NOLA Saints trade up for future franchise player in NFL.com mock draft

Sitting at the No. 18 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft isn’t ideal. The NOLA Saints will be able to get a good player there but they won’t get the best player at any respective position. It’s a no man’s land placement, so to speak.

With this in mind, Chad Reuter of NFL.com had the Saints being more aggressive in the first round of his latest three-round mock draft. In Reuter’s mock, he had NOLA swapping spots with the Eagles and moving from No. 18 to No. 15, and selecting Mississippi State’s Charles Cross.

"Cross is an athletic and technically sound pass protector who should be picked earlier than 15th overall. However, we’ve seen some talented tackles fall into the middle of the first round in the past. If the Saints are unable to re-sign pending free agent Terron Armstead, Cross is a natural fit for them at left tackle."

To make this trade happen, New Orleans sends a third-rounder Philadelphia’s way. That’s a nice price to pay for a potential franchise left tackle who replaces a former franchise left tackle in Terron Armstead.

NOLA Saints trade up to select Charles Cross in mock draft

The second round has the Saints replacing Marcus Williams with the addition of Jaquan Brisker, a safety out of Penn State. Brisker is an immediate starter at free safety and can continue to give the NOLA defense juice, even without Williams in the picture.

In round three, the Saints surprisingly add a running back. The prospect’s name is Brian Robinson out of Alabama and he rushed for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns while hauling in another 35 catches for 296 yards and two receiving scores. He’d be an excellent weapon to add to an offense who needs any help they can get.

"Every Saints player slated to hit free agency in 2022 offseason"

How would you feel about these picks, Saints fans? Yay or nay?