3 positions the Saints must address during the draft to remain competitive

2. Left guard

Left guard is a need that often gets overshadowed by the tackle positions. With former starter James Hurst getting older and older, the Saints can’t trust that he will be able to hold down the position. Although they selected Nick Saldiveri in the fourth round last year, he has dealt with an injury and can’t be trusted to take over the starting role. There still is hope that Saldiveri can blossom into a starting-caliber player but it isn’t a given by any means. 

If the Saints desire to, they can select Troy Fatanu with the 14th-overall pick and move him to left guard. Most analysts think that Fatanu’s long-term position in the NFL is at guard. It could be tough to justify selecting a guard at pick 14, but is an option the Saints could do.

There are later options such as Cooper Beebe, Christian Hayes, Zak Zinter, and Javion Cohen who the Saints could invest in to challenge Hurst and Saldiveri for the starting role. This is something that the Saints should think about doing. Even if they don’t start on day one, they will push the player who does to new levels. Investing in a player at left guard is a necessity if the Saints want to compete next year.