New Orleans Saints Draft Picks 2017: S Marcus Williams goes at No. 42

Last night, the New Orleans Saints used their 11th overall pick on Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore and closed out Round 1 with Wisconsin offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk. With the 42nd overall pick (the first of three selections for Day 2), the team added Utah safety Marcus Williams.

SB Nation’s Dan Kadar had Williams rated 59th overall, and was his 7th highest safety prospect on his 100 player draft board.

From NFL’s Scouting Report:

BOTTOM LINE: Ball-hawking free safety who has outstanding ball skills and has shown a propensity for causing turnovers. He can play from a high centerfield spot and utilizes his instincts to swoop down and challenge throws. He's able to get running backs down, but he’s not physical enough to be a combination safety. NFL teams love defensive backs with athletic traits, instincts and ball skills. If he works out well before the draft, he should move up team boards.

Williams was a popular choice in Bob Rose’s mock drafts, but falling to the 3rd Round. Here’s his take on him:

Williams is a classic "centerfield" free safety. He would provide a playmaking presence down the field for a New Orleans secondary that was repeatedly torched over the top last year. Williams has great anticipation for the football, and good enough athletic ability to make a quarterback pay for testing him downfield. He provides a good compliment to Kenny Vaccaroand Vonn Bell, allowing them to be more aggressive closer to the line of scrimmage. Williams needs to add some bulk to be a more effective tackler, but his coverage instincts, aggressive play, and penchant for creating turnovers (he had 10 interceptions in his final two years with the Utes) will be a welcome addition to this secondary.

Remaining Draft Picks

Round 3 (76th Overall)

Round 3 (103rd Overall)

Round 6 (196th Overall)

Round 7 (229th Overall)

Saints Top Remaining Needs

• EDGE Defender
• Linebacker
• Running Back

2017 NFL Draft Schedule

Friday, April 28 – 6 p.m. CT (Round 2 – 7 Minutes, Round 3 – 5 Minutes Per Pick)

Saturday, April 29 – 11 a.m. CT (Rounds 4-6 – 5 Minutes Per Pick, Round 7 - 4 Minutes Per Pick)

SB Nation’s Live Pick Results