SmashMouth

By now, you’ve read at least a hundred mock drafts, some of them on a weekly basis, and a little fatigue is starting to set into your draft-addled mind. You still click on them, sure, but it’s hard to find a fresh take when you’ve already seen 10 different players projected to the Saints at the 12th pick.

The Advocate’s Saints team is about to change all of that. The problem with most mocks is simple: the drafter is making decisions for all 32 teams, rather than reacting to the unpredictability of 31 other teams with a bunch of general managers who might have a completely different board sitting in front of them.

OFF THE BOARD

Titans: CB Jalen Ramsey
Browns: OT Laremy Tunsil
Chargers: DE Joey Bosa
Cowboys: DE Deforest Buckner
Jaguars: LB Myles Jack
Ravens: CB Vernon Hargreaves
49ers: QB Carson Wentz
Eagles: OT Ronnie Stanley
Bucs: CB Eli Apple
Giants: DE Shaq Lawson
Bears: DT A’Shawn Robinson

Joel: Oh no. I think I know where we’re headed.



Nick: We got ourselves a situation here. The Titans threw a wrinkle in everything by taking Jalen Ramsey first, which set off a chain reaction that caused Jared Goff to slide a little bit. This is a good example of how an unexpected pick or two can alter expectations. Now the Saints have a decision to make. We don’t know how the negotiations with Drew Brees are going. If it’s close, you try to deal this pick to the Rams and stock up on picks. If it’s not close, and you think Goff could be your guy for the next 10-15 years, you have to seriously consider taking him at this spot.

Joel: Right off the bat, the scenario opens one minor flaw in the process — namely, that we don’t know whether negotiations with Brees are close or not. But if I’m correct, you’re in favor of taking Goff even if Brees re-signs, right?

Nick: I wouldn’t hate it in theory. I also wouldn’t hate passing on him to maximize the window with Brees — especially if you’re going to be committed to him for four or five years. But if you really think that Goff could be your guy, it would be hard to pass up on this opportunity. These kinds of situations — Favre to Rodgers, Manning to Luck — don’t happen very often. You could be set for the foreseeable future. It can be hard to look at what’s going to be best for your team 10 years down the road when there are immediate needs, but you also have to take a long view.

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