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titans
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Starchychaff DRAFTING FOR THESaints
Draft Selections
Draft Grade — Saints
Overall
B-
ValueC+
NeedB+
TradesB-
FutureB-
The Saints robbed the room for Smith-Wade. Final grade: B-. The Saints spent the weekend waiting on one name, and it fell: Chau Smith-Wade, the No. 132 name on the board, in No. 167.
The Gore Jr. reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered.
Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick Analysis
Pick14
Rnd1
Taliese Fuaga
Taliese Fuaga at the 14th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick45
Rnd2
Austin Booker
A big swing on Austin Booker at pick 45, well ahead of any board in the building. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick149
Rnd5
Jamari Thrash
Jamari Thrash in the Round 5 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick167
Rnd5
Chau Smith-Wade
A cornerback of that caliber at Round 5, Pick 31 is the definition of value, full stop. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick169
Rnd5
Kitan Oladapo
A tidy bit of business in slot 169, where Kitan Oladapo graded well above the range. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick174
Rnd5
Jaylan Ford
They reached into another round for Jaylan Ford, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick192
Rnd6
Walter Rouse
Somehow Walter Rouse was still sitting there in No. 192, and they pounced on premier offensive lineman value. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick201
Rnd6
Frank Gore Jr.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Frank Gore Jr. in pick No. 201, miles early. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick230
Rnd7
Jordan Magee
They paid a round early for Jordan Magee in pick No. 230, more than the board wanted. Stacking talent where they were already deep.









