We’ve got everything you need to know about where the New Orleans Saints stand heading into Round 2 of the 2023 NFL draft. Between recapping the first round of selections, the order of their remaining picks, and the top team needs the Saints must still address, be sure to get up to speed before the second day of the draft kicks off:
Remaining picks in 2023
Round 1 (29, via San Francisco 49ers through Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins)- Round 2 (40)
- Round 3 (71)
- Round 4 (115)
- Round 5 (146)
- Round 5 (165, via Philadelphia Eagles)
- Round 7 (227)
- Round 7 (257, compensatory)
Future NFL draft picks that can be traded
2024
- Round 1
- Round 2 (via Denver Broncos)
- Round 4
- Round 5
- Round 6
- Round 6 (via Tennessee Titans through Philadelphia Eagles)
The Saints also are projected to receive two compensatory draft picks in round four (after losing free agents David Onyemata and Marcus Davenport) as well as another comp pick in round six (for losing Kaden Elliss).
2025
- Round 1
- Round 2
- Round 3
- Round 4
- Round 5
- Round 6
2026
- Round 1
- Round 2
- Round 3
- Round 4
- Round 5
- Round 6
- Round 7
Recapping Round 1
The Saints started their draft by selecting Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, a highly athletic playmaker who was put through the ringer in college with injuries and personal tragedy. He fits the prototype perfectly as a disruptive interior presence much like David Onyemata and Sheldon Rankins were before him.
Other first-round picks around the NFC South (check our grades here):
- Atlanta Falcons: RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
- Carolina Panthers: QB Bryce Young, Alabama
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
Remaining Saints team needs
We took a deep dive into the Saints’ top draft priorities earlier this week, which you can catch up on here. In brief, these are the biggest areas to address and some prospects to watch out for:
- Defensive end. Prospects to watch: Keion White (Georgia Tech), Isaiah Foskey (Notre Dame), Zach Harrison (Ohio State), Isaiah McGuire (Missouri)
- Linebacker. Prospects to watch: Drew Sanders (Arkansas), Trenton Simpson (Clemson), Dorian Williams (Tulane), Yasir Abdullah (Louisville), Noah Sewell, Oregon), Jeremy Banks (Tennessee)
- Tight end. Prospects to watch: Michael Mayer (Notre Dame), Darnell Washington (Georgia), Luke Musgrave (Oregon State), Sam LaPorta (Iowa), Tucker Kraft (South Dakota State), Brenton Strange (Penn State)
- Wide receiver. Prospects to watch: Cedric Tillman (Tennessee), Josh Downs (North Carolina), Jonathan Mingo (Ole Miss), A.T. Perry (Wake Forest), Jalin Hyatt (Tennessee), Michael Wilson (Stanford)
- Nickel defensive back. Prospects to watch: Brian Branch (Alabama), Cam Smith (South Carolina), Sydney Brown (Illinois), Jartavius Martin (Illinois), Riley Moss (Iowa), Ji’Ayir Brown (Penn State), Tyrique Stevenson (Miami)
- Offensive guard. Prospects to watch: O’Cyrus Torrence (Florida), Steve Avila (TCU), Cody Mauch (North Dakota State), Chandler Zavala (North Carolina State), Braeden Daniels (Utah), Sidy Sow (Eastern Michigan), McClendon Curtis (Chattanooga)
What about a quarterback?
The Saints could totally surprise us and select a passer to develop as Derek Carr’s understudy — Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline reports that they’re high on both Jaren Hall (BYU) and Aidan O’Connell (Purdue) as mid-round prospects. The positional value in adding someone earlier like Will Levis (Kentucky) or Hendon Hooker (Tennessee) should also be considered, but the Saints have enough higher priorities to justify put this off for another time.
