New Orleans Saints: Analyzing the 2021 NFL Draft by position

Cornerback

Long-Term Need: Very, Very High

Cornerback is one of the most valuable positions in the NFL in terms of producing Wins Above Replacement, and the Saints’ depth chart is:

• One Year of Marshon Lattimore, who is dealing with legal issues and has regressed in every season
• Patrick Robinson
• Grant Haley

Chauncey-Gardner Johnson can defend the slot, but I think it’s safe to say the Saints need to replenish their depth at outside cornerback. Successful organizations are constantly adding as many defensive backs as possible, given how volatile coverage play can be, and it’s time for them to follow suit.

First-Round Value

• Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech (Rank: 15)
• Jaycee Horn, South Carolina (Rank: 18)
• Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State (Rank: 28)
• Eric Stokes, Georgia (Rank: 33)

I don’t think Horn will be close to available for the Saints but I included him because he does fit everything they look for generally (athletic profile), so don’t be surprised if they traded up for them, even if it’s a very suboptimal decision.

Had he not been dealing with a back problem, Farley would be a potential top-ten pick, but that’s worth the risk at such a valuable position at the end of the first round. Remember, not worrying about medicals is what got the Saints Lattimore and Ramcyzk in the beginning.

If Farley is crossed off their board, I could see the Saints liking Asante Samuel Jr., who is a carbon copy of recently-released Janoris Jenkins as a smaller, yet extremely physical cornerback. Meanwhile, Stokes ran a 4.3 40-yard dash, has a lot of length, and was productive in college, which reads a lot like Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean, someone Saints fans are quite familiar with.

Other Options

• Thomas Graham Jr., Oregon (Rank: 48)
• Tay Gowan, UCF (Rank: 49)
• Paulson Adebo, Stanford (Rank: 59)
• Ambry Thomas, Michigan (Rank: 64)
• Oliajah Griffin, USC (Rank: 92)
• Zech McPhearson, Texas Tech (Rank: 109)

All of these players are significantly undervalued based on my model rankings.

Of the group, my favorite options would be Adebo, who has multiple years of college production with length and athleticism, as well as Graham Jr., who also was super productive before opting out this season.

Ironically, the top four are all opt-outs, and since this is likely to negatively affect players’ stock more than it should, the Saints could be in a great position to capitalize later on in the draft.

Buyer Beware

• Greg Newsome, Northwestern (Rank: 57)
• Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse (Rank: 87)

The pay-off in drafting a cornerback is very high, so the Saints shouldn’t feel uncomfortable taking any of them.

However, both Newsome and Melifonwu are more strong from an athletic standpoint than production-wise; Newsome was essentially a liability before this season and has dealt with injuries every season, limiting his overall body of work. He is heavily linked to them in mock drafts, which is slightly alarming.

Overview

Caleb Farley should be Saints fans’ dream selection with a first-round pick, though Samuel Jr. and Stokes would be fine additions as well.

However, where the organization could really exploit this draft’s strengths is later on, where they can take multiple shots on talented players who have fallen for random reasons, mainly opting out. Remember, you need far more than one talented defensive back to be successful.