2017 NFL Draft: New Orleans Saints 7-round mock
By John Buhler
The New Orleans Saints will have seven picks to get better in the 2017 NFL Draft. Here is a look at what they could do in this mock draft.
The New Orleans Saints went 7-9 in 2016, finishing in third place in the NFC South. New Orleans had a high-octane offense, but once again didn’t have the reliability on defense to contend for the NFC Playoffs.
New Orleans will have seven picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, but they are all over the place. Though the Saints do not have a pick in either the fourth or fifth rounds, they have two first-round picks and two in the third round.
The Saints get the No. 32 and the No. 103 overall picks from the New England Patriots in the Brandin Cooks trade. They had to give the Patriots their fourth-round pick at No. 118 to complete the trade involving Cooks. New Orleans also had to give their No. 154 pick in the fifth round to the Washington Redskins for moving up in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
First Round
Derek Barnett
Defensive End, Tennessee Titans
New Orleans needs another pass rusher to pair alongside the dominant defensive end that is Cameron Jordan. It will go a long way in helping the Saints improve defensively. The pick here are No. 11 is Tennessee Volunteers defensive end Derek Barnett.
Barnett is one of three elite pass rushers coming out of the SEC, along with Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Myles Garrett and Alabama Crimson Tide defensive end Jonathan Allen. All three had great seasons in the SEC in 2016. Look for all three to make an impact as top-15 NFL Draft picks.
Jarrad Davis
Inside Linebacker, Florida Gators
This is not a great draft for inside linebackers. However, there are three that have clearly separated from the pack. Interestingly, all three played in the SEC. Alabama’s Reuben Foster and Vanderbilt’s Zach Cunningham will already be off the board at No. 32.
New Orleans should target a riser up many team’s boards in Florida Gators inside linebacker Jarrad Davis. Having a versatile middle linebacker in the form of Davis could really help bring Dennis Allen’s defense along in 2017.