New Orleans Saints trying to move into top 10 for Penei Sewell
Only hours separate us from the NFL Draft now, and there is huge news and rumors coming out of New Orleans. We all know that Sean Payton is no stranger to trading up in the NFL Draft, but this could be one of the biggest trades of the Payton era.
With cornerback being one of the biggest areas of need that the team has gone into next season, it wouldn’t have surprised me if they traded up for Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain or South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn.
However, the rumors now are that the team is trying to get the undisputed No.1 offensive lineman in the draft — Oregon’s Penei Sewell, according to SI’s Mike Fisher That sounds like a real headscratcher, but Payton has loved to draft an offensive lineman in the first round.
The New Orleans Saints are actively looking to trade up, and apparently, the trade-up target is the No. 1 ranked offensive lineman, Penei Sewell.
Last year, the team turned heads when they went with versatile offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz from Michigan instead of going with linebacker Patrick Queen. Could they turn around and do the same thing this year with a cornerback?
In a relatively quiet trade market thus far, the #Saints appear to be the team doing the most groundwork for a potential trade up. They’ve even called into the Top 10 to gauge value. For a CB? Would be a steep price, but they aren’t afraid to be bold...
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 29, 2021
Sewell, the best overall offensive line prospect, came from the University of Oregon. The junior had a great three years in college. For the most part, Sewell has been dominating the football field since he was 19 years old.
This move up, if accurate, doesn’t necessarily make sense.
The Saints offensive line is already one of the best. For something like this to work, the team would need to get rid of an offensive lineman similar to what they did last year with Ruiz and Warford.
Could this mean that someone is on their way out? Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead are one of the best in the respective positions, but could one of them be on the move for this first-round move up?
That would make the most sense.
Next. Top 30 players in Saints history. dark
The Saints are accustomed to releasing players that are at the end of their contracts and replacing them with younger, cheaper talent. The Saints might not make this big of a splash, but I would assume tonight is going to be one for the books.