Saints mock draft: NOLA prepares for life without Michael Thomas
806. . Wide Receiver. Nittany Lions . Jahan Dotson. 49. player
Round 2: Pick 49 – Jahan Dotson, WR (Penn State)
In a bit of a surprising move, New Orleans grabs yet another wide receiver with their next pick, this time in the form of Penn State’s Jahan Dotson. This selection would be when the NFL world would start to wonder if a potential trade of Thomas down the road is possible.
After all, the Saints could save $15 million per Spotrac by trading Thomas after June 1, so if they’re not going to trade him before the draft, it could make sense to add two WR1-caliber guys to make sure they’re ready to go in 2022 offensively.
Dotson hauled in 91 receptions for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 13.0 yards per catch. The dude is fast as hell and pairing him with London would take the Saints’ wideouts from bad to one of the best in the league.
Not only would NOLA have two solid starting wideouts, but they’d have them for at least the next four years if all goes according to plan. Trading Thomas might sting but the Saints set themselves up to succeed without him, which is something they didn’t do when he was with the team.