2020 NFL Draft: New Orleans Saints must address defense in first round

The New Orleans Saints will need to continue to bolster their defense with elite talent and that should come in the form of cornerback Trevon Diggs.

There’s no denying this season has been wildly successful for the New Orleans Saints. They retained the bulk of their top talent. Players like Andrus Peat, Drew Brees, and David Onyemata will be back to chase another NFC South title.

Then, they went out and added players like Malcolm Jenkins and Emmanuel Sanders. They’ve solidified their only real need on the offensive side of the ball, and now, they’ll need to address their defense once again in the coming NFL Draft.

That said, this is one area where we will completely agree with former star running back Maurice Jones-Drew. A contributor for NFL.com, Jones-Drew had the Saints selected Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs.

"Diggs allows the Saints to match up with the big receivers in the NFC South. Plus, his ball skills will generate valuable turnovers."

With Patrick Queen and Kenneth Murray off the table at No. 24, the Saints opt to not address linebacker, but they want to strengthen their secondary. Both areas should be among the most sought-after needs for New Orleans.

With the loss of Eli Apple and the extension of Janoris Jenkins, the Saints will need the help at cornerback. Jenkins is over 30 years old, meaning he his play may start to decline soon, and Apple played the bulk of snaps as the team’s No. 2 cornerback last season.

With quarterback potentially being a huge need in the near future and several players looking towards huge contract extensions, solidifying their secondary should be a top priority right now.

A dominant cornerback aside from Marshon Lattimore would serve the Saints will in the long-term future. That fact and the notion that the Saints could use help at linebacker given AJ Klein’s exodus to Buffalo should force the Saints hand with their first-round pick.

The New Orleans Saints have virtually no needs offensively. They returned their entire offensive line. Every major threat from 2019 plus Emmanuel Sanders will take the field for New Orleans. That means a focus on defense is what to expect in the first round.