With the 9th Pick in the 2025 draft, who should the Saints select? (merged) (131 Viewers)

[WhoDat?DrewDat]

JHC dude... All this has been addressed here - I am not ignoring anything - go back and find my responses to all this... The Saints have 4 out of 5 starters that were already 1st or 2nd round picks - We have built the roster already - Stop doubling down on stupid - and start drafting point scorers... That's my take.... full stop.

I'm not arguing to draft another OLineman. Most of us on here are not arguing that.

We are arguing that the Saints are not in a place talent wise to draft a running back 9th overall. Something that has NEVER translated to winning in the modern era.

We are desperate for WR, TE, Edge, iDL, LB, FS, SS. All of these positions are in desperate need of attention before we address the running back position.

 

[St. Widge]

But 'your eyes' don't escape the fact that the same Detroit team could equally build their running attack around a player drafted 12th or acquired as a veteran free agent.

But this was just to counter your argument that a player taken 12th overall is the requirement for top end TD production. I honestly think that while Gibbs was considered over drafted at the time, the Lions knew that he fit into their system, could benefit from their run scheme and (of course) the ability of those high end, blue chip OL picks playing in front of him. He was a great pick for the team at the time.

But that definitely doesn't mean it's the rule to go looking for a Gibbs in the first round. As various examples and contradictory evidence shows.

I'd also point out that when Jamal Williams was running behind that Detroit OL, he lead the league in TDs. Not quite the same production behind our OL.

As for the general topic, I think there are lots of ways to build a winning team. I tend to lean to the get the big guys first and then add the other guys. Thing is this team has some of the little guys in Olave, Shaheed, and Kamara. What we lack is a good OL and an even average DL.

But, we really need help everywhere so I hope they take BPA at #9. If Jeanty is there, I hope they trade down for extra picks. If the offers aren't good value and he is BPA then take him. But, if McMillian is there I hope they take him. At the same point, at this point, I'd take Graham, Carter, and Will Johnson over Jeanty. Tough choice for me if Graham, Carter, and McMillan were there, but I highly doubt that happens.

The best case scenario for this team is for one of the top 9 players other than Jeanty to be there.

 

[3ParStillDriver]

I'm not arguing to draft another OLineman. Most of us on here are not arguing that.

We are arguing that the Saints are not in a place talent wise to draft a running back 9th overall. Something that has NEVER translated to winning in the modern era.

We are desperate for WR, TE, Edge, iDL, LB, FS, SS. All of these positions are in desperate need of attention before we address the running back position.

This line of thinking has proven time and again to be a failing draft philosophy. We always here how any rookie drafted needs to spend a couple of years before they are viewed as dependable, and to determine if the pick was worth it where the player was taken.

you're not drafting for now, you're drafting for two years from now. And two years from now, we have no answer for RB. But we will have a ready and made Oline to support one.

You want a WR, but we have no answer for QB two years from now to throw the ball to them. You demand a defense, but you need at least a handful of good players to completely rebuild it and any defensive player drafted may not work out, so you could still go into next year's draft needing at least a handful of defensive players.

Absolutely nothing wrong with taking a generational talent at 9th overall to secure a running game two years from now since we may not have a passing attack nor a defense regardless of who we take 9th overall in this draft.

You don't pass on a franchise player just because you have needs at other positions this season. Also, how many times have the professionals said to never draft by need? All the time.

The Vikings proved back in 2007, when they selected Adrian Peterson while having no offense at all and he single handedly helped that team become a playoff contender in 2008 with an offense otherwise devoid of talent and good coaching.

 

[Hubig]

The days of running the football and throwing for under 300 yard games are back in full swing. Kendre Miller should be cut, he is unreliable and the Saints need to start moving on from these kinda players, RB will be a need this year. That being said, it just depends when you wanna pull the trigger on one in the draft.

 

[Infoman]

I'm not arguing to draft another OLineman. Most of us on here are not arguing that.

We are arguing that the Saints are not in a place talent wise to draft a running back 9th overall. Something that has NEVER translated to winning in the modern era.

We are desperate for WR, TE, Edge, iDL, LB, FS, SS. All of these positions are in desperate need of attention before we address the running back position.

We are in a place where all options at all positions that are capable of scoring points and making the offense looks less like the JV team... ALL POSITOINS - are in play - RB included.

I have already addressed that - in fact - This team took a RB #2 overall in 2005 - And that pick was a HUGE and arguably most impactful piece that lead directly to completely transforming this franchise into winning and SB contending team...

Also - What has happened in the past - has no impact on the future...

We are desperate everywhere... We are not going to agree that RB is some exception or holds less weight... Especially with one like Jaunty... So let's move on.

 

[nakadish]

Your lack of football knowledge is showing. Now we are in agreeance about Ruiz, but Fuaga and Penning were healthy al 17 games and played well as neither was a turnstile.

Agreed. I think Penning is solid, but certainly not worth his draft grade. And Fuaga played pretty well for a rookie, but not as well as most expected, although much of that may be because of the play of the guy next to him.

But the point still remains. The Saints have 3 #1 picks and a #2, and the D-line has 4 #1 picks. The Saints HAVE been trying to build the trenches while ignoring other positions, and where has that gotten them? Besides Olave, when have the Saints not drafted O-line or D-line in the first round.

The Saints were at their best under Payton when they had high round draft picks at the skill positions - Reggie Bush, Meachem, Henderson, and a O-line made up of mostly lower round draft picks - except tackle.

When they went away from that model, what happened? They had Drew behind a solid O-line throwing to UDFA receivers and they got beat in the playoffs because they didn't match up talent wise. Teams could double MT and there was nobody else to hurt them.

It's not a mistake that most of the top playmakers in the NFL came from the top of the draft.

Right now all teams have to do is double Olave, and force someone else to beat them. We don't have that guy on the team so the Saints will lose no matter how good the O-line is till they get more playmakers.

 

[St. Widge]

I will never understand the logic of we have spend a lot of high picks on OL and DL but still have a sheetty OL and DL so we should stop drafting players on the OL and DL. It doesn't matter how many picks you have spend on OL and DL, you have to find a way to make them better. That can be through the draft or through free agency. But, this team has no money to spend in free agency so it has to be through the draft.

You don't force a DL or OL pick at #9 if the value isn't there, but it would be dumb to not take an OL or DL at #9 if they are BPA just because you have already invested a lot of resources that resulted in a sheetty OL and DL.

 

[nakadish]

I will never understand the logic of we have spend a lot of high picks on OL and DL but still have a sheetty OL and DL so we should stop drafting players on the OL and DL. It doesn't matter how many picks you have spend on OL and DL, you have to find a way to make them better. That can be through the draft or through free agency. But, this team has no money to spend in free agency so it has to be through the draft.

You don't force a DL or OL pick at #9 if the value isn't there, but it would be dumb to not take an OL or DL at #9 if they are BPA just because you have already invested a lot of resources that resulted in a sheetty OL and DL.

Remind me of the definition of insanity again? How about we try something different if something isn't working after like the 5th time?

 

[St. Widge]

Agreed. I think Penning is solid, but certainly not worth his draft grade. And Fuaga played pretty well for a rookie, but not as well as most expected, although much of that may be because of the play of the guy next to him.

But the point still remains. The Saints have 3 #1 picks and a #2, and the D-line has 4 #1 picks. The Saints HAVE been trying to build the trenches while ignoring other positions, and where has that gotten them? Besides Olave, when have the Saints not drafted O-line or D-line in the first round.

The Saints were at their best under Payton when they had high round draft picks at the skill positions - Reggie Bush, Meachem, Henderson, and a O-line made up of mostly lower round draft picks - except tackle.

When they went away from that model, what happened? They had Drew behind a solid O-line throwing to UDFA receivers and they got beat in the playoffs because they didn't match up talent wise. Teams could double MT and there was nobody else to hurt them.

It's not a mistake that most of the top playmakers in the NFL came from the top of the draft.

Right now all teams have to do is double Olave, and force someone else to beat them. We don't have that guy on the team so the Saints will lose no matter how good the O-line is till they get more playmakers.

The Saints best WRs with Payton were not high round picks outside of MT who was a 2nd round pick later in Payton's career. The Super Bowl team was built on a 7th round pick. Meachum was a bust. And Henderson never lived up to being a 2nd round pick although he did become a good deep threat after a few years.

So it's not really fair to say that we were good because we spent high round picks on WRs and RBs. We were good despite bad picks at WR. Mostly because Drew Brees could throw anyone open.

 

[Dallas_Saint73]

Jeanty at 9. Then O-line, DT, EDGE. CB in later rounds (not in that particular order).

 

[St. Widge]

Remind me of the definition of insanity again? How about we try something different if something isn't working after like the 5th time?

That's a cute cliche, but how are you going to fix the OL and DL without drafting players on the OL and DL while we are $60 plus million over the cap?

 

[nakadish]

The Saints best WRs with Payton were not high round picks outside of MT who was a 2nd round pick later in Payton's career. The Super Bowl team was built on a 7th round pick. Meachum was a bust. And Henderson never lived up to being a 2nd round pick although he did become a good deep threat after a few years.

So it's not really fair to say that we were good because we spent high round picks on WRs and RBs. We were good despite bad picks at WR. Mostly because Drew Brees could throw anyone open.

True, but Payton also tried the rest of his career to find a Colston, but never was able to duplicate it. Colston was an outlier, not something you can count on getting latter in the draft when you've been sucking for a few years.

 

[guillermo]

This is an interesting discussion, but to be honest, I think we simply have to go BPA.

Like it or not, if we are lucky, we are in a 3 year rebuild to be competitive again.

We need as many picks as we can. And we need to build a competitive team around Carr, who will keep the position until we have a young franchise quarterback.

I don't mind to have 2 very bad years if we see improvements in attitude and competitiveness. That happened in Detroit. First two years of Campbell, the results didn't come, but you see they were getting somewhere.

I am all for starting building the lines first, but if there is a much better option a different postion, I may go out and take it.

 

[tyler735]

At this point, I’m on board for Mason Graham, or Tetairoa if available when we pick at #9. However it seems doubtful that will be the case.

If neither is on the board still, I’d see if we could trade down to either Dallas at 12 or Denver at 20. Looking at the teams behind us, those 2 teams stick out as teams potentially willing to trade up for Jeanty. Obviously if it was Denver they would need to give more in a trade scenario, which isn’t all that bad. If we were able to trade down in either of those scenarios, I’d have Tre Harris and Tyler Warren as my top 2 targets after a trade down while picking up an extra 2nd (and ideally an extra 3rd if Denver trades).

If we can’t trade down, then I’m all in on Jeanty getting arguably the best player in this draft at pick #9 even though it’s not our biggest need. I’d then want at least 1 of Harold Fannin, Orande Gadsden II, or Jayden Higgins on day 2 of the draft. Still really want a bigger bodied receiving threat with reliable hands that can consistently win in contested catch situations and move the chains for us.

 

[nakadish]

That's a cute cliche, but how are you going to fix the OL and DL without drafting players on the OL and DL while we are $60 plus million over the cap?

We do need to fix the O-line and D-line. But we can't ignore everything else for years on end, either. We've been focusing on O-line and D-line for years, and those haven't panned out, and we don't have any talent at other positions now either. I'm just say that we should spread out the high round draft picks to more than one position group.

And I would argue that WR, TE, and RB outside of Kamara are weaker position groups than O-line or D-line.