A position-by-position look at the New Orleans Saints’ draft needs, ranked in order of importance from 1-14:
Current depth chart:
Cameron Jordan. Age 25. Signed through 2015.
Akiem Hicks. Age 25. Signed through 2015.
Glenn Foster. Age 24. Scheduled to be restricted free agent in 2016.
Draft possibilities: First of all, I need to specify that I’m only focusing on 3-4 end/tackle types. I’ll rank edge rusher/outside linebacker types higher on this list.
I didn’t rank this position among the Saints’ top needs because they’ve already got two excellent starters in Jordan and Hicks. But I think there is a very strong chance New Orleans might wind up taking a defensive end in Round 1 because of the talent available.
It’s quite possible that Oregon end Arik Armstead, Texas end/tackle Malcom Brown and Florida State end/tackle Eddie Goldman will be among the highest-rated players available when the Saints pick at No. 13. Then at picks 31 or 44, Goldman, UCLA’s Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Mississippi State’s Preston Smith and Iowa’s Carl Davis could all be attractive candidates.
I’m strongly considering Armstead for my prediction to the Saints at No. 13 this year – though other mock drafts haven’t offered much guidance. I’ve seen Armstead flirting with the top 10 and flirting with the second round in various projections.
That makes sense, since Armstead is still a bit of a developmental project. But he has extremely enticing potential with a massive 6-foot-7, 292-pound frame and a good deal of athleticism to go with it. Armstead might not be a standout pass rusher (he still needs to add more power to his game), but he has a good combination of pass rush and run defense ability. His versatility to play inside and out should be very attractive to teams like the Saints who run hybrid schemes.
The Saints need to add an end to their rotation at some point in the draft since they only have three on the current roster after letting Tyrunn Walker go in free agency and leaving Brandon Deaderick unsigned. And they might be in the market for a new starter next year since Jordan and Hicks are both heading into the final year of their deals.
Ideally, the Saints would find a way to keep Jordan and Hicks long term – I believe they’re two of the best players on the entire roster and capable of producing much more than they did in 2014. Coach Sean Payton called Jordan “part of the solution” last month while saying that the team is interested in working out a contract extension with him.
But neither guy will come cheap. And if the Saints somehow lose one of them, this position could vault to their No. 1 need.
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