Mickey Loomis has earned a reputation that isn't going away any time soon. The New Orleans Saints will be seen as a threat to trade up in the NFL Draft as long as he is the general manager. Though they tried to tell us before the draft, Loomis made it clear after the draft that moving up in the first round was not a something they ever considered.
Loomis told the media leading up to the draft that they weren't going to trade up because the team isn't "one player away." He was correct in his assessment, but that didn't stop the speculation. It's not like Loomis would have told us if the Saints were planning to trade up.
As we all saw, Loomis wasn't bluffing. Matter of fact, they didn't even call to see the price of trading up. "I never made one call to move up from pick 8," Loomis declared. "I know that will surprise you all. I know it was reported by a couple of people, but that was completely untrue." In addition to not pursuing a trade up, the Saints declined offers from teams trying to get them to trade up.
Saints' Jordyn Tyson and Oscar Delp are proof that patience truly is a virtue
Loomis told reporters that the seven players that went ahead of the Saints wasn't a surprise to them. It sounds like they always expected Jordyn Tyson to fall to 8. However, Carnell Tate going to the Titans at 4 could have easily pushed New Orleans into making a trade to ensure they grabbed him.
Instead the Saints trusted their board and also felt comfortable with other prospects to stick and pick. Their patience led to them still getting their guy in the end, and it also allowed them to make all of their other picks too.
If the Saints would have made a similar trade as the Chiefs, they would have never had the chance to land Oscar Delp in the third round. They also wouldn't have had a fifth round pick to trade for Tyree Wilson.
Tyson and Olave gives New Orleans a wide receiver tandem that can grow into one of the league's best. Delp gifts the Saints much more formational versatility due to his immediate impact as a blocker and upside as a receiver. Wilson is an wild card, but the Saints were clearly enticed by his high ceiling at a low cost.
Staying at 8 made all of this possible for the Saints. If they traded up, they would have only been able grab one of these players. Getting all three, specifically Tyson and Delp, is a much bigger win than trading up to make sure you get your first rounder.
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