We’re nine days out from the 2023 NFL draft, and various experts and analysts in football media are flexing their knowledge with a series of seven-round mock drafts — which introduce several unique scenarios for the New Orleans Saints.
By this point we’re pretty familiar with the names most commonly being projected to New Orleans in the first round. When you expand the lens to a full seven rounds, it increases the number of variables and directions the path can take. So let’s compare the picks in the latest projections from The Athletic, Pro Football Network, and CBS Sports round-by-round:
Round 1, Pick 29
The Athletic: DT Mazi Smith, Michigan
Pro Football Network: DE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
CBS Sports: DT Bryan Bresee, Clemson
It’s not a consensus, but it’s close. The defensive line is clearly the Saints’ top team need going into the draft, and the experts see a couple of ways to address it right away. ESPN’s Draft Predictor doesn’t see a good chance of Van Ness making it to New Orleans’ pick at No. 29 (their oddsmakers don’t have him sliding past the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 24, if he even makes it that far). Bresee is likeliest to be picked by the Buffalo Bills at No. 27, according to ESPN’s model, though there’s a good chance he’s still on the board when the Saints go up. They are seen as the likeliest landing spot for Smith, who is expected to be picked late in the first round.
Of these prospects, Van Ness is the clear-cut best option, which is why it probably isn’t realistic to expect him to be available at No. 29. Bresee better fits what the Saints may be looking for in a disruptive three-technique interior lineman but his scouting report is full of warts. Smith is a safer prospect but his skill set is kind of redundant with Khalen Saunders already signed to a three-year deal. The Saints aren’t really in a position to be picky, though, especially if the board doesn’t fall to their liking. That’s why they tend to trade up so often.
Round 2, Pick 40
The Athletic: WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Pro Football Network: WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
CBS Sports: RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
All three mock drafts have the Saints pivoting to offense after addressing the defensive line right away, but they go about it in a couple of different directions. Hyatt is more limited to vertical routes than Flowers coming out of college, with just one year of serious production behind him; he’s also a bigger target with three inches of height and five inches of wingspan on the Boston College product, with better jumps and comparable straight-line speed. But they’re both undersized receivers and the Saints should be looking for a bigger body at the position.
So out of these options, Gibbs is the most appealing. He’s an explosive dynamo at running back who can catch passes out of the backfield and cross the entire field with his rare second gear. He’s got speed in space that no other running back on the roster can match. Having him and Jamaal Williams together to hold the fort while Alvin Kamara serves the suspension expected to come his way would be very enticing. Will he make it to No. 40? ESPN’s model doesn’t like his chances, but NFL teams have been undervaluing running backs in recent years and we can’t rule it out.
Round 3, Pick 71
The Athletic: DE Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
Pro Football Network: S Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
CBS Sports: WR Marvin Mims, Oklahoma
Alright, now we’re seeing some real variance. Foskey is an underrated defensive end in this year’s class. He’s built like Marcus Davenport but has been producing for years at a blueblood program, but teams are getting distracted by the elite athletes who project to be better pros than college players, so he’s seen as more of a second- or third-round pick.
Johnson is ready to start in the nickel right away, having covered the slot often in college. He’s steady in run defense but needs to wrap up more consistently when tackling. He also needs to spend some time in the weight room developing his lower body. He had the fewest bench press reps of all defensive backs at the combine.
Mims looks like a strict deep threat on paper, but that’s largely due to the offense he played in at Oklahoma. He’s a dynamic receiver who doesn’t drop many passes, separates easily, and adjusts to off-target balls when needed. A more creative offense could get a lot more out of him. Foskey would be my pick here, but Mims would be a great choice too.
Round 4, Pick 115
The Athletic: RB DeWayne McBride, UAB
Pro Football Network: LG Chandler Zavala, NC State
CBS Sports: DL Karl Brooks, Bowling Green
McBride and Brooks are both players the Saints shown some interest in, and Zavala is one of the most-experienced left guards in this draft class, so there’s a lot to like here. Either McBride or Brooks would get on the field soonest, but if Zavala can replace Andrus Peat next year after getting some reps as his backup (ahead of Calvin Throckmorton and Lewis Kidd) in the fall, it’s a good pick. Out of these choices, Zavala might make the most sense given New Orleans’ long-term needs and the options to address the defensive line earlier in the draft.
Round 5, Pick 146
The Athletic: LG Sidy Sow, Eastern Michigan
Pro Football Network: DT Jaxon Player, Baylor
CBS Sports: CB Riley Moss, Iowa
Player is the odd man out. He’s a pedestrian athlete by NFL standards who didn’t exactly rise to the occasion against better competition at Baylor (he transferred there after excelling at Tulsa earlier in his college career). Either Moss or Sow would be good picks at this slot. Sow dominated his level of competition in college and held his own against opponents with stronger pedigrees at the NFLPA Bowl. Moss was very productive despite some subpar measurables and brings plenty of experience. If the Saints can’t get a guard they like better early on, Sow is the easy pick here, but Moss should be a good pro, too.
Round 5, Pick 165
The Athletic: TE Payne Durham, Purdue
Pro Football Network: TE Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion
CBS Sports: LB Shaka Heyward, Duke
The Saints will probably eliminate Durham based off his mediocre athletic testing results, but while Kuntz has him beat in that department he wasn’t able to get much out of his physical tools at Penn State, which prompted him to transfer to a lower level of competition. Maybe he’s just slow to develop. New Orleans should add a tight end at some point in the draft, but neither of these options are very exciting. Heyward fits their prototype at linebacker better and might be the best choice at this point in the draft. At worst, he can help out immediately on special teams.
Round 7, Pick 227
The Athletic: DE Mike Morris, Michigan
Pro Football Network: LB Jeremy Banks, Tennessee
CBS Sports: LB Dee Winters, TCU
Morris has the size the Saints look for but not the agility and overall athleticism, which is why we should look for them to reinforce the defensive line earlier in the draft. But it’s worth spending a seventh rounder on him to see if he’s an outlier. Of the other two options Banks is maybe more appealing than Winters. He’s bigger and more explosive, but there are maturity questions that need answering based off a history of off-field incidents early in his Tennessee career.
Round 7, Pick 257
The Athletic: LB Isaiah Land, Florida A&M
Pro Football Network: QB Tommy DeVito, Illinois
CBS Sports: QB Stetson Bennett IV, Georgia
Land was a highly productive pass rusher off the edge but he doesn’t have the size to stay in that spot in the NFL, so he’ll need to change positions while seeing a dramatic shift in quality of competition. We can probably rule him out given the options at linebacker available earlier on.
Which leaves us with the quarterbacks. DeVito is a little-known starter from a Midwest team while Bennett is a two-time national champion from a blueblood program. The diehard SEC fans would riot if the Saints passed on him for DeVito, but Bennett’s subpar size, passing ability, and maturity concerns make DeVito a better choice for a backup. Then again this is one of the last picks in the draft. You really can’t screw it up too badly when looking for your third quarterback at this point.
