There aren’t many teams that act less predictably than the New Orleans Saints when it comes to the NFL draft, but some consensus on what the Saints are planning could be building among those in the know. ESPN draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Jordan Reid recently published 2022 mock drafts keying in on New Orleans. While they disagreed on which prospect the Saints will spend their first draft pick on at No. 16 (Kiper likes Northern Iowa left tackle Trevor Penning, whereas Reid sees Mississippi State blindside blocker Charles Cross making it to New Orleans), both analysts are predicting that the Saints choose Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams at No. 19.
It’s easy to like that matchup. Williams broke out in a huge way for the Crimson Tide in 2021, dominating every opponent he lined up against while facing some of the toughest coverage assignments in the nation. He’s a big-play threat on every down and would add a couple of different new dimensions to the Saints offense – once he’s healthy. Williams is also recovering from ACL surgery in January and hopes to be cleared to play early as a rookie, maybe even getting some reps in training camp. And the Saints have an inside scoop on his recovery after hiring Alabama’s sports science director Matt Rhea, though by now every team should have a good idea of Williams’ medicals.
But what do these analysts have to say about Williams’ fit in New Orleans? Here’s what Kiper had to say about the match:
