It’s one thing to come up with a mock-up of the 2020 NFL Draft out of thin air; it’s something else entirely to step over to The Draft Network and give their mock draft simulator a spin — five times. That’s what we’ve done, setting the board to be automatically filled by their algorithm, revealing five different scenarios for the Saints.
So to be clear: there was no input from us in the selections, just the program making decisions based off predetermined team needs and the prospects that were available. It was an interesting exercise. Here’s who ended up wearing black and gold in each of the five simulations:
Scenario 1
- Round 1, Pick 24. Justin Jefferson, WR LSU
- Round 3, Pick 88. Jake Fromm, QB Georgia
- Round 4, Pick 120. Solomon Kindley, IOL Georgia
- Round 5, Pick 151. David Woodward, LB Utah State
- Round 6, Pick 183. D.J. Wonnum, EDGE South Carolina
Eat your heart out, SEC fans. The Saints ended up with an ideal number-two wide receiver, a potential quarterback of the future, and a starting-quality guard. Jefferson is almost tailor-made for the Saints offense and it’s encouraging that he was available in this first run. Fromm has been described as having some of the same strengths and weaknesses as Drew Brees (limited downfield passing ability but nice short-range accuracy), which is troubling considering he doesn’t have two decades of wear and tear in the NFL to explain his limitations. Kindley feels like a steal in the fourth round.
Woodward and Wonnum are nice depth, with Wonnum measuring out as one of the more-explosive linebackers at the combine (he recorded a 123-inch broad jump at 6-foot-5, 258 pounds), though he probably figures to play with his hand in the dirt as an undersized defensive end like Trey Hendrickson and Carl Granderson. Woodard is more of a marginal athlete, clocking the 40-yard dash in 4.79 seconds at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, but that didn’t stop him from averaging 13-plus tackles the last two years at Utah State. He has a knack for finding the football, with six forced fumbles (and a recovery) and two interceptions in that same span.
Scenario 2
- Round 1, Pick 24. Laviska Shenault Jr., WR Colorado
- Round 3, Pick 88. Logan Stenberg, IOL Kentucky
- Round 4, Pick 120. David Woodward, LB Utah State
- Round 5, Pick 151. Josiah Deguara, TE Cincinnati
- Round 6, Pick 183. Jordan Fuller, S Ohio State
Another mock draft, another receiver in the first round. That makes sense given the strength of the class and the Saints’ glaring weakness at the position. Shenault and Jefferson are just two of a half-dozen prospects who would make sense at the top of the draft. Of course, that depth also backs up the argument that the Saints could opt to wait on addressing the receiver issue.
As for the rest of the draft: Stenberg is a decent but unspectacular athlete for his size (registering a 104-inch broad jump at 6-foot-6, 317 pounds), but he boasts a resume that includes 39 consecutive starts at left guard, the biggest area of weakness on the Saints offensive line. He was a team captain in 2019 and could gel well in-between Terron Armstead and Erik McCoy.
Woodward was again the Saints pick, this time in the fourth round. That feels unlikely considering the hundreds of prospects available at that range, but what it really demonstrates is how closely-graded the players still waiting on the third day of the draft may be. There’s often little difference between a fourth-round pick and an undrafted free agent.
Deguara is an interesting prospect; his NFL future may be at fullback, given his smaller stature as a tight end (he weighed in at 6-foot-2, 242 pounds). He tested as an above-average athlete in the speed and agility drills at the combine, but wasn’t really involved in the Bearcats’ passing game until his junior year (averaging 2.9 catches per game in his last two seasons).
Fuller played often at Ohio State but doesn’t really fit the archetype for successful safeties, lacking ball skills (he intercepted just five passes in 45 career games) and borderline athleticism. He wouldn’t be the first player to outwork poor performance in the underwear Olympics, but the list of tall, slow defensive backs to succeed in the NFL is very brief.
Scenario 3
- Round 1, Pick 24. Justin Jefferson, WR LSU
- Round 3, Pick 88. Damon Arnette, CB Ohio State
- Round 4, Pick 120. Solomon Kindley, IOL Georgia
- Round 5, Pick 151. Bravvion Roy, IDL Baylor
- Round 6, Pick 183. Francis Bernard, LB Utah
There’s some familiar faces, which might give us confidence that those players will actually be available in those spots during the real draft (or not. It’s only March). Jefferson and Kindley again ended up with the Saints, with the algorithm connecting their skills sets to the team’s needs.
Arnette would provide solid depth for the Saints at cornerback, and help meet their quota of Buckeyes defensive backs (especially if Eli Apple or Vonn Bell leave in free agency). He’s started three years in Columbus and leaves with an impressive 22 total passes defensed. That suggests his 30-inch arms (borderline-acceptable by NFL standards) aren’t a problem to his game.
Roy and Bernard round out the group as backups with upside; Roy was arguably one of the biggest snubs of this year’s combine, having finished his senior year with 13 tackles for loss (and 5.5 sacks) at 330-plus pounds. He fits the mold as a Shy Tuttle/Taylor Stallworth-style gem that the Saints have made a habit of finding in recent years. Bernard is an undersized linebacker who would figure to compete with Kaden Elliss and Craig Robertson for special teams looks.
Scenario 4
- Round 1, Pick 24. Cesar Ruiz, IOL Michigan
- Round 3, Pick 88. Darnay Holmes, CB UCLA
- Round 4, Pick 120. Quartney Davis, WR Texas A&M
- Round 5, Pick 151. Shaquille Quarterman, LB Miami
- Round 6, Pick 183. Antoine Brooks Jr., S Maryland
Finally, a mock draft that doesn’t feature any prospects also selected in the others! The jury is out on whether Ruiz is real first-round material, much less whether he really fits the Saints’ needs, but he’s intriguing. He’s started 26 games at center and five at right guard, so a move to left guard would be new for him. But what he really has going for him is top-shelf athleticism. The 6-foot-3, 307-pounder clocked a 5.08-second 40-yard dash and hit above the 94th percentile in both the vertical jump (33 inches) and broad jump (113 inches), demonstrating rare burst from a standstill. That suggests he’ll always be one of the first players off the snap.
We’re starting to get a better idea of the kind of corners available in the mid-rounds, with Holmes profiling as an undersized, reasonably-fast athlete at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds (timing the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds). But he’s a ballhawk, with 8 interceptions and 17 total passes defensed in three years for the Bruins. He’s also experienced — Holmes started all three seasons at UCLA, a total of 35 games.
This mock was the latest the Saints addressed the receiver position, and they ended up with a solid prospect in the fourth round. Davis is as close to an average athlete as you’ll find among NFL wide receivers, running the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds at 6-foot-1 and 201 pounds. He’s averaged just over 4.3 catches per game in two years with the Aggies. They might want to pursue an upgrade sooner, because it’s tough to see him beating out some of the other Saints wideouts for a roster spot.
Quartermain is exactly the kind of talent the Saints should gamble on during the third day of the draft. He hasn’t let marginal athleticism slow him down, creating 46.5 tackles for loss in 56 games for the Hurricanes. As for Brooks — he would be reunited with his college position coach in New Orleans, and might be a sneaky-good addition late in the process. He’s been disruptive, with 27.5 tackles for loss in his last three years as a starter.
Scenario 5
- Round 1, Pick 24. Justin Jefferson, WR LSU
- Round 3, Pick 88. Nick Harris, IOL Washington
- Round 4, Pick 120. Michael Ojemudia, CB Iowa
- Round 5, Pick 151. Jacob Phillips, LB LSU
- Round 6, Pick 183. Geno Stone, S Iowa
Somehow, the Saints ended up picking Jefferson in three of the five automated drafts that we ran. That’s a great sign, at least a month-plus out from the real draft. But let’s dial in on the other prospects.
Harris is one of many center-guard hybrids in this draft class, with starter’s experience at both right guard and center. He’s only played two games at left guard, so that might be a difficult adjustment for him, but his athleticism (running the 40-yard dash in 5.1 seconds at 6-foot-1, 302 pounds) should help him succeed wherever he lines up.
Ojemudia is an intriguing prospect at corner, with well-rounded physical tools and a strong resume padded with six interceptions the last two years. It’s kind of surprising that he was available so late in this mock draft, so that might be an unrealistic expectation.
As for Phillips and Stone: they match the profile of Saints success stories taken later in the draft, putting in the hard work to overcome either limited athleticism or scant playing-time in college. Phillips has made plenty of plays and really showed out at the combine, so his stock should be on the rise, but it would be great to see the Saints reinforce their depth chart by adding him.
