The New Orleans Saints have holes pretty much everywhere on defense, which opens up everything for the 2025 NFL draft.
With the Saints also seemingly locked into a just ok spot in the draft order, going best player available seems like the best strategy moving forward.
That’s exactly what Yahoo Sports‘ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald did in their latest mock draft, selecting Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks at No. 10 overall for New Orleans.
Here is what the writers had to say about the pick:
“The Saints can’t be picky at this point in their roster building journey. They’ll need help just about everywhere as they try to rebuild while staying cap compliant. Starks is a strong player to add on the backend of their defense who can play any safety position.”
The elite defensive back is known for his highlight reel interceptions, but has become a player that is well-rounded as a defender. He has 193 tackles, with six for a loss, and six interceptions through three seasons. Those numbers will only continue to grow as the Bulldogs advance through the College Football Playoffs.
Starks would be able to moved around the defense and can play above average at either safety spot and in the nickel position. He would be a scheme-versatile, exciting starting point for the next era of the New Orleans defense.
