By Ryan Arena | Herald Guide
It was an interesting NFL draft haul for the Saints, and off-brand to fan expectations – which, I suppose, is rather on-brand when it comes to the past few years of New Orleans drafts.
It was a defense-heavy draft, and it’s rather difficult to argue with the team’s track record in terms of scouting and drafting that side of the ball since Jeff Ireland joined the team’s front office. Of course, it is worth noting that the team did have a high-profile departure this offseason – Terry Fontenot left his post as the team’s vice president of pro personnel to become general manager of the Atlanta Falcons (BOOOOO!) so time will tell if or how his loss will be felt.
The team drafted prospects it was linked to prior to draft day, but those selections each came a bit ahead of where analysts had mocked them – Payton Turner, for example, was a popular slot for the team in round two, whereas the Saints took him in round one.
I don’t put much stock into that, though – not once you get out of the first 20 picks or so. I put even less stock into pre-draft projections this season (and last), because the process is, well, jacked up for lack of a better term. That’s due to COVID of course, and I suspect teams are putting additional stock into players they have some extra intel on (Pete Werner … an Ohio State product, to the Saints? You don’t say!). ...
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