Saints mock draft: NOLA prepares for life without Michael Thomas

This Saints mock draft is one where the team would plan to trade Michael Thomas after June 1. This would likely get them an extra third-round pick for 2023 but wouldn’t have any impact on this draft due to the trade happening after the fact.

For this Saints mock draft, I used Pro Football Network’s draft simulator and did four rounds. As mentioned, this would obviously be before a trade of Michael Thomas took place but after seeing how it shakes out, fans would definitely be speculating if a trade was on the horizon.

Let’s dive right in, shall we?

Round 1: Pick 18 – Drake London, WR (USC)

Assuming that New Orleans is able to re-sign Jameis Winston, they won’t need to target a quarterback in the first round. That leaves them open to going after a wide receiver or offensive lineman but with the strong need for a wideout, they can’t ignore the position in round one.

Drake London is the pick and he’d definitely make this offense better. Who Dat Dish’s Jonny Camer wrote about London recently and how NOLA shouldn’t hesitate to draft him.

"London’s unique size with after-the-catch ability at six foot five could be a great x-factor for the Saints’ offense. He is very similar to Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans, a tall contested-catch phenom that can body almost any cornerback."

London finished his senior season at USC totaling 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 12.3 yards per catch. He’s fast, elusive, and could be the perfect addition to this offense moving forward.