A team not named the New Orleans Saints recently won the Super Bowl. The Saints didn’t even make the postseason after finishing second in the NFC South with a 9-8 record. If New Orleans is going to get back to its winning ways, changes must be made.
The team has already made changes to the offensive coaching staff, and a ton of player moves are expected to be made in free agency. Of course, the big moment of the offseason will be the 2024 NFL Draft. The Saints will be hoping to put together a class that can help them win immediately and be dominant in the future.
Let’s take a look at what New Orleans’ 2024 draft might look like.
This mock draft was done on PFF's Mock Draft Simulator and all stats were also gotten on PFF.
Round 1 Pick 14: Saints draft Taliese Fuaga T, Oregon St.
With the 14th pick in the NFL draft, New Orleans fills a dire need with the selection of Taliese Fuaga. Fuaga, the offensive tackle out of Oregon State, would fit perfectly at a position where the Saints desperately need help. With all of the questions surrounding the tackle spot about Trevor Penning, Andrus Peat, Ryan Ramcyzk, and James Hurst, selecting a top tackle at No. 14 would be a great selection.
Fuaga has played 1,510 snaps in the past two years and has not given up a single sack. He has great speed and in my opinion, is the best run-blocking tackle in this year's draft. He goes looking for someone to take out of the play and is the exact player that the New Orleans Saints need at a position where they have struggled.
Round 2 Pick 45: Saints draft Keon Coleman WR, Florida St.
With their second-round pick, the New Orleans Saints select Keon Coleman, the wide receiver out of Florida State. With Michael Thomas likely on his way out of New Orleans, the Saints need another wide receiver to round out their room. The Saints right now are looking like they will have three receivers going into next year: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry. All three of those receivers are going to have an increased role next year but the addition of Coleman could elevate the receiving room even more.
Coleman could help Perry fill in for the role that Michael Thomas has played in the offense. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Coleman is a big-body wide receiver who is an amazing contested-pass catcher. He can go up over the defense and secure the ball. He still is fairly raw and has some issues creating separation but with his contested-catch ability, this would be an amazing pick for the Saints in the second round.
Round 4 Pick 136: Saints draft Mohamed Kamara ED, Colorado St.
With their 4th-round pick, the New Orleans Saints select Mohamed Kamara, the edge rusher out of Colorado State. This is another position of need for New Orleans, as the team lacked a pass rush this season. Kamara has 20 sacks in the past two seasons at Colorado State and would help the Saints get after quarterbacks.
The biggest problem with Kamara is that he is small for the edge rusher position. He is 6-foot-1 and 250 pounds. This isn’t the Saint's typical type of edge rusher but with the emergence of Kaden Elliss and Zack Baun in the previous two years, a speed rusher coming off the edge is exactly what they could use.
Round 5 Pick 152: Saints draft Theo Johnson TE, Penn St.
In the 5th round, the Saints pick Theo Johnson, the tight end out of Penn State. Johnson is a 6-foot-6, 264-pound ultra-athletic tight end. He has a great frame and tons of potential in the receiving game. Johnson still does need to develop a significant amount in the run-blocking game as well as making people miss after the catch. With the pure athleticism of Johnson, he would fit perfectly into the new offensive system the Saints are running next year.
Round 5 Pick 170: Saints draft Kimani Vidal RB, Troy
With the second of three fifth-round picks, the Saints select Kimani Vidal, the running back from Troy. Vidal is a small running back standing at 5-foot-8, 218 pounds. He is a very powerful runner and is great at breaking tackles. Last year he had 1,661 yards and 14 touchdowns. Although he doesn’t have breakaway speed he can be a great workhorse running back for the Saints.
Round 5 Pick 176: Saints draft Joe Milton III QB, Tennessee
With the Saints final fifth-round pick, they select Joe Milton III. Milton has an elite frame standing at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds. Milton has unbelievable arm strength; he can throw the ball a country mile. Last year, Milton had 2,809 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 354 attempts. Milton still needs to improve in his accuracy as he does struggle with that but with his arm skills, you can see the potential he possesses.
Round 6 Pick 192: Saints draft Javion Cohen G, Miami
In the sixth round, the Saints pick Javion Cohen, a guard from Miami. Cohen isn’t the biggest guard, standing at 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, but he is a very athletic guard with solid speed who can get up to the second level to block. His ability to get to the second level could really help New Orleans restore its run game. Cohen also has strong arms as well and could immediately help the Saints in the future at a position where they can never seem to have enough depth.
Round 6 Pick 200: Saints draft Zion Logue DL, Georgia
With their final selection in the NFL draft the Saints select Zion Logue, the defensive lineman from the University of Georgia. Logue stands at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, and has a solid frame to be a good defensive tackle in the NFL. He played 230 snaps this past season and recorded two sacks, as well as two hurries. If he can tap into his potential, adding him to the New Orleans defensive line can help the Saints be more consistent up front defensively.