Why the Saints drafted OL Nick Saldiveri

It wouldn’t be the NFL Draft without the New Orleans Saints trading up at some point. Although many thought it would be much earlier, there was still a lot of talent on the board at the start of day three, and the Saints moved up to get their guy.

And that guy appeared to be Nick Saldiveri, Tackle out of Old Dominion University.

The Saints have drafted an offensive lineman in every draft since 2017 and have already spent two picks in the trenches in this draft. Even though Saldiveri is listed as an offensive tackle, he has experience working inside. We know the Saints could use some help on the offensive line with Ruiz and Peat’s futures in question, so this pick makes a lot of sense. His versatility on the O-line will give him a lot of opportunities to earn snaps early as a rotational lineman.

Saldiveri is massive, weighing in at 6’6, 315 and is very athletic for his size. He has 33.25-inch arms which will give him the advantage against most edge or interior pass rushers. The Saints continue with their trend of drafting players who test well on the Relative Athletic Score, with Saldiveri scoring a 9.47 on the RAS. The Saints have a type and have stuck with it throughout this entire draft.

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