New Orleans Saints fans are losing their minds over that stunning Draft trade, but there’s no need to panic.
When the New Orleans Saints traded up — sacrificing two first-round picks in the process — it appeared to be a move to get a quarterback. Lamar Jackson seemed logical, but he wasn’t the name on the card when Roger Goodell reached the podium.
Marcus Davenport was someone the Saints were reportedly very high on coming into the draft, but wasn’t someone anyone thought would be worth a pair of top selections. Yet, that’s the reality we are coming to grips with as the first day of the draft concludes.
Almost immediately the move was laughed at, but that doesn’t mean it was the wrong move. Highway robbery aside, the Saints got their man and now comes the part where they need to make everything work.
Here’s the thing: New Orleans doesn’t make that trade unless they think Davenport is the missing piece of a Super Bowl roster. Last year the Saints went from a team we thought was at the end of the line to one that could have won it all.
It’s hard to make a sequel as good as the original, but that’s what New Orleans is attempting. By trading away next year’s first-round selection, the team is signaling that they have identified someone who can complete a championship defense.
What makes this difficult is the price paid to get Davenport. That’s always going to be attached to how his career turns out. That being said, if he plays a role on a Super Bowl defense in 2018, there’s no price too high to win a title.
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That’s an incredible gamble to make, but the Saints have proven they’re a team to be trusted in the draft. This puts that good will to the ultimate test.