Day 1 of the NFL Draft is upon us. On Thursday, the first round of the NFL Draft will occur, and the New Orleans Saints are picking at 28th. Every team can get better, but for the Saints, there are a few glaring positions of need.
Whether they stay pat or move up, here are the positions the Saints have to address on Day 1 of the draft.
Cornerback
Tier 1: Jaycee Horn, Patrick Surtain, Caleb Farley(?)
Tier 2: Asante Samuel Jr., Greg Newsome, Aaron Robinson
The dream scenario for the Saints is to land one of Horn, Surtain and Farley, provided Farley can stay healthy. That’s a big provision. The Saints desperately have to address the CB position opposite Marshon Lattimore, and the gap from tier one to tier two is fairly large. If the Saints want to land one of their dream guys, they’ll have to make a trade. Otherwise, look for them to hang on until later in the draft to pick up a depth corner.
Linebacker
Tier 1: Micah Parsons, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Tier 2: Jamin Davis, Zaven Collins, Jabril Cox
Unless you’re landing Parsons, you probably aren’t going to want to take a linebacker tonight. Owusu-Koramoah has quite a few question marks attached to his name, and all of the tier two players feel like second round picks. There’s no need to overreach here — take what you can get at 28 but don’t push it.
Wide receiver
Tier 1: Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle,
Tier 2: Kadarious Toney, Terrace Marshall, Elijah Moore
Make no mistake: While fans desperately want the Saints to address their defensive situation, they really need another wide receiver if Jameis Winston is to succeed. Chase, Smith and Waddle are going to be gone by pick 20, but rumors are swirling the Saints are looking to make a huge jump. If they head into the Top 12-15, look for them to target whoever is left between Chase, Smith and Waddle — if one of them is available.
Toney, Marshall and Moore have more questions attached to their names, and it’s hard to imagine all of them being gone by Day 2. The Saints could stay pat and land one of them.
The Saints have the capacity to make a move, but to land someone who will put fans over the moon, they’ll have to give up a lot. With that being said, there are some glaring holes that need addressing, and staying pat at 28 won’t address them. This draft will be full of teams looking to move down, so the opportunities will be there. The Saints just need a suitor to pull the trigger with.
Make sure you follow Canal Street Chronicles on Twitter at @SaintsCSC, “Like” us on Facebook at Canal Street Chronicles, follow us on Instagram at @SaintsCSC and make sure you’re subscribed to our new YouTube channel.