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We’re closing in on the 2024 NFL draft, which is expected to be a critical juncture for the New Orleans Saints. If they can’t do a good job addressing their most important needs (with the few picks they own at the top of the draft), they’ll risk falling into a hole that’s almost impossible to climb back out of.
Fans saw firsthand how drafting poorly could set the team back in 2021. Lacking a quarterback and depth at wideout during Sean Payton’s last year as head coach (and, effectively, the organization’s top decision-maker) the Saints started their draft with a reach and finished it by rolling the dice on some ill-advised gambles. But they did manage to unearth some young talent along the way.
Conventional wisdom in the NFL says you need three years to thoroughly evaluate a draft class. The Saints’ 2021 crop is entering their fourth year in the pros now, so let’s take a look back and grade each selection:
Continue reading...Fans saw firsthand how drafting poorly could set the team back in 2021. Lacking a quarterback and depth at wideout during Sean Payton’s last year as head coach (and, effectively, the organization’s top decision-maker) the Saints started their draft with a reach and finished it by rolling the dice on some ill-advised gambles. But they did manage to unearth some young talent along the way.
Conventional wisdom in the NFL says you need three years to thoroughly evaluate a draft class. The Saints’ 2021 crop is entering their fourth year in the pros now, so let’s take a look back and grade each selection: