Saints-Eagles draft picks trade deemed “even” by one metric

Many believe the Philadelphia Eagles absolutely fleeced the New Orleans Saints in their recent draft picks trade, but one chart shows otherwise.

The internet’s sentiment surrounding the Saints-Eagles trade skews toward: the Saints made a huge mistake and/ or “What in the world were the Saints thinking?”

The trade drastically changes NOLA’s first round plans in the 2022 NFL Draft since it gives them two picks instead of one. The Saints get the No. 16 and No. 19 picks along with the No. 194 pick, and they give up…a lot of future draft capital, including a 2022 first-rounder, 2023 first-rounder, and 2024 second-rounder.

A casual football fan’s knee-jerk reaction would be to believe the Saints lost this trade by a long shot, but the trade is indeed more confusing and more intriguing than one may initially believe. Don’t be so easily fooled by Twitter.

According to the Rich Hill trade chart, which re-evaluates the value of picks based on modern trades, New Orleans and Philly made an objectively fair trade.

New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles both win from draft pick trade

From NOLA’s perspective, this blockbuster trade deal impacts the team the most in the 2022 draft, where the Saints will have two first-round selections. General consensus (and common sense) tells us that New Orleans sees themselves as a legitimate contender this season and remains in “win now” mode. They are not rebuilding their franchise, as many thought they would after Sean Payton’s departure, and rather are focused on fielding the most elite and competitive team possible in 2022.

The consequences of the Saints’ two first-rounders could make or break the team’s future since who they select will answer the looming quarterback question for the foreseeable future. If NOLA drafts a wide receiver and offensive tackle in the first round, they are telling the league they are committing to Jameis Winston for the entirety of his two-year contract.

If the Saints trade up for quarterback or select a quarterback with their No. 16 or No. 19 pick (say, Desmond Ridder), they would be making a long-term decision at the position in this draft, one that will surely alter the team’s identity for the future.

Whatever the Saints choose to do, know that on paper, the draft picks trade actually does make sense for both sides.

Now, the spotlight turns to which team can put together a better draft class in 2022 and beyond — our money’s on Mickey Loomis and the Saints.