Saints 4-round mock draft: NOLA gains draft capital, still lands top talent
Offensive Guard. Sooners . Marquis Hayes. 117. player. 815.
Round 4: Pick 117 – Marquis Hayes, OG (Oklahoma)
New Orleans typically has one of the best offensive lines in the league. With how good Terron Armstead, Erik McCoy, and Ryan Ramczyk have been for this team in recent years, it’s protected how less-than-stellar Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz have performed at the two guard spots.
Well, with those three aforementioned players banged up throughout the 2021 season and Peat also missing an extended period of time, we saw just how much Ruiz struggled at the right guard spot. That’s why the Saints need to address the position in the draft, even if Ruiz does have two years remaining on his rookie contract.
Marquis Hayes is someone who could be an option at right guard for the Saints. He’s 6’5″ and 320 pounds, making him a massive lineman to try and get around.
Ruiz probably is the starter in Week 1 of the 2022 season but Hayes joining the team could potentially light a fire under the former first-round pick and motivate him. Or, Hayes could surpass him on the depth chart and be the new starting right guard in the Big Easy.