The New Orleans Saints will not make their first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft until they’re on the board at 62 overall, but the latest mock draft from ESPN finds a way to get them two different players. ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay teamed up to create dueling mock drafts, covering the first two rounds. That gives Saints fans two different scenarios to consider. You can read the dueling mock drafts by following this link, but the article requires an ESPN+ subscription for full access.
Here’s where the experts have the Saints going with their only pick in the first two rounds:
Kiper’s pick: WR Riley Ridley, Georgia
The Saints were playing various undrafted free agents at receiver in 2018 and haven’t added any in free agency. Ridley could play against his brother, Calvin, twice a year in the NFC South.
Ridley, 6-foot-1, 199 pounds, measured out like a marginal athlete at the NFL Scouting Combine, timing 4.58 seconds in the 40-yard dash and only excelling in the broad jump (124 inches). Otherwise, he didn’t impress. That’s something of a letdown after his respectable college career, where he averaged 13 yards per catch and caught 9 touchdown passes as a junior before declaring for the draft. Is he really a second round prospect?
McShay’s pick: OL Elgton Jenkins, Mississippi State
It took a while, but New Orleans is finally on the board. The Saints got Nick Easton from the Vikings, but he could also play guard. Jenkins also has versatility and is strong against the pass rush.
Jenkins comes in on the smaller side for an offensive lineman at, 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, but there’s no cause for concern there. He’s a well-rounded athlete with some real areas of strength, firing off the snap and moving well in short areas. Jenkins finished his college career with 26 consecutive starts at center for the Bulldogs; before that, he moved around as the team needed, starting at both tackle spots and left guard. He’d be a great addition.
