’m actually saying that) and let the draft come to us.

 

[DSnfla]

There was a stretch of 5-6 years where the Packers and the Patriots both did not draft any OLine in the 1st rd. Both had great QBs, but both were two different QBs in certain ways. TB12 was not mobile and stayed in the pocket. Rogers improvised with his legs, when he had to improvise. Both of those teams during that 5-6 year stretch had crazy success by going deep into the playoffs every year. Both are considered HOF and one is what people call the GOAT. Now, if those teams had these types of QBs, why wouldn’t they draft Olinemen during those 5-6 years? Many would say that Rogers did not have a good OLine. Yet how was he able to have success and get his team to deep playoff runs?!?! He found a way to get the ball to his playmakers, by improvising with the play calling. Like I said before……coaching.
TB12 was said to have a good Oline during that stretch, but they were a product of finding system receivers who were quick off the LOS. They picked apart the defense until they had an opportunity to take a “kill shot”. Once again……coaching. Teams do not need a 1st round player all across their Oline. If you have good coaching and a good offensive system in place, with a better than average QB, you can have success. Coaching has to find a way to mask their deficiencies. Just re-sign Peat (I can’t believe I’m actually saying that) and let the draft come to us.

What those teams had as a HOF QB that was going to be there for yrs. We do not. So it makes sense since we are in kind of a soft rebuild that we shore up the OL for the next guy we get to be THE QB. While NE didn't draft a lot of OL in the 1st they did draft quite a few in 2-4 rds , And NE have never really been that great at the draft

 

[SweetT]

What those teams had as a HOF QB that was going to be there for yrs. We do not. So it makes sense since we are in kind of a soft rebuild that we shore up the OL for the next guy we get to be THE QB. While NE didn't draft a lot of OL in the 1st they did draft quite a few in 2-4 rds , And NE have never really been that great at the draft

So wouldn’t a team draft Olinemen high to protect these HOF QBs? I would think so, but for half a decade they didn’t. Sure the QB skill level has something to do with it, but our Oline only gave up 38 sacks in 2022. Dalton was ranked as one of the safest QBs in the league, despite us not having at least 1 starter on the Oline in 11 of 17 games. If Penning was not considered a starter, then we didn’t field at least 1 starter for 17 games. How did we accomplish that much, with a QB well past his prime in Andy Dalton? Along with being a guy who should have never been a starting QB at that time. He was protected and claimed as “clean” on 71% of his passes.
Now, how did the same returning Olinemen completely forgot how to block in 2023 when we upgraded the QB position? Their efficiency dropped dramatically. The Oline started to click in week 12. Some can say it was bc we played terrible teams, but we had an easy schedule all year. So I’m not buying that. I firmly believe that our issues was coaching and miscommunication at the forefront.

 

[bclemms]

I agree with taking Bowers @14 and that the odds are that he's gone, but he is not just a rookie TE. He's the best TE prospect in quite a few yrs. Drafting Bowers would very much have an impact on W/L he opens up so much and would disguise many other things we do at a position that we would not have gotten much production from.
I also disagree with drafting a QB this yr and probably next yr. DC is here for probably 2 more seasons. The advantage to having that prized rookie QB is his salary. If we say drafted a QB this yr then we still have to pay DC for another 2 yrs so by yr 3 if that QB is starting we get only a couple yrs to see if he is THE guy before we have to pay him big $ and eat up a bigger % of the cap. I think the thing to do is build a good OL , shore up some positions on D and add talent to the team in the next 2 yrs while getting down the cap. Then you draft your QB that you think is gonna be the guy. he'll have a strong OL WR's that are reaching their prime. a D with some younger core players. That gives the new franchise QB a strong cast to work with.
Also there is no way I'd trade up for Penix. 1st we would not have to , he'll be there @ 14 , and like I said this is not the yr to draft a QB

You dont skip over franchise QB’s for a bad coach.

 

[iChill]

 

[St. Widge]

So wouldn’t a team draft Olinemen high to protect these HOF QBs? I would think so, but for half a decade they didn’t. Sure the QB skill level has something to do with it, but our Oline only gave up 38 sacks in 2022. Dalton was ranked as one of the safest QBs in the league, despite us not having at least 1 starter on the Oline in 11 of 17 games. If Penning was not considered a starter, then we didn’t field at least 1 starter for 17 games. How did we accomplish that much, with a QB well past his prime in Andy Dalton? Along with being a guy who should have never been a starting QB at that time. He was protected and claimed as “clean” on 71% of his passes.
Now, how did the same returning Olinemen completely forgot how to block in 2023 when we upgraded the QB position? Their efficiency dropped dramatically. The Oline started to click in week 12. Some can say it was bc we played terrible teams, but we had an easy schedule all year. So I’m not buying that. I firmly believe that our issues was coaching and miscommunication at the forefront.

Something like 63% of All-Pro and Pro-Bowl OL are drafted in the 1st round. Then like 16% or so are drafted in the 2nd. It's clear that you find the best OL in the upper rounds of the draft. And that's not unusual since you would expect the best players at any position to be drafted high. Some you can get lower because they are devalued positions like S, RB, and to some extent LB (not EDGE rushing LBs), but that is not the case with OT.

Some teams get lucky and manage to get good OL in later rounds, but those are the exceptions, not the rule.

A team shouldn't force an OL pick early in a draft if the value isn't right, but it would be dumb to just decide not to take OL high in drafts under any circumstances.

 

[SweetT]

Something like 63% of All-Pro and Pro-Bowl OL are drafted in the 1st round. Then like 16% or so are drafted in the 2nd. It's clear that you find the best OL in the upper rounds of the draft. And that's not unusual since you would expect the best players at any position to be drafted high. Some you can get lower because they are devalued positions like S, RB, and to some extent LB (not EDGE rushing LBs), but that is not the case with OT.

Some teams get lucks and manage to get good OL in later rounds, but those are the exceptions, not the rule.

A team shouldn't force an OL pick early in a draft if the value isn't right, but it would be dumb to just decide not to take OL high in drafts under any circumstances.

So the fact that we have drafted Oline better in later rounds, makes us the exception, not the rule.