3 First-Round Draft Predictions For The New Orleans Saints
Who will the New Orleans Saints select with their first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft?
Who do you want them to pick?
Now, you have to be realistic. I mean, they won't get Bradley Chubb with the 27th overall pick.
I'm going to cheat, a little, and give out three guys who may be there when the Saints pick, who might be good fits.
Trust me, three is not a lot. The Saints can go a number of different ways, so one guess is as good as any other.
To narrow it down however, I'm going to focus on defense.
Could they go offense? Most definitely. But I'm not buying into the quarterback talk, at least in the first round, and we all know the one position you can certainly rule out, in the first round, is running back.
I'm not going to guarantee you they wouldn't take an offensive lineman, but I feel fairly safe in saying that they won't.
That leaves receiver and tight end, two positions that I can certainly see them taking a player in the first round.
South Carolina's Hayden Hurst, Penn St.'s Mike Gesicki, or Dallas Goedert of South Dakota St. are interesting prospects at tight end, and I'm sure that receiver prospects like SMU's Courtland Sutton, Maryland's D.J. Moore, or Calvin Ridley of Alabama would also be considered.
But to narrow it down, I say they don't take a tight end in the first round. They signed Benjamin Watson for the short term, and I think they'll draft a tight end in the later rounds, for the long term, but not on the first day.
I can most definitely see them taking a receiver in the first round, but after signing Cameron Meredith as a restricted free agent, and re-signing Brandon Coleman, I think they look to the defensive side of the ball, who could contribute more immediately.
So, I think the pick will be on the defensive side of the football, and to make things easier, at least for me, I'm going to spotlight a player on the defensive line, a linebacker, and a defensive back.
TAVEN BRYAN---DT---FLORIDA
I'd love Harold Landry of BC, but I don't think he's going to be there. Then again, Bryan may not be there either, as almost everybody on the planet has him going to the Falcons at #26. It's unbelievable how many people are saying he'll go in that spot. We still don't know who the top pick is going to be, but we know who the 25th pick is! Seriously though, the Saints showed interest in Ndamukong Suh and Muhammad Wilkerson during free agency, and missed out, so they would have an interest in a solid defensive tackle like Bryan, who has tremendous athletic ability for a guy his size. Sam Hubbard is yet another option.
RASHAAN EVANS---LB---ALABAMA
The Saints still need help at linebacker, and Evans, a three-down linebacker who can come off the edge and cover the pass, would fit the bill. Most mock drafts have him going a little earlier, but linebackers, unless they're pass-rushing specialists, tend to fall.
ISAIAH OLIVER---CB---COLORADO
Even though the Saints have Marcus Lattimore, already one of the top corners in the game, they could use some help, and although Oliver's name is starting to gain more traction, I still think he's underrated. Some off the field concerns about Mike Hughes may drop him, and move Oliver up, but I think there's a good chance he'll be there with the 27th pick. Josh Jackson, I believe, will be off the board. Oliver may be the best cover corner in the draft.
Who would be the three that you'd choose as the most likely pick?