A position-by-position look at the New Orleans Saints’ draft needs, ranked in order of importance from 1-14:
Current tight end depth chart
Benjamin Watson. Age 34. Signed through 2015.
Josh Hill. Age 24. Scheduled to be restricted free agent in 2016.
Orson Charles. Age 24. Scheduled to be restricted free agent in 2016.
Draft possibilities: I could rank this need even higher, since the Saints are so thin at the position after trading away Jimmy Graham and will need to replace Watson sooner than later. But I didn’t want to rank it too high since I don’t see New Orleans drafting a tight end in Round 1.
The Saints don't need to target any one specific type of tight end since Watson and Hill are both versatile enough to be used as pass catchers and blockers. Both should take on bigger roles in the passing game this year, though neither will match the type of production Graham gave this offense. Many of those targets will now go to receivers and running backs.
Minnesota’s Maxx Williams is rated by most analysts as the top tight end prospect, with a chance to sneak into the late first round (where the Saints pick at No. 31) or early second (where the Saints pick at No. 44). The 6-foot-4, 249-pounder has a good combination of size and athleticism to provide help as both a pass catcher and blocker. He had 13 TD catches in just two seasons before declaring for the draft after his redshirt sophomore year.
Miami’s Clive Walford is another top receiving tight end if the Saints want to go in that direction. The 6-2, 249-pounder is coming off a knee injury and may go in the second or third round.
Other possibilities in Round 3 include Florida State’s Nick O’Leary (6-3, 252), who was a regular target of Jameis Winston on the Seminoles’ championship team, and Penn State’s gigantic Jesse James (6-7, 261). James didn’t have monster production in college, but he has good speed and physicality for his size and could be a nice red-zone target as well as a blocker.
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