Team Needs: Pass-Rusher, Inside Linebacker, Cornerback, Wide Receiver

Saints’ Selections

Round 1- 13th overall

Round 1- 31st Overall

Round 2- 44th overall

Round 3- 75th overall

Round 3- 78th overall

Round 5- 148th overall

Round 5- 154th overall

Round 6- 187th overall

Round 7- 230th overall

Good fits early:

Arik Armstead:

Oregon’s Arik Armstead is an imposing defender defender with incredible size (6-foot-7 and 292 pounds). Armstead can play as a defensive end in a 3-4 defense or as a defensive tackle on a four-man defensive line. Despite being so tall, he plays with good pad level and he knows how to utilize his hips through contact. He is a force against the run and he is a steadily improving pass-rusher. Armstead would be a great fit in the New Orleans Saints’ defense and he could make a huge impact early.

Randy Gregory:

Nebraska’s Randy Gregory may be the best edge-rusher in this entire draft. Gregory is an incredible athlete who knows how to use it. He is a dynamic rusher off the edge as he combines his incredible quickness with great flexibility and great hand usage. As a run defender, Gregory displays a great deal of core strength and impressive discipline. Gregory has some off-field concerns, which is the reason he would still be available when the Saints are on the clock. However, if the Saints can come to grips with that, they could get one of the most explosive pass-rushers in this draft.

Marcus Peters:

The Saints had one of the worst secondaries in the NFL last season and they really need to improve the talent on the backend of the defense. Washington’s Marcus Peters would be the perfect man for the job. Peters is the best man-coverage cornerback in this draft and he has the potential to be a shutdown cornerback in the NFL. Peters is great in press coverage and he sticks to receivers like glue. The Saints play a great deal of man coverage and having Peters would open up the playbook for defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

Don’t Be Surprised If…

The Saints target a quarterback early in the draft. Drew Brees is entering the twilight of his career and the Saints need to find their quarterback of the future. The Saints could target a player like UCLA’s Brett Hundley or Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson in the second round and look to develop them for when Brees ultimately retires.

Potential late-round targets:

Chris Bonner:

If the Saints don’t look for a quarterback early, they will likely look for a developmental quarterback late in the draft. This year, there is no one better for that role than Colorado State-Pueblo’s Chris Bonner. He is a small-school quarterback with big time talent as he has a big arm and underrated feet. He understands how to move in the pocket to buy time and he doesn’t flinch with pressure in his face. Bonner will undoubtedly need time to adjust to the speed and throwing windows in the NFL, but if you give him a year or two, he could become a quality starting quarterback.

Davis Tull:

Tennessee-Chattanooga’s Davis Tull exploded onto the scene at the NFL Scouting Combine as he put together one of the best performances in the entire event. Tull is another small-school prospect who has outstanding production with the added caveat of being a fantastic athlete. He can win inside or outside as a pass-rusher and he understands how to position his body against the run. He doesn’t have great length and he will likely have to win with effort and hand usage in the NFL. He could be a great rotational pass-rusher for the Saints.

Geneo Grissom:

Another potential front-seven player who could be a great late find for the Saints is Oklahoma’s Geneo Grissom. He is a player with experience at outside linebacker and defensive end, which is good in the multiple schemes that Rob Ryan runs. He has good burst off the line of scrimmage and he knows how to stress an offensive tackles pass set. He has a great frame for the position and he has a lot of untapped potential.

What Would Be A Good Draft:

For the Saints, they have to improve their defense in this draft. They need to find impact players who can contribute at all three levels of the defense. If they fail to address their needs on defense, this draft will be a failure for them as a whole. Everyone knows that the Saints have a potent offense, but if they don’t use major resources to improve the defense, they will again be a sub-.500 football team.