Saints picking 27th overall in 2018 NFL Draft

The order is settling into place for the 2018 NFL Draft as more teams are knocked out of the playoffs tournament. This week the Tennessee Titans (picking 25th-overall), Atlanta Falcons (26th), Pittsburgh Steelers (28th), and New Orleans Saints each came up short, putting New Orleans at the 27th spot. Because they don’t share a winning percentage with any of those teams, the Saints will hold the 27th pick in each round - except for the second.

Remember, they traded their 2018 second round pick to the San Francisco 49ers so they could draft All-Pro, Pro Bowl, seven-time Rookie of the Week running back Alvin Kamara. He’s the favorite for Rookie of the Year voting, which we’ll find out during the annual NFL Honors ceremony the night before the Super Bowl.

Anyway, the Saints draft picks in 2018 go:

• First Round
• Third Round
• Fourth Round
• Fifth Round (from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for linebacker Stephone Anthony)
• Fifth Round
• Sixth Round (conditionally, from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for running back Adrian Peterson)
• Sixth Round
• Seventh Round

I would be surprised if the Saints make all of those picks at those spots in April. They’ve traded up in each of the last three years, targeting guys like Kamara, defensive back Vonn Bell and defensive lineman David Onyemata, and defensive back Damian Swann. As things stand, the Saints only pick twice in the draft’s top 100 picks, which is assistant general manager Jeff Ireland’s preferred zone. So keep an eye out for movement.

If you’re interested, the most-recent 27th-overall picks were:

• 2017: Defensive back Tre’Davious White, Buffalo Bills
• 2016: Defensive lineman Kenny Clark, Green Bay Packers
• 2015: Defensive back Byron Jones, Dallas Cowboys
• 2014: Defensive back Deone Bucannon, Arizona Cardinals
• 2013: Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans

So it’s not a bad position to be in. Alright, who’s ready for mock drafts?