Saints Draft Place after Week 15: Third-Spherical Version

In week 14, the New Orleans Saints got here near getting an upset win in opposition to the Washington Commanders. The theme of this season has been even when the Saints lose, their draft place has little to no motion. This was the case after week 14, and the Saints are nonetheless projected to pick at choose 10 of the NFL Draft.

Two weeks in the past, I checked out potential choices the Saints may make within the second spherical. This week, I needed to take a look at who the Saints can choose with their very own third-round choose and the third-round choose they obtained from the Commanders within the Marshon Lattimore commerce.

The Prospects

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In current weeks, the Saints have improved their run protection, however there is no such thing as a motive to imagine this will final into subsequent season. Defensive sort out goes to be a large want within the offseason, so at choose 74, Alfred Collins can be a fantastic choice. Collins is 6-foot-5, 320 lbs, and a fantastic athlete. Run protection is Collins’ energy, and at Texas, he primarily performed in that nostril sort out position. He can both use energy to push the offensive linemen again into the rusher and blow up the play, or he could make fast actions and slide proper previous blocks. Collins has some sneaky velocity/burst that may catch rushers abruptly within the backfield. Though it was uncommon, there have been instances when Texas performed Collins on the sting due to his pure athleticism. In cross protection, Collins has proven some potential to make a distinction however nonetheless has some method to turn into constant in that space.

If Alfred Collins was chosen at choose 74 by the Saints, it could make sense. New Orleans wants enhancements in run protection, and Collins is the run-disrupting nostril sort out the group has been lacking for years. Bryan Bresee may also profit from having another person subsequent to him who will tackle the double-team blocks. I’ve talked about this earlier than, however it’s nonetheless vital to recollect how deadly Bresee might be when 1 on 1 with an offensive lineman.

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There’s a actual chance that the Saints spend their first three choices within the 2025 NFL Draft on edge, defensive sort out, and guard. This leaves the third-round choose, beforehand owned by the Commanders, as a wildcard. The Saints can go many various instructions when deciding on right here, and TE could possibly be a kind of instructions. Harold Fannin Jr., out of Bowling Inexperienced, is among the most naturally gifted gamers within the draft. If I confirmed any NFL fan Fannin Jr’s movie and by no means instructed them his place, they might assume he was a large receiver. Fannin Jr. is a superb route runner, has two drops in his profession, could make the toughest reception look routine, has nice velocity, and is a large menace after the catch. That is all nice, however tight ends have to dam within the NFL, and all through this season, Fannin Jr. has proven important enhancements on this space.

TE will likely be an attention-grabbing place for the Saints to give attention to within the NFL draft. Juwan Johnson will doubtless be on a brand new group subsequent season, and New Orleans might want to fill the void left after this departure. Foster Moreau and Dallin Holker will nonetheless be on the roster, however they aren’t the identical kind of TE as Johnson. He was a former large receiver in faculty that moved to TE within the NFL. Johnson’s versatility was on account of his former position as receiver, and Harold Fannin Jr. generally is a nice substitute. Additionally, if the Saints are unable to herald a bigger slot receiver, Fannin Jr. can truly play within the slot and fill this position