SmashMouth

It was highly unlikely the New Orleans Saints would make a trade to get back into the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

At 10:54 p.m. on Thursday (April 25), it became official: For the first time since 2012 and the seventh time in franchise history, the Saints didn’t make a first-round pick.

The Saints traded away their 2019 first-round pick to the Packers last year, packaging it with their 2018 first-round pick to move up from No. 27 to Green Bay’s slot at No. 14 to pick defensive end Marcus Davenport. The Saints also sent the Packers the 147th overall pick in the fifth round last year.




With the Packers holding the Saints’ pick at 30th overall, New Orleans entered the draft with a top pick of 62nd overall in the second round. The Saints also traded their 2019 third- and fourth-round picks last year to acquire quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and cornerback Eli Apple, respectively, so the team didn’t have enough draft capital this year to build a trade worthy of moving back into the first round.

The Packers ended up sending No. 30 to Seattle on Thursday, and the Seahawks later traded the pick to the Giants, who picked Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker.

Although the Saints lacked a first-round pick this year, coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and assistant general manager Jeff Ireland all said this week they’re confident the team can find a good player at 62nd overall if they decide to stand pat on Friday.

The last time the Saints didn’t make a first-round pick was in 2012 when they dealt the pick to the Patriots during the 2011 draft to move up and pick running back Mark Ingram.

NOLA

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