Since you asked...Mel Kiper's Grade on Saints Draft

SmashMouth · 05-02-2021, 03:30 PM

New Orleans Saints: C+

Top needs: WR, CB, LB

New Orleans went 12-4 last season but lost a slew of free agents because of salary-cap issues, including Trey Hendrickson, Jared Cook, Emmanuel Sanders and Sheldon Rankins. Oh, and future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees retired. So this is a team in a different situation than it has been in the last few years, with Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston going to battle it out to replace Brees and some significant depth issues on its roster.

I like Payton Turner (28), but I would have liked him more in Round 2. There were wide receivers and corners on the board who could have made a bigger Year 1 impact than Turner, who is better against the run and is still developing as a pass-rusher. I don't see him as a starter over Cam Jordan or Marcus Davenport.

Linebacker Pete Werner (60), though, has a chance to be the starting middle linebacker in New Orleans. He locked down Penn State's Pat Freiermuth in coverage, and he has some range. Paulson Adebo (76) is a 6-foot-1 corner who opted out of last season. He has an inconsistent 2019 season, but he has top-50 traits. Sean Payton & Co. took quarterback Ian Book (133) on Day 3, and I had a seventh-round grade on him. I would have taken Jamie Newman. Book's ceiling is as a backup.
That's a lot of reaches on my board and not much value, from Rounds 1-7. And they didn't take a receiver until late on Day 3.

Sorry, Saints fans -- I don't love this class.

05-02-2021, 03:30 PM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,477 Blog Entries: 29	Since you asked...Mel Kiper's Grade on Saints Draft New Orleans Saints: C+ Top needs: WR, CB, LB New Orleans went 12-4 last season but lost a slew of free agents because of salary-cap issues, including Trey Hendrickson, Jared Cook, Emmanuel Sanders and Sheldon Rankins. Oh, and future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees retired. So this is a team in a different situation than it has been in the last few years, with Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston going to battle it out to replace Brees and some significant depth issues on its roster. I like Payton Turner (28), but I would have liked him more in Round 2. There were wide receivers and corners on the board who could have made a bigger Year 1 impact than Turner, who is better against the run and is still developing as a pass-rusher. I don't see him as a starter over Cam Jordan or Marcus Davenport. Linebacker Pete Werner (60), though, has a chance to be the starting middle linebacker in New Orleans. He locked down Penn State's Pat Freiermuth in coverage, and he has some range. Paulson Adebo (76) is a 6-foot-1 corner who opted out of last season. He has an inconsistent 2019 season, but he has top-50 traits. Sean Payton & Co. took quarterback Ian Book (133) on Day 3, and I had a seventh-round grade on him. I would have taken Jamie Newman. Book's ceiling is as a backup. That's a lot of reaches on my board and not much value, from Rounds 1-7. And they didn't take a receiver until late on Day 3. Sorry, Saints fans -- I don't love this class.