5 players New Orleans Saints should draft in the first round

5 players Saints should draft in the first round

ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 24: Wide receiver Jha'Quan Jackson #4 of the Tulane Green Wave scores a touchdown against defensive back Aaron Robinson #31 of the Central Florida Knights during the first half at Bounce House-FBC Mortgage Field on October 24, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images) /

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AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 03: Ar’Darius Washington #24 of the TCU Horned Frogs reacts after stopping Sam Ehlinger #11 of the Texas Longhorns on third down in the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 03, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

4. Ar’Darius Washington

Mocking a safety to the Saints in Round 1 might not be popular with the team’s fan base, but if Marcus Williams leaves in free agency it’s going to leave New Orleans with a massive hole to fill. Washington is the consensus No. 1 player in his position group in this year’s class.

Washington lacks the size for a prototypical starting safety in the NFL, but he makes up for it with his outstanding ball skills in coverage. He’s a guy who should be able to produce significant turnovers at the next level. That’s a skill the Saints covet highly on the defensive side of the ball.

The question is whether or not he can hold up against the run at just 5-foot-8, 179 pounds. Washington isn’t a safety that’s going to get down in the box and dominate as a run defender. He’s only going to thrive in the NFL as a center fielder who’s given the freedom to read the play and break on the football in the final third.

Fortunately for New Orleans, that’s what’s made Willians so successful during his tenure with the team. Washington can’t replace him any time soon, but he’d give the team’s secondary a young player to build around. That might be an excellent use of resources for the Saints in Round 1.

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