3 Positions Saints Must Address in NFL Draft to Make Playoffs Next Season
By Joe Summers
There are three critical positions the Saints need to address in the NFL Draft to rebound from a miserable year last season. They've got seven picks to work with after trading Sean Payton, and there are still quality players on the roster that could take advantage of a weak division next year.
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3 Positions Saints Must Address in NFL Draft
With +5000 odds to win the Super Bowl next year, oddsmakers aren't expecting a huge step forward for New Orleans. Nonetheless, the Saints still had a chance to win the division last season and will be in a position to do so once again IF they address these crucial positions.
1. Defensive Line
I'll lump both defensive end and defensive tackle together, because the entire line needs an investment. Long a strength of the roster, the Saints are at risk of losing one of their biggest advantages moving forward if they don't address it now.
Cameron Jordan will be 34 next season, while upcoming free agent Marcus Davenport hasn't become the player New Orleans envisioned when it moved heaven-and-earth to acquire him in the draft.
Especially considering the relatively poor quarterbacks in the NFC South, maintaining a great pass rush can give the Saints a huge advantage in trying to return to the playoffs. At the least, Jordan's longterm replacement needs to be identified and start being groomed while simultaneously contributing to next year's team.
2. Quarterback
It's no secret that New Orleans desperately needs to upgrade the quarterback room. With respect to Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston, neither appear capable of leading the next great Saints team.
The Saints' draft capital will make it difficult to acquire one of the top quarterback prospects, but they should leave no stone unturned in the search for a signal caller. If one of the better options starts to fall, New Orleans should consider trying to make a trade up.
If not, the Saints should evaluate a player like Hendon Hooker or Tanner McKee in hopes of developing them into a quality quarterback.
3. Wide Receiver
Chris Olave looks like a star, but he's the only wide receiver on the roster you can truly feel comfortable with. Jarvis Landry and Michael Thomas are both unreliable due to injuries, while guys like Rashid Shaheed and Tre'Quan Smith are better suited as depth players than legitimate starters.
When you consider the Saints' quarterback situation and the question marks surrounding Alvin Kamara's legal issues, New Orleans needs to create the best situation possible for whomever is under center next season.
That means giving that quarterback weapons, and the Saints would be wise to keep restocking the wide receiver room to complement Olave.
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