3 positions the NOLA Saints should target on Day 2 of 2022 NFL Draft
By Najy Masri
NOLA Saints fans should be ecstatic with the organization’s first-round selections of WR Chris Olave and OT Trevor Penning.
New Orleans understood that one of their coveted wide receivers would not be there at 16 and, in typical Mickey Loomis aggressive fashion, moved up to secure their target. They then sweated out the next eight picks to get their Terron Armstead replacement at pick 19.
In order to move up for Olave, the Saints had to give up this year’s third and fourth round picks, leaving them, at the moment, with only three remaining selections in this year’s draft, including a second round pick at 49.
What positions and which players should the Saints target with the now ultra-important second round pick?
Safety
The loss of Marcus Williams in free agency and Malcolm Jenkins to retirement has left the Saints in dire need of secondary help. The addition of Marcus Maye and the re-signing of versatile defensive back P.J. Williams certainly helps offset a portion of what was lost.
However, in order to keep C.J. Gardner-Johnson in his role as a slot cornerback and overall chess piece for Dennis Allen, an additional safety needs to be added.
This year’s first round saw three safeties be selected, including Kyle Hamilton by the Ravens who fell to No. 14 and two more safeties with the last two picks of Thursday night (Daxton Hill to Cincinnati and Lewis Cine to the Vikings).
Outside of a post-draft Honey Badger signing, the following safeties should be strongly considered by the Saints if available at pick 49.
- Jaquan Brisker (Penn State)
- Jalen Pitre (Baylor)
- Nick Cross (Maryland)
Brisker would be a home run pick by the Saints if available at pick 49. He was a second-team All-American this past season and has the requisite size and speed combination to match up with tight ends as Malcolm Jenkins did for the Saints the last two seasons.
Pitre started his career at Baylor as a linebacker but moved to safety in Dave Aranda’s Baylor defense, winning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year this past season as well as being named a first-team All-American.
Cross is the classic “thumper” safety, who, like Brisker, excelled in defending opposing tight ends in man coverage.