A position-by-position look at the New Orleans Saints' draft needs, ranked in order of importance from 1-14:
Current depth chart:
Marques Colston. Age 31. Signed through 2016.
Brandin Cooks. Age 21. Signed-through 2017, with team option for 2018.
Nick Toon. Age 26. Signed through 2015.
Joe Morgan. Age 27. Signed through 2015.
Seantavius Jones. Age 22. Scheduled to be exclusive rights free agent in 2017.
Brandon Coleman. Age 22. Scheduled to be exclusive rights free agent in 2017.
Jalen Saunders. Age 22. Scheduled to be exclusive rights free agent in 2016.
Andy Tanner. Age 26. Scheduled to be exclusive rights free agent in 2016.
Willie Snead. Age 22. Scheduled to be exclusive rights free agent in 2017.
Draft possibilities: Strong to quite strong.
Although I don't rank receiver as New Orleans' No. 1 need overall, I'd actually rank it as the position most likely to be addressed at some point in the first three rounds -- just because of the sheer depth of talent available in this year's draft class. Two receivers ranked as my two best bets for the Saints at pick No. 31.
Louisville’s DeVante Parker (6-3, 209) and Central Florida’s Breshad Perriman (6-2, 212) are possibilities at No. 13 -- though I'd be a little surprised to see the Saints use that premium pick on an offensive playmaker. They just traded away tight end Jimmy Graham and receiver Kenny Stills this offseason, expressing confidence that they can produce an elite offense without elite weapons. The Saints would have to really love one of those guys to pounce that early since there should still be a number of attractive options available with the 31st and 44th picks.
That group could include USC’s Nelson Agholor (6-0, 198), Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong (6-2, 217), Miami’s Phillip Dorsett (5-10, 185), Ohio State’s Devin Smith (6-0, 196), Oklahoma’s Dorial Green-Beckham (6-5, 237) and Michigan’s Devin Funchess (6-4, 232), among others.
You’ll note that group comes in all shapes and sizes. I don’t think the Saints will get locked into any one specific type since their offense is so versatile and multiple under Sean Payton.
Parker has excellent speed and leaping ability to go with the size that teams covet. Perriman has even more speed (reportedly 4.26 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his pro day) to go with that big size, though he battled drops in college and still needs more polish. Agholor is a lean, long receiver who is good at a little bit of everything, from speed to route running to versatility. Strong has earned a reputation for being able to attack and win battles for the ball in traffic or down the field.
Payton reportedly gushed over Dorsett at Miami’s pro day. He’s the smallest of that group, but he’s blazing fast (reportedly ran a 4.28 40 at his pro day). Dorsett is very similar to New Orleans’ first-round pick from last year, Brandin Cooks, but perhaps the Saints would see that as a plus instead of a minus since both guys can run deep routes or short stuff designed to get free in open space.
Smith is a speedy deep threat whom ESPN analyst Bill Polian said would be a “home run” pick for the Saints during a mock draft show on Thursday night because he’s a home run threat on the field. Green-Beckham is a much bigger receiver whose speed and athleticism make him extremely attractive. But there are big question marks about his polish on the field and character off the field. Funchess also has size that’s reminiscent of Colston and Graham.
Previous entries: