Good news, everyone! This year’s crop of New Orleans Saints draft picks didn’t waste any time in choosing their new jersey numbers, so we’ve already gotten a good look at what they’ll be wearing once Saints training camp rolls around.
Forget all of the other factors that help decide whether a rookie will flourish — things like skill, athleticism, experience, versatility, and opportunity. The only thing that’s truly important is which number a player slaps on his chest. Everyone knows this. Seriously.
However, fewer football fans are aware of the unwritten rules of picking a good jersey number (and avoiding a bad one). In light of that, we’re going to rank the Saints rookie draft picks based off the digits they’ve tied themselves to (for now; more on that later).
4. Zack Baun, No. 40
This is atrocious. It’s terrible. Awful, folks, it’s no good.
Linebackers should not wear jerseys in the 40’s. With apologies to Alex Anzalone (No. 47 himself), it’s just inappropriate. Those numbers should be reserved for safeties, fullbacks, and long snappers. You can tell that No. 40 knows it’s got no business attaching itself to a highly-drafted rookie linebacker just by looking at it. It’s a guilty number.
Baun wore No. 56 in college, which All-Pro Saints linebacker Demario Davis already said isn’t for sale — advising Baun to, in the words of the modern American thinker Marshawn Lynch, “save your chickens” instead.
But that’s no excuse to go with a sorry number like 40. Both Nos. 58 and 59 were available for Baun to choose, as was No. 53.
And thankfully, an update to the roster on the official Saints website shows Baun as having chosen No. 53 instead. Maybe the Saints digital team jumped the gun, or cooler heads prevailed on Baun’s side. It might be a typo. Hopefully it’s the truth, because Baun will rocket up the second-best spot in our rankings if so. A.J. Klein had a solid three years in New Orleans wearing No. 53, and it would fit Baun perfectly.
3. Tommy Stevens, No. 2
This is a fine number for a quarterback. At least it’s a single-digit, which is sleek and closer to the cutting-edge of NFL aesthetics than a bulky number in the teens. A quarterback wearing No. 2 feels like he’s liable to take off into the open field at any time, or catch a touchdown pass off of a trick play in a critical moment.
Stevens wore No. 2 during his time at Penn State — switching to No. 7 once he transferred to Mississippi State, in tribute to his idol-turned-teammate Taysom Hill — so it’s cool to see him stick with something he’s familiar with.
And he’s certainly the best quarterback that wears No. 2 in the NFC South. Time to switch it up, Matt Ryan. You had a good run.
2. Adam Trautman, No. 82
Trautman is here to make Saints fans forget all about the Coby Fleener era of tight end play, and for that they should be grateful. This number is great for a tight end or a wide receiver, benefiting from its low placement in the 80’s (as opposed to a heftier number like, say, No. 88. It’s no accident that the Saints converted defensive lineman Mitchell Loewen to tight end last year and he went with No. 88). A big guy like Trautman going with No. 82 just makes him look faster.
He wore No. 84 at Dayton, and it’s a shame that he’s being held back from rocking it again in the NFL. That number currently belongs to second-year wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey — and was previously worn by Michael Hoomanawanui, one of the better depth tight ends the Saints have worked with in recent years. Trautman acquiring No. 84 would’ve been great, but Humphrey will be forgiven if he can make a splash in the receiving corps.
1. Cesar Ruiz, No. 51
And now, the best jersey number in the Saints rookie class (until the club’s 13 undrafted free agent pickups make their picks, anyway). Ruiz gets to wear the same number he crushed it with in college, and he might get to do it thanks to an obscure NFL loophole.
Right now, offensive linemen are only allowed to wear jerseys numbered from 60 to 79 — unless they play center. Centers can sneak a number in the 50’s if it hasn’t been snapped up by the team’s linebacker corps, and Ruiz is in luck (Manti Te’o wore No. 51 last season for the Saints, and Colton Jumper used it in preseason. Both are free agents.).
However, Ruiz might not play center for the Saints this year. He’s expected to compete for that job with Erik McCoy, with the runner-up sliding over to guard instead; likely replacing Larry Warford, a three-time Pro Bowl alternate who turned in a subpar performance last year and accounts for the second-highest salary cap hit in New Orleans.
If Ruiz ends up playing at right guard in Warford’s place, the Saints would be able to keep him in No. 51 by designating him a center/guard. That’s a more common practice than you might think, with Indianapolis Colts superhero Quenton Nelson carrying that designation (and No. 56) despite playing exclusively at left guard.
So the NFL’s jersey rules are a little more flexible than the rulebook would have you believe. They just aren’t flexible enough to let Reggie Bush wear No. 5 in the NFL, something we’ll never forgive.
