The New Orleans Saints are selecting in the middle of the first round for the 2024 NFL draft, slotted in at No. 14. With a lot of variables in the draft, it’s hard to know who will be on the board when they get on the clock. That is reflected in most mock drafts as there is not a lot of consensus on who the Saints will select, outside of a couple repeat names.
We’ve rounded up the latest 2024 NFL mock drafts, where experts are mixed on what the Saints should do with the No. 14 overall selection. Here’s who those in the know like for New Orleans going into Senior Bowl week:
ESPN
Oct 21, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (11) celebrates his touchdown catch against the Army Black Knights during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Saints keeping a wide receiver in the state at No. 14
Round 1, Pick 14 – WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Derek Carr had an up-and-down debut season in New Orleans, and his sizable contract almost certainly means he’ll be back as the starter in 2024. But what do we know about the playmakers around him? Chris Olave is a star who has put up back-to-back seasons with 1,000 receiving yards. After that? There are big questions. Michael Thomas likely will move on this offseason, while Alvin Kamara has regressed in recent years. And while Rashid Shaheed showed he can be a useful complementary receiver, Carr could use another asset in the receiving game to try to boost this offense. Thomas, the third of the LSU offensive players off the board in this projection, led the FBS with 17 touchdown catches last season while averaging 17.3 yards per reception. He had just three drops on 93 targets. He can take the top off defenses and be a stellar No. 2 option as a rookie. Plus, the born-and-raised Louisiana kid wouldn’t have to leave the state.
I’m a big fan of Nix’s game. I think his experience as a five-year starter is a positive for him as he heads to the next level. He would be a plug-and-play starter in New Orleans. I’m not confident the Saints view Derek Carr as the answer.
NFL.com
Sep 30, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman JC Latham (65) celebrates with a cow bell in Davis Wade Stadium at Mississippi State University. Alabama defeated Mississippi State 40-17. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News
The Saints’ uncertainty at offensive tackle could lead the team to take another player at the position in Round 1. Latham is a massive brawler with the strength, power and length to punish defenders in the run game.
CBS Sports
Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive end R.J. Oben (94) tries to get past the block of Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Joe Alt (76) during the second half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Alt has too high of a ceiling for the Saints to pass up here.
FOX Sports
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy makes a pass against Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner during the first half of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
FOX Sports’ Rob Rang has the Saints taking a playmaking edge rusher in the first.
Round 1, Pick 14 – DE Dallas Turner, Alabama
The Saints finished 29th in the NFL in sacks in 2023 and that was with divisional foes struggling to protect their young quarterbacks. GM Mickey Loomis and defensive-minded head coach Dennis Allen would probably love to see a twitchy pass rusher like Turner, the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, still on the board.
I am not as high on Dallas Turner as others, but I do recognize his immense upside. Turner would give the Saints a young edge defender to prepare themselves for the inevitable post-Cam Jordan world.
Multiple fits in this draft make a lot of sense, and Jared Verse to the New Orleans Saints is one of them. Verse is a true three-down defensive end who can play outside and inside as a pass rusher and be a quality run defender on early downs. As Cam Jordan’s career winds down, finding his successor will be necessary, and Verse feels like the perfect fit for the Saints.
CBS Sports
Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze (1) makes a catch during the fourth quarter against the Michigan Wolverines in the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Beyond Chris Olave, New Orleans has little more to build around in the pass game. Rome Odunze is a bigger target with surprising versatility. It is likely we will be discussing the quarterback position as it relates to the Saints again next season, but for now, the focus is on adding another pass-catcher for Derek Carr.
Pro Football Network
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 14: Keon Coleman #4 of the Florida State Seminoles catches a pass against Jason Simmons jr. #6 of the Syracuse Orange during the first half of a game at Doak Campbell Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
While the Harrison vs. Odunze WR1 debate rages on, Keon Coleman remains on the board for the Saints. New Orleans’ offense needs receiver help alongside Chris Olave, and Coleman could be that guy.
He’s still learning the position, but Coleman’s athleticism and size make him an incredible deep threat. With the right coaching, the former FSU wide receiver could be a nightmare for the NFC South.
Derek Carr may manufacture a big year if the Saints can bring Coleman to town, giving the New Orleans’ QB a significant downfield target.
Round 1, Pick 14 – OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
The Saints have some major questions at offensive tackle given Ryan Ramczyk’s knee injury, Trevor Penning’s struggles and Cameron Erving’s pending free agency. Fashanu can give them one strong solution with his well-rounded game and massive frame.
At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Latu fits the mold of a typical Saints draft selection at the position. His official numbers may stray a little from his listed height and weight at UCLA come the NFL scouting combine, but unlikely to stray too far away from the prototype. But beyond checking the height and weight boxes, Latu is often considered the most polished pass rusher of this year’s class.
Saints Wire
We had the Saints going with an under the radar receiver at No. 14 in our most recent mock.
Round 1, Pick 14 – WR Troy Franklin, Oregon
A name to keep an eye on as a riser in the pre-draft process in Troy Franklin out of Oregon. The 6-foot-3 receiver is a player that had his breakout season at just 19 years old and continued to dominate the game at just 20 years old, accumulating almost 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. He should have a nice speed at the combine to go along with his sure hands and tall (yet slender) frame. Adding him to the offense would give the Saints a bigger-bodied and reliable weapon that can also take the top off of a defense. He isn’t a one-to-one replacement for Thomas, but would still give the Saints another playmaker in the offense. Other names to watch at this spot would be Keon Coleman, Brian Thomas Jr. and Devontez Walker. What Franklin offers over the others at this spot is consistent and proven production, his speed and reliable hands.
Conclusion
While there wasn’t a ton of agreement on a single name that the Saints will target in the first round, there seems to be some consensus on what position groups they should go for. Most mocks have the Saints addressing both the offensive line and defensive line with their first round selection. Outside of that the next popular position is wide receiver. One mock even had the Saints taking a quarterback (not likely).
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