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Draft Grade — Saints
Overall
B-
ValueC+
NeedB+
TradesD
FutureA
The Saints checked most of the boxes and earned a B-. If confidence were a draft strategy, the Saints would have aced it. Tommy Mellott at the 254th overall pick is 132 spots clear of where he belonged.
That Ransaw pick is the receipt they will wave around later. The dealing tilted against them, just enough to notice.
They left with edge rusher solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off. Stockpiling next year's capital is patient, if unglamorous, asset work.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick Analysis
Pick30
Rnd1
Landon Jackson
In pick No. 30 they get juice off the edge, even if it was a touch early. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick40
Rnd2
Donovan Ezeiruaku
Donovan Ezeiruaku at pick 40 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick71
Rnd3
Omarr Norman-Lott
Omarr Norman-Lott at the Round 3 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick90
Rnd3
Charles Grant
Charles Grant at the 90th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick93
Rnd3
Chris Paul Jr.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Chris Paul Jr. at Round 3, Pick 29 is the proof. A minor itch, scratched.
Pick101
Rnd3
Kevin Winston Jr.
Kevin Winston Jr. at slot 101 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the safety. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick128
Rnd4
Denzel Burke
A tidy bit of business in slot 128, where Denzel Burke graded well above the range. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick131
Rnd4
Emery Jones Jr.
Emery Jones Jr. is a better player than the 131st overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick149
Rnd5
Jah Joyner
Jah Joyner at pick No. 149 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick171
Rnd5
DJ Giddens
By-the-book stuff, DJ Giddens at No. 171 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick184
Rnd6
Dont'e Thornton Jr.
They paid sticker price for Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the Round 6 slot, and that is fine. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick205
Rnd6
Thomas Fidone II
Fair-plus on Thomas Fidone II, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick245
Rnd7
Caleb Ransaw
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Caleb Ransaw in pick 245, plain and simple. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Pick248
Rnd7
Sam Brown Jr.
They took Sam Brown Jr. at par in the 248th pick, which is nothing to complain about. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick254
Rnd7
Tommy Mellott
They reached into another round for Tommy Mellott, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A need, and now a little less of one.