4 NFL draftees NOLA Saints regret passing up for Zack Baun

The NOLA Saints spent the No. 74 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft on Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun, who has been a massive disappointment. Who else could New Orleans have had if they didn’t go with Baun in the third round?

Baun has appeared in 29 games and only made six starts during his near two full seasons, totaling just 34 tackles and one QB hit. He has yet to record a sack and is mostly a contributor on special teams and not on defense. That wasn’t exactly the plan when the Saints spent a third-round pick on the guy but here we are.

So, let’s take a look at four players who were still on the board when New Orleans went with Baun. We’ll go in order from where they were selected in the draft.

Jonah Jackson could have filled void at guard for NOLA Saints

One pick after Baun went to the Saints, the Detroit Lions spent the No. 75 overall pick on Ohio State’s Jonah Jackson. New Orleans took Cesar Ruiz in the first round so the need for a guard didn’t seem all that important but Jackson would have been a better option than Ruiz, who has struggled during his time in the NFL.

Jackson has missed just one game as an NFL starter and has a PFF grade of 66.8 through his 13 games so far. In comparison, Ruiz has a 59.1 PFF grade this season and Andrus Peat had a 51.2 grade before getting injured. Jackson would have been a major upgrade over Peat and Ruiz and could have been a member of the Saints if they didn’t go with Baun.