As you may know the Saints don’t have much draft capital for 2019. Here’s where they stand with all of their picks
Round 1: Davenport trade
Round 2: Still have
Round 3: Bridgewater trade
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Round 4: Eli Apple trade
Round 5: Still have
Round 6: Still have
Round 6 #2: Acquired in Bridgewater trade
Round 7: Still have
Round 7 #2: Acquired in Devaroe Lawrence trade
Nothing crazy but we can work with it. Here are a few possibilities I see for that 2nd round pick.
TE Caleb Wilson, UCLA
6’4, 235 lbs
This is my favorite player that is realistic for us to get here. The Saints need a pass catching TE and here he is. He’s come back from his 2017 foot injury relatively well. Through 9 games this season he is sitting at 47 catches, 718 yards, and 4 TDs. We also know Coach Payton has been showing his love for weird play calls recently with the emergence of Taysom Hill, and Wilson could be a fun player for him as he used to be a Quarterback. But more practically, I love is ability to reign the ball in and make stuff happen after the catch. I really hope he falls, which in a deep TE class, may happen.
TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Mizzou
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6’5 260 lbs
Okwuegbunam is about as good of a redzone target you’ll find at the TE position in this draft. New Orleans needs a redzone target at TE so it seems to be a perfect match right? In 2017, he saw 29 catches and 11 of those ended up as TDs. So he has catching the ball in the endzone down. His main knocks from scouts have been his blocking skills, or lack there of, and his limited creativity after the catch is made. I still wouldn’t be mad about snagging him here.
CB Trayvon Mullen, Clemson
6’1 190 lbs
As of right now, it looks like the Saints need to bolster the secondary a little bit. Trayvon Mullen is the best player I have available here to pick up. He’s got NFL strength and length for the position. He shows flashes of brilliance in coverage, but does have some downsides. Such as, lacking blazing speed to be able to recover well, and short-area quickness. I think if there’s no better players at other positions of need, he’d be a great round 2 addition to the team.
S Marvell Tell III, USC
6’2 195 lbs
Like I said, the Saints need secondary help. This is one guy I would love to add. Along with sharply tuning his coverage skills, he’s picked up in the tackling game as well. According to Blake Richardson of the LA times, he has spent time to become a true student of the game, learning the defense inside and out, not only focusing on his position. Sounds like a guy the FO would love to add. The 2018 draft showed that Ireland, Payton, and Loomis are not opposed to drafting a safety, so I wouldn’t be mad at this pick at all.
LB Devin Bush, Michigan
5’11, 233 lbs
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I don’t see New Orleans picking a LB in the 2nd unless they can nab a player that magically fell. Mainly because I really want to get Khalil Hodge out of Buffalo in either trading into the 3rd or having him drop to the 4th. But if they can get Devin Bush here there’s no reason to pass the opportunity. He’s got the instincts and competitiveness to do well at the LB. What he lacks in size, he makes up with his quickness.
As you may know the Saints don’t have much draft capital for 2019. Here’s where they stand with all of their picks
Round 1: Davenport trade
Round 2: Still have
Round 3: Bridgewater trade
Round 4: Eli Apple trade
Round 5: Still have
Round 6: Still have
Round 6 #2: Acquired in Bridgewater trade
Round 7: Still have
Round 7 #2: Acquired in Devaroe Lawrence trade
Nothing crazy but we can work with it. Here are a few possibilities I see for that 2nd round pick.
TE Caleb Wilson, UCLA
6’4, 235 lbs
This is my favorite player that is realistic for us to get here. The Saints need a pass catching TE and here he is. He’s come back from his 2017 foot injury relatively well. Through 9 games this season he is sitting at 47 catches, 718 yards, and 4 TDs. We also know Coach Payton has been showing his love for weird play calls recently with the emergence of Taysom Hill, and Wilson could be a fun player for him as he used to be a Quarterback. But more practically, I love is ability to reign the ball in and make stuff happen after the catch. I really hope he falls, which in a deep TE class, may happen.
TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Mizzou
6’5 260 lbs
Okwuegbunam is about as good of a redzone target you’ll find at the TE position in this draft. New Orleans needs a redzone target at TE so it seems to be a perfect match right? In 2017, he saw 29 catches and 11 of those ended up as TDs. So he has catching the ball in the endzone down. His main knocks from scouts have been his blocking skills, or lack there of, and his limited creativity after the catch is made. I still wouldn’t be mad about snagging him here.
CB Trayvon Mullen, Clemson
6’1 190 lbs
As of right now, it looks like the Saints need to bolster the secondary a little bit. Trayvon Mullen is the best player I have available here to pick up. He’s got NFL strength and length for the position. He shows flashes of brilliance in coverage, but does have some downsides. Such as, lacking blazing speed to be able to recover well, and short-area quickness. I think if there’s no better players at other positions of need, he’d be a great round 2 addition to the team.
S Marvell Tell III, USC
6’2 195 lbs
Like I said, the Saints need secondary help. This is one guy I would love to add. Along with sharply tuning his coverage skills, he’s picked up in the tackling game as well. According to Blake Richardson of the LA times, he has spent time to become a true student of the game, learning the defense inside and out, not only focusing on his position. Sounds like a guy the FO would love to add. The 2018 draft showed that Ireland, Payton, and Loomis are not opposed to drafting a safety, so I wouldn’t be mad at this pick at all.
LB Devin Bush, Michigan
5’11, 233 lbs
I don’t see New Orleans picking a LB in the 2nd unless they can nab a player that magically fell. Mainly because I really want to get Khalil Hodge out of Buffalo in either trading into the 3rd or having him drop to the 4th. But if they can get Devin Bush here there’s no reason to pass the opportunity. He’s got the instincts and competitiveness to do well at the LB. What he lacks in size, he makes up with his quickness.
Follow Dylan on Twitter @DillySanders
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