What pick do the NOLA Saints officially hold in the 2022 NFL Draft?
By Kristen Wong
If the season ended today….Well, the 2021 season has ended. After Week 18’s results, the New Orleans Saints officially hold a few prime draft picks.
NOLA has the No. 18 overall pick in the first round and the No. 47 pick in the second round, according to Tankathon.
It should be mildly irritating that their divisional rivals, the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, both hold one top-ten draft pick a piece (No. 6 for Carolina, No. 8 for Atlanta).
The Saints gave their third-round pick to the Houston Texans as part of a trade for Bradley Roby, so those two draft picks are the team’s best assets for now.
It’s impossible to predict what Sean Payton plans to do in the offseason, so we won’t even try.
New Orleans could use more draft picks if the team wants to invest in younger talent, but at the same time, the Saints may also trade their current picks for a high-profile playmaker.
New Orleans Saints have the No. 18 and No. 47 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft
If the Saints end up holding onto their first and second round picks, they’ll likely use them on offensive players, like a wide receiver or an offensive tackle.
Over the past three years, NOLA has drafted just one wide receiver despite some truly impressive draft classes, nabbing seventh-rounder Kawaan Baker in 2021.
In fact, not taking a wide receiver earlier may have come back to bite the Saints, who really just have one temperamental WR1 in Michael Thomas (if he recovers) next season.
A recent PFF mock draft has the Saints picking Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral in the first round, noting Corral’s mobility and arm strength that could immediately give him an edge over Taysom Hill or even Jameis Winston.
However, the chances that Sean Payton goes for a quarterback with the very first draft pick feel low. The Saints swung and missed on fourth-rounder Ian Book, and given Payton’s more conservative approaches, he’d more likely spring for a quality offensive tackle.
Next. 3 positions Saints should stay away from in 2022 NFL Draft. dark
Whatever the Saints do with their draft picks will heavily affect their 2022 season and beyond, so Payton and the other coaches at the top should choose wisely.