Rookie report card: Grading the Saints 2024 Draft (7 Viewers)

[St. Widge]

I'm on the fence about Kool-Aid and Taylor on their spots.

I saw, what looked like lacksidasical play from Kool Aid at times on the boundary. Sometimes he looked like he made business decisions on tackles, etc. When he's in coverage however, I liked what I saw from him technique wise. I just didn't always like that he looked lazy.

Meanwhile Alontae in the slot to me is a missed tackle waiting to happen. I feel like on the boundary his propensity for bigger hits are less exposed when he misses because the sideline is an extra defender. When it happens in the MOF it usually results in longer gains.

That's fair, I just felt like Taylor covered better and tackled better in the slot for whatever reason. He just seemed to be on the verge of becoming a elite slot before we moved him back outside. Maybe it was a matter of thinking too much converting back to boundary CB.

 

[Saint Greg]

Fuaga A+ - Everything you could ask for.
Kool-Aid A+ - Rookie starter on the cheap.
Rattler B+ - Future starter at QB.
Means D - Eh. Camp body so far.
Ford D- Double Eh. - Not a lot of talent ahead of him and nothing.
Boyd D - Potential still.
Ezirim D- Made the practice squad.

He pulled both hamstrings in camp and broke his leg a couple weeks ago. When a rookie misses all of camp due to injury it's usually a redshirt year. He should be incomplete.

 

[MikeyF]

My initial thought is that Khristian Boyd's grade should also be an incomplete...

DT from FCS schools usually don't see playing time during their rookie season.

Good news is that his draft profile has him rated at being able to play NT if we switch to a 3-4 base D.

 

[MikeyF]

Spencer Rattler- Been some growing pains, but has also shown a ton of flashes of his potential. Thought he played well in 3 of his past 4 appearances for us (Green Bay game was rough). If he continues to develop in the offseason, he has all the tools to be a good starting QB in the NFL. He's type of player that if he "hits" and reaches his potential, could not only make this draft class great, but also turn this franchise around. Still too early to claim he's "the guy", but there certainly has been some signs that he "could be".

I'm actually glad he had a less than stellar year.
He will go into the off-season & work his butt off to get better...

 

[MikeyF]

He played a pretty good game Sunday, but his last few starts we solid but not great. I would hope that he gets significantly better next year. Although, I will say that he often looked better than Taylor as an outside CB. I really hope they can work out a new deal with Adebo so they can move Taylor back into the slot and let Kool-Aid develop at outside CB. Taylor might be able to play boundary CB, but he was starting to look really good in the Slot and I think that may be his best position.

Rico Payton might be a CB that steps up next year.
Hopefully he continues to work hard & get better.

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

I am grading just the draft class and not considering the undrafted free agents we signed. Also, consider that we did not have picks in rounds three and four and had only two picks in the first four rounds, though we had three picks in the fifth round.

My grade is a solid B on the edge of B plus because we drafted the best player we have picked since the 2017 draft, Taliese Fuaga; a second-rounder who played and has some potential; and a quarterback who possibly can be a starting quarterback, Spencer Rattler. You have to hit on your picks in the first two rounds, which means production certainly by year two. Over the last seven drafts, we have had too few draft picks--especially in the first four rounds; and too many high picks who for different reasons were a major disappointment--Davenport, Turner, and Foskey--or remain questionable (Penning).

 

[madsaint1967]

Rico Payton might be a CB that steps up next year.
Hopefully he continues to work hard & get better.

If we get a coach in here that puts everyone we have into a level evaluation ( like CSP did when he got here) he might stand out. I’m all for letting the best players on the field, drafted or not. Teams waste a lot of time trying to turn high draft picks into stars when they know they don’t have “it” for fear of losing face. We’ve wasted years on DEs that don’t have “it”, simply because the front office can’t take an L and move on!!

 

[SAINTSFAN]

Kool-Aid's grade is definitely base on how he ended the season.
He stepped up after the Lattimore trade!

He had a good last game. He was very inconsistent before that game.

 

[St. Widge]

Rico Payton might be a CB that steps up next year.
Hopefully he continues to work hard & get better.

I did really like the way Payton played in preseason.

 

[St. Widge]

If we get a coach in here that puts everyone we have into a level evaluation ( like CSP did when he got here) he might stand out. I’m all for letting the best players on the field, drafted or not. Teams waste a lot of time trying to turn high draft picks into stars when they know they don’t have “it” for fear of losing face. We’ve wasted years on DEs that don’t have “it”, simply because the front office can’t take an L and move on!!

I don't even think it was about draft position vs UFFA for DA. I think he was just too risk adverse to play young players unless he was forced to do it.