Asante Samuel Jr. is a favorite pick among Saints mock drafts

The New Orleans Saints have many needs, but they only have two picks in the first two rounds. With both coming at the end of their respective round, the Saints may only be able to add one player that has instant-start capabilities.

The defense was gutted, so it’s possible the franchise uses their first-round pick to replace Trey Hendrickson, Sheldon Rankins, or Janoris Jenkins. However, the Saints are also commonly mocked a wide receiver to replace Emmanuel Sanders as well.

There’s no denying the New Orleans Saints are in an interesting position with the 28th-overall pick after their overly hectic offseason.

Neworleansaints.com did a round-up of mock drafts, and Asante Samuel Jr. is a favorite among mock drafts for New Orleans. The article notes that NFL.com analyst Maurice Jones-Drew and CBS Sports analyst Tyler Sullivan both recently placed Samuel to the Saints.

Samuel Jr. is a cornerback and the son of legendary, long-time Pats and Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, and there’s hope that his son will have an even better NFL career.

While at Florida, Samuel Jr. amassed 97 tackles in 31 games through three seasons. As a sophomore, he totaled 14 passes defended, leading the ACC, as well as showing his ballhawk ability.

A bit on the smaller side at 5-foot-10, Samuel Jr. may struggle to find his footing in the NFL, but as Jones-Drew noted Samuel would be a “young play-maker offering a high IQ and NFL pedigree.” Samuel has a sky-high ceiling.

While Samuel may not be specifically the answer, the Saints’ biggest need will be at cornerback after releasing Jenkins. Patrick Robinson and P.J. Williams just won’t cut it, and if they enter the season with either as their No. 2 cornerback, the team could be in a world of pain.

That said, with just over a week till the draft, it’ll be interesting to see who the Saints go with, but there shouldn’t be a single fan that’s upset if it’s Samuel Jr.’s name being called with the 28th-overall selection.