The 2021 NFL draft is just hours away, and all of the speculation and rumor-mongering is heating up. Will the New Orleans Saints trade up in the first round? Will they stand pat at No. 28 overall? Those are just the first questions being asked before the Saints make their picks over the next three days.
Things will change when — or if — the Saints begin making trades with other teams, but here are their picks as they currently stand:
- Round 1, Pick 28
- Round 2, Pick 60
- Round 3, Picks 98 and 105
- Round 4, Pick 133
- Round 6, Pick 218
- Round 7, Picks 229 and 255
Based off of Sean Payton’s recent comments and reports from across the NFL media landscape, it sure seems like the Saints are targeting a cornerback. They don’t have a proven commodity opposite Marshon Lattimore, who is facing his own availability questions. While that is the team’s clearest roster need (right now, career backups Patrick Robinson and P.J. Williams are projected to be Week 1 starters), the Saints have other issues to address like linebacker, receiver, defensive tackle, and quarterback.
But given their history, no one should be surprised if the Saints end up making another bold move. Payton isn’t known for his patience on draft day, and he’s made a trade up at some point in each draft he’s overseen since 2007. If the Saints are looking to remain competitive by making an instant impact in the first round, a blockbuster trade would certainly accomplish that.
