Saints find Marcus Williams’ replacement in redraft of 2021 NFL Draft
The New Orleans Saints entered the 2021 season with the knowledge that it could be the final year they have Marcus Williams under contract. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that they look for a possible future replacement for Williams in the 2021 NFL Draft.
What actually happened was that the black and gold took Houston defensive end, Payton Turner, at pick No. 28. Turner played just five games as a rookie and while he was decent while on the field, the Saints could have gotten more bang for their buck had they gone in a different direction.
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report did a redraft of the 2021 NFL Draft and had New Orleans going with Oregon safety, Jevon Holland, who actually slid to the beginning of the second round. The Dolphins took him No. 36 overall.
"The New Orleans Saints desperately need offensive playmakers on the perimeter, though they shouldn’t reach for Rondale Moore or Nico Collins in this spot. Perhaps wideout Michael Thomas bounces back after two injury-riddled seasons as the go-to target for whoever starts at quarterback in 2022.The Saints instead opt for defense and select Jevon Holland with the possibility of losing Marcus Williams in free agency. Approximately $76 million over the cap threshold, per Over The Cap, New Orleans may have to let the ball-hawking defender walk after franchise-tagging him for 2021. Also worrisome, fellow safety Malcolm Jenkins heads into his age-35 season."
Saints select Jevon Holland in redraft of 2021 NFL dRaft
As Moton alludes to, the Saints needed to add help on the offensive side of the ball but they’d have been reaching on the next best pass-catchers on the board. So, with that in mind, they add help in their secondary, and Holland would have fit right into this defense.
Holland had 69 tackles, 10 defended passes, seven QB hits, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions during his 16 games and 13 starts with the ‘Fins. NOLA had a rock-solid defense in 2021 and Holland could have been yet another impressive piece for them.
Holland definitely would have contributed more than Turner did and he’d probably put New Orleans in a better position when it comes to Williams’ impending departure. If they were to lose Williams and had Holland as a potential replacement, they’d still be in good hands.
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How would you have felt had NOLA added Jevon Holland in the 2021 NFL Draft instead of Payton Turner?