andrewschoppe'S MOCK DRAFT
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Saints load up on the lines

  • andrewschoppe DRAFTING FOR THE
    Saints
Draft Selections
James Pearce Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 9 RND: 1 (NO)
James Pearce Jr.
DE-EDGE Tennessee
Kenneth Grant Head Shot
PICK: 40 RND: 2 (NO)
Kenneth Grant
DT Michigan
Donovan Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 71 RND: 3 (NO)
Donovan Jackson
OT Ohio State
Omarr Norman-Lott Head Shot
PICK: 91 RND: 3 (NO)
Omarr Norman-Lott
DT Tennessee
Kaleb Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 110 RND: 4 (NO)
Kaleb Johnson
RB Iowa
Collin Oliver Head Shot
PICK: 128 RND: 4 (NO)
Collin Oliver
LB-EDGE Oklahoma State
Connor Colby Head Shot
PICK: 182 RND: 6 (NO)
Connor Colby
OG Iowa
Akheem Mesidor Head Shot
PICK: 251 RND: 7 (NO)
Akheem Mesidor
DL-EDGE Miami
Nick Nash Head Shot
PICK: 254 RND: 7 (NO)
Nick Nash
WR San Jose State
Draft Grade — Saints
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
A solid, sensible weekend for the Saints: B-.

There is conviction, and then there is this. The Saints took Collin Oliver a full 153 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend.

Getting Johnson where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. A whole weekend of picks and cornerback is somehow still a want.

All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but cornerback.

Pick Analysis
Pick9 Rnd1 James Pearce Jr.
In No. 9 they get juice off the edge. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick40 Rnd2 Kenneth Grant
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Kenneth Grant in the 40th overall pick. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick71 Rnd3 Donovan Jackson
The board had cheaper options than Donovan Jackson at slot 71, and it noticed. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick91 Rnd3 Omarr Norman-Lott
Nice patience on Omarr Norman-Lott, who had no business lasting to pick 91. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick110 Rnd4 Kaleb Johnson
Somehow Kaleb Johnson was still sitting there in pick No. 110, and they pounced on premier running back value. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick128 Rnd4 Collin Oliver
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Collin Oliver well ahead of where he belonged. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick182 Rnd6 Connor Colby
Connor Colby at Round 6, Pick 7 is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick251 Rnd7 Akheem Mesidor
Akheem Mesidor in the 251st overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick254 Rnd7 Nick Nash
A tidy bit of business in pick 254, where Nick Nash graded well above the range. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.