Saints 7-Round Mock Draft: Two first-round trades lead to building the trenches

The New Orleans Saints are heading into the 2024 NFL Draft with some key roster needs.

This offseason, the Saints have one of the worst cap situations in the league. Thus, the draft is going to be of high importance; higher than most years.

There are a few spots you could argue are most important within the roster, but how do the Saints address them all?

In our latest mock draft, New Orleans finds it useful to trade back twice in the first round and obtain some significant value.

The Saints make two first-round trades to acquire additional 2024 draft capital in this mock

When on the clock for the first time, the Cincinnati Bengals are interested in moving up. It's an easy decision to move back four spots when the Saints obtain a third rounder in addition.

Next, the Saints receive a call from Buffalo, who want to come up 10 spots. The Bills then trade a second and fourth-round pick to the Saints in exchange for no. 18 and a fifth rounder.

Now picking in the back of the first round (as they would hopefully be on the regular) the Saints go after a starting offensive tackle in Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton. Last year, the health of Ryan Ramczyk was an issue, and Trevor Penning hasn't looked as good as the Saints had hoped in his first two seasons.

Guyton comes in as someone who could start from Day 1, depending on which spot the Saints feel is most vulnerable. At 6-foot-7 and 328 pounds, Guyton has ideal size for the position. He is a natural athlete with a fairly lean frame, but don't count that as his being short on strength. Guyton is plenty powerful for his height.

The athleticism paired with a strong anchor to handle bull rushers gives Guyton an all-around build to be a starter in the NFL. He'll come in right away and fix a position needing some depth.