Ways To Approach The Draft
 

Each year NFL teams address filling team needs differently. Some teams build through the draft each year while others are big players in free agency. Some teams draft BPA while other teams draft targeted players that they covet. Some teams are heavy players in the first wave of free agency, while other teams wait for the second tier players to spend their money. Some teams draft players with a role in mind and develop players into starters. Other teams only draft players they think are immediate starters.

Some teams move up to address their needs with players they covet. Others move back and take BPA to fill out their roster with additional picks. Some teams try to pick 22 starters. Some teams fill their roster with role players who can excel in their system. The Saints numerous offensive and defensive packages are evidence of this. Incidentally, when I started playing rugby in '78 there was only one sub allowed during the 80 minute non stop match. Now we allow eight subs. Back then odds favored the team that was toughest and most durable.

This year the Saints were big players early in free agency for a change rather than waiting for the second wave of less expensive affordable free agents. Under Sean Payton the Saints have filled out their roster with mid tier free agents allowing them to draft BPA. The Saints have then used a mixture of moving up for players they covet and BPA to fill out the team with the draft.

Every team has a model that they follow but the Saints have blended several models together and each year they seem to stay within their model. This year was no exception. Even though it was a slightly different offseason approach than when Sean Payton was here. Should we move up or stand pat for BPA? Who would you move up for in each round and who is the BPA in each round?

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Good post Rugby. How teams approach things depends upon need; especially upon quarterback need. If you are a team that doesn’t have an established play caller that you are comfortable with then your first look each year is who am I going to turn to for that guy? Everything else is sort of a luxury

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I really think the Saints are now thinking they've got that luxury providing piece in Carr and I feel the same way. Carr is established and has put up really great numbers considering the subpar accompaniment he has been provided. We've been active early in the free agent market and I wouldn't be surprised if we step up for someone they feel is important. And I also don't doubt they'll pick up some pleasant surprises late and in the UDFA market.

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That’s my hope

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Let's hope Dennis Allen doesn't draft players who excel at one thing then move them and train them at another position. More often than not it isn't successful. It can work though, and Juwan Johnson proved that last year by converting to TE. But we didn't draft him to play TE. He showed promise and the team made a new vision for him at TE an he made the transition beautifully. Baun not so much.

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Just the be clear Juwan Johnson went undrafted in 2020 NFL draft and sign with the saints after the draft.

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Once again the Saints success with the UFDA's. That's the main reason I'd rather see them trade up using those late rounders instead of trading down with earlier picks to gain late rounders. They can still get players they've graded as late rounders post draft. And what makes it even better is that those players CHOOSE to come to Nola instead of be forced via the draft.

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I’m more of a “go and get who you want” type of person. I’ll pick three players total if they’re the three guys I want.

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I feel like that has been a good strategy for us to fill out the top of the roster after free agency filled the holes. I wonder if this might be the year to stand pat and take what the BPA in the first, second, and third round? I am fine with trading up to get what you want in the draft, like we do every year, if the Saints covet a player, especially in the middle and late rounds for a player that falls into range.

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OMG Ruby if the Loomis Ireland and Allen do that again we will see mushroom cloud on the horizon around Bako’s coordinates. :chug::beer:

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Now that was funny!!! :roflmao:

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I would have been ok with having Brock Purdy on the roster even if he didn't choose to come here. Lack of free will in the draft didn't hold Colston back.

I don't care a lot about keeping every late rounder though. If we trade a 6th to move up in the 4th or pick up a 6th trading back in the 4th, its not a big deal, unless we happen to get an amazing player either way. The problem is when we start depleting our picks in the middle rounds and trading future picks that will be worth double the value in a year. Patience is a virtue.

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I've read the Saints have a smaller group of target players than most teams.

May help explain their rationale for moving up to get "their guy". With one of the strongest locker rooms in all of football, it's hard to argue.

Personally, I'm all for going after the right player.

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There is the opinion put forward that we should stock pile draft picks because we need bodies and need to get younger and faster. In principal I agree with all of those points.

But here is where I differ, if you have a player identified and graded very high on you draft card who you believe can be a starter year one or be able to contribute situationally at a minimum then be starter by year two. Go for it. I think the especially true in like rounds 2 and 3.

I think it’s a better strategy than going BPA when your draft number is called. Moving up to get a player you really like and you are targeting will give you a better chance of filling your specific roster needs with a player that can make an impact sooner if not immediately.

If you have the draft capital to make a couple of these type moves each year and the players hit, it’s far better than having additional camp bodies to sort thru.

Besides the Saints have shown they can find a lot of really good players after the draft in UDFA signing period … don’t expect that to change.

:chug::beer: 1 for you 1 for me :D

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I honestly see it both ways. When you trade up for players you have targeted it puts extra pressure on you to be right and for the player to live up to the investment. Davenport is such a pick IMO. He was obviously a guy Payton “targeted”. For whatever reasons, he didn’t pan out.

Also, assuming UDFA are the same as late round picks is a gamble. Colston, for example, might not have been available as an UDFA. He turned out to be arguably the second best WR in our history. As we all know, Brady was a 6th rounder.

I realize for every Davenport there is a Kamara. But I guess my leaning is to NOT trade up the late picks. Unless it would have got Mahomes of course 😝

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It is an educated crapshoot for sure, win some lose some but I think the Saints have won more of these than they failed on.

Look instead of moving up 2 spots in 2017 draft the Saints held their cards/picks and lost a generational QB To KC. Imagine the last 2 seasons with Brees injured and Mahomes behind him not to mention the sh*t show once Brees and then Payton retired.

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One. One spot. Saints were 11. Mahomes was taken at 10. I need a beer....

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At least we didn’t draft Trubiski !

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Strong locker room seems like a platitude. How is CGJ and Michael Thomas fighting strong? How is Alvin Kamara caring about the team, but caring more about about what some rando says to him at the pro bowl, strong? How is Andrus Peat filling his locker with little debbie snack cakes and struggling to bench an inflatable doll strong? How is Michael Thomas not returning calls when he needs surgery strong? How is CGJ one of our young defensive leaders we targeted in the draft forcing his way off the team strong? We have a locker room. It has players in it. But its not clear to me what makes our locker room strong. One would think it would involve players staying out of trouble, listening to coaches, making big sacrifices and showing up in better shape, etc, but I can't see how we are leading the league in any of those things. We have some good talents on defense. We used to be good at drafting oline. We have some exciting offensive weapons. But I just don't see the strong locker room thing.

And even if you only target a limited number of players this year, don't trade away future picks. I am sure there would have been someone available at 10th overall we would have liked this year, but we de-targeted them by trading away the pick for impatience.

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Call it a platitude if you want but it's something both current and former Saints players as well as coaches invoke quite often, so it must be more tangible than you think.

It is widely known the Saints value high character guys. Other guys appreciate that. You've drawn a comparison between MT and CJ - Players fight. Happens everywhere. Especially in practice. But CJ was given the boot. Thomas is still here. And now CJ is on his third team in as many years...

For every Peat there's a McCoy, Ramczyk, Armstead, Evans and Strief.
For every CJ there's a Harper, Demario, Lofton and Vilma.

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Bako obviously doesn't see the "strong locker room thing" because he isn't in the locker room like all of those individuals that ARE in the locker room that are constantly speaking about the "strong locker room".

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There's a couple of different ways to look at a strong locker room. There is weight room strong and there's strong leadership like Drew brought to the team. Payton didn't tolerate recliners in the locker room and quickly cleared the roster of players who valued themselves above the team. We are not the Raiders bad boys. Thank God! We are America's team. Only jealous people who are envious don't love us!

CJGJ is a prime example of how the Saints value high character players and what happens when they step outside their parameters. He dropped down the draft board because of character concerns where we drafted him in the fourth round iirc. He played balls out but wasn't a good fit and was moved for pennies on the dollar when he got aggressive with the front office. I bet Loomis regrets drafting him now. We generally draft players who are highly motivated and not just by money.

I'm fine with Thomas not returning phone calls. Our medical staff is medieval and sent him out when he wasn't ready before. Peat? He's the Pillsbury dough boy. Nuff' said. AK made a bad decision without a doubt, but that doesn't mean he's a detriment to the team. It's not like we're not paying him if he's suspended.

We've got a solid core of strong men to move forward with. Now, let's just keep them healthy and draft well.





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I'd like to see a trade for a player in the draft year. It's been awhile since
we traded a for a player on draft day. Maybe a DT/DE.

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The attached graphic shows that the Saints had the highest percentile of successful draft picks of all teams in the NFL between 2011 and 2019. I believe the reason it only goes through 2019 is because "success" is being determined by factors in the years subsequent to the year drafted.

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It is pretty clear that the average success rate of drafted NFL players is right at 50% by looking at the above graphic.

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There is no arguing with our drafting strategy.