New Orleans Saints full 7-round mock for the 2021 NFL Draft

Round 1 Pick 28 — CB Asante Samuel Jr.

Caleb Farley pre-draft surgery may boost Asante Samuel Jr.’s stock. The son of a former legend, Samuel is expected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick, but given the Saints need, they need to add elite help in their secondary in the first round.

With Farley expected to be healthy for training camp, he’s still the projected No. 1 cornerback. CBS Sports has Samuel ranked a first-round pick and the fourth-best cornerback prospect.

Coming from Florida State, Samuel is coming off a 30-tackle season. He also snatched three interceptions. In college, the numbers don’t always reflect the play as teams can just look the other way of elite cornerbacks.

"“Asante Samuel Jr. helped himself with his performance at the FSU Pro Day. His wingspan measures six feet, and his numbers show good explosion. That 40 time is exactly what he needed to go early second to late first-round as it would have been the seventh fastest time among 35 cornerbacks in last year’s draft,” Chop Chat’s Kelvin Hunt wrote following FSU’s Pro Day."

Samuel to New Orleans is a huge win for both sides as he’ll start alongside an elite cornerback while also having veteran leaders in both safety slots. Samuel would also have a huge role with Jenkins no longer on the team and PJ Williams unlikely to leap the rookie.

Adding a cornerback early in the draft has to be a priority for New Orleans.