The New Orleans Saints don’t have many picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. This isn’t a secret. Because of that, putting together seven-round mock drafts isn’t easy — so many variables come into play in the later rounds, and so many top prospects get snatched up beforehand, that it’s impossible to make any realistic simulation.
But we tried anyway, using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine. This is an intuitive addition to the draft media landscape that learns from each simulation. The Mock Draft Machine logs the picks made by users in each run and factors them into its algorithm, creating more of a consensus for the players available at every pick in each round with more attempts. It’s very intuitive, and a very good distraction from various responsibilities.
So here’s what we put together for the Saints:
Round 2, Pick 62: WR Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
Top five players available:
- WR Marquise Brown, Oklahoma
- WR Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
- OL Michael Deiter, Wisconsin
- CB Joejuan Williams, Vanderbilt
- TE Kahale Warring, San Diego State
This is tough. There were more wide receivers available but Brown and Samuel were clearly the top options at the position. Deiter is a versatile lineman who has played at a high level at left tackle, left guard, and center. Williams is a big, athletic corner who can play in multiple schemes. Warring might be a top five tight end in this class, with many of the same qualities Jimmy Graham boasted coming out of Miami — except Warring’s inexperience derives from picking up football after a start in water polo, not basketball.
In the end, considering the additions the Saints already made at these positions (trading for Eli Apple last season, signing Jared Cook and Nick Easton in free agency), adding a receiver felt like the best option. And while Brown was more productive than Samuel in college, his late-season Lisfranc injury is very ominous. Few players fully bounce back from it. With all these factors in mind, Deebo Samuel had to be the pick. His playmaking ability as a receiver and kickoff returner would give the Saints much-needed upgrades.
Move on to the next page for the Saints’ fifth round pick:
Round 5, Pick 168: TE Foster Moreau, LSU
Top five players available:
- WR David Sills, West Virginia
- RB Myles Gaskin, Washington
- RB Mike Weber, Ohio State
- QB Jordan Ta’amu, Mississippi
- TE Foster Moreau, LSU
Okay, so we’re already getting a little buyer’s remorse at receiver — of the top 13 prospects available at this spot, 8 were wideouts. The rest were running backs. So I whittled that down to the clear-cut leaders at each position, and then considered other options. While a player like Samuel would be a big upgrade, the depth of this year’s draft class has to be considered when looking at adding a receiver early.
The top two running backs here each had nice college careers, and could fit in well with the Saints. While the top of the depth chart is set with Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray, they don’t really have reliable runners behind them. Ta’amu is a fun, accurate passer who makes too many questionable decisions with the football. Moreau is someone the Saints have kept tabs on throughout the predraft process, and he looks like another LSU product who wasn’t targeted often enough for the Tigers.
In the end, this is too soon to draft a backup running back, fifth quarterback, or double-dip at receiver. Foster Moreau is a gifted athlete and the Saints would do well to add him as competition for Josh Hill to pair with Cook in two-tight end sets.
Continue on to the Saints’ picks in the sixth round:
Round 6, Pick 177: S Delvon Randall, Temple
Top five players available:
- WR David Sills, West Virginia
- RB Myles Gaskin, Washington
- RB Mike Weber, Ohio State
- S Delvon Randall, Temple
- CB Derrick Baity, Kentucky
So, this is a quick turnaround. The Saints added this pick in the Teddy Bridgewater trade last year, so they get to make two picks almost back-to-back (once at 168, again at 177). Some of the prospects we considered last time are still on the board.
The new faces are Randall, a very physical safety who doesn’t let opponents break through tackles, and Baity, a tall cornerback with smooth movement skills. Randall was one of the leaders in Temple’s program throughout his career and is well-regarded as an effective communicator, helping erase teammates’ mistakes. Baity has the size and speed you want but lacks ball skills (just six interceptions in 47 games) and can lose sight of passes over his head downfield.
There’s an argument for adding any of the prospects on offense here, but Randall would best help the team. They only have three safeties they can trust in Vonn Bell, Marcus Williams, and Chris Banjo, but Banjo is more of a special teams fixture and Williams took a step back after his dominant rookie season. Randall is the pick.
Round 6, Pick 202: RB Mike Weber, Ohio State
Top five players available:
- RB Mike Weber, Ohio State
- WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams, North Carolina
- DT Ricky Walker, Virginia Tech
- QB Brett Rypien, Boise State
- DE Carl Granderson, Wyoming
Man, Weber is still available. And that’s 34 selections after he first came within our range — guess we were right to pass on him initially. At this point, there’s more of a gulf between him and the other prospects available, and we’ve reinforced other positions enough to warrant a third wheel at running back. But let’s look at the other best available prospects.
Ratliff-Williams was a superb athlete who never really broke out for the Tar Heels due to bad quarterback play. Walker is neither a really good athlete nor an NFL prototype for size (listed at 6-foot-1, 297 pounds). Rypien is a mechanically-consistent passer with limited arm strength. Granderson doesn’t have much college production behind him but his physical tools offer a lot for NFL coaches to work with. At this point in the process, Weber is the best choice.
Finish it out with the Saints’ selections in the final, seventh round:
Round 7, Pick 231: OT Calvin Anderson, Texas
Top five players available:
- WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams, North Carolina
- LB Ulysees Gilbert, Akron
- OT Calvin Anderson, Texas
- CB Saivion Smith, Alabama
- FB Alec Ingold, Wisconsin
Ratliff-Williams is the only prospect still on the board after our previous pick at 202, but it’s tough to justify double-dipping at wide receiver given how many returning players the Saints have from last year. Keith Kirkwood, Tre’Quan Smith, Cameron Meredith, and Austin Carr should all improve on their past performances. Adding another rookie into that mix doesn’t feel like it would really help the team.
So that leaves us with the other four options. Gilbert is a good athlete and consistently produced for Akron, but there’s other linebackers not too far below him on the board. The gap between Anderson and the other left tackles available is much wider. Anderson has not benefited from consistent coaching, transferring from Rice to Texas, despite his great athletic profile, and the Saints could hope to bring out the best in him as Terron Armstead’s backup. Smith is a similar prospect at cornerback, though his journey started at LSU, ran through the JUCO ranks, and ended at Alabama. He has a number of technical issues in his game. Ingold is a good fullback prospect but the Saints should be content with their current starter, Zach Line. Anderson is the pick here.
Round 7, Pick 244: LB Terrill Hanks, New Mexico State
Top five players available:
- CB Saivion Smith, Alabama
- FB Alec Ingold, Wisconsin
- CB Tim Harris, Virginia
- DE Jonathan Ledbetter, Georgia
- LB Terrill Hanks, New Mexico State
Smith and Ingold are still available at the end of the draft, possibly suggesting either of them could be signed as undrafted free agents if they continue to fall. So we’ll consider other options here in hopes of signing one or both of them after the draft. Harris is a decent cover corner who probably needs to add some weight. Ledbetter is just marginally athletic and doesn’t have much college production as a pass rusher.
Hanks is the real gem here, and it would be stunning if he’s available this late in the draft. He’s a former safety who bulked up to play linebacker and proceeded to terrorize every team that faced him in 2018. Then he went to the Senior Bowl and made life hard on every opposing running back in tight end during the week of practices, laying thunderous hits and winning most of his reps in coverage. He’s a very good player, and the Saints should consider him earlier if possible. With Manti Te’o moving on and A.J. Klein in a contract year, they could have an opening in the linebacker corps.
