After a few weeks of free agency, many needs still need to be filled for the New Orleans Saints. In this mock draft, I tried to fill most of those remaining needs. I also traded for a late third-round pick in this draft. The Saints have so many late picks, I packaged a few together to move up. This is something that the New Orleans should think about doing.
Let’s take a look at how the Saints could finish building their roster through the 2024 NFL Draft.
Round 1 Pick 14: Cooper DeJean- Cornerback, Iowa
In the first round, the Saints select Cooper DeJean, the cornerback from Iowa. The signing of Chase Young allows the Saints to be a lot more aggressive with who they pick. With them not needing an edge rusher, although they should still think about picking one up, it allows them to pick the player that they think is the best on the board. I could easily see Dennis Allen loving Cooper DeJean and him instantly becoming an impact player for the Saints defense.
DeJean is an incredibly versatile player. He combines great athleticism with high IQ, making him someone a quarterback always has to locate. DeJean is great in the run game as well. He is willing to come down from the second level to make the tackle in the backfield.
Isaac Yiadom signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers, so the Saints need to find another cornerback to replace him. Cooper Dejean would fit into the Saints defense perfectly and could elevate it to another level. With Dennis Allen at the helm of the defense, DeJean would instantly become an impact player for the Saints.
Round 2 Pick 45: Bo Nix- Quarterback, Oregon
With the 45th overall pick, I have the Saints selecting Bo Nix, the quarterback out of Oregon. Derek Carr is undoubtedly the starter going into next year, so Nix would have time to learn the system and learn from Derek Carr to develop. This would help him take over the offense, when he is ready, and succeed.
Bo Nix is an extremely experienced quarterback. Nix set the all time record for career starts by a quarterback this past year. This experience helps him make smart decisions and not panic while under pressure. He has good mobility that allows him to escape pressure if he needs to. Nix thrives at avoiding sacks and has shown extreme toughness while in college.
Similar to J.J. McCarthy, teams aren’t fully sure who Bo Nix can be because of their college offense. In the Oregon offense this past year, nearly 30% of his passes were thrown behind the line of scrimmage. This creates a sense of uncertainty surrounding Nix.
Bo Nix would have plenty of time to develop under Derek Carr. When he gets his chance, Nix could find great success in the NFL. He has the necessary skills to be able to be a great quarterback at the next level.
Round 3 Pick 98: Dominick Puni- Tackle, Kansas
In the third round, the Saints pick the versatile offensive lineman out of Kansas, Dominick Puni. Both the tackle and the guard position are needs this offseason. Puni has experience at both of them and could play at whichever one the Saints choose.
Puni played left guard exclusively in 2022. Then in 2023, he made the switch and had an amazing season at left tackle. The Saints need to address those positions and Puni would help with that. He contains great size, standing at 6-foot-5 and 313 pounds. Puni has solid athleticism that would help him keep up with the opposing defender. He can struggle with hand placement from time to time which leads to unnecessary penalties. That should improve with increased coaching and snaps at the next level.
Round 5 Pick 168: Keith Randolph Jr.- Defensive Tackle, Illinois
In the fifth round, the Saints help bolster a position of need with Keith Randolph Jr. Defensive tackle needs to be addressed this offseason. The Saints struggled with stopping the run game last year, they haven’t done anything to help with it. Randolph could come in and help with the run game. He wouldn’t have much prowess in the passing game but could come in on running downs to help stop it.
Round 5 Pick 175: Tyrone Tracy- Halfback, Purdue
With their second pick in the fifth round, the Saints select Tyrone Tracy. Tracy is an extremely versatile player who could be a chess piece for Klint Kubiak this year. He played running back at Purdue for the past two seasons. Before that, Tracy was a wide receiver at Iowa.
Kubiak could line up Tracy in the backfield or as a receiver. He would be effective in either situation and could produce for the Saints in year one. Last year at Purdue, Tracy tallied 714 yards and 8 touchdowns. In addition to that, Tracy averaged 4.4 yards after contact. He is a very powerful runner and could use that to his advantage in the NFL.
Round 7 Pick 239: Jason Bean- Quarterback, Kansas
Picking Jason Bean with the Saints last pick would be a very unorthodox but extremely fun selection. The Saints could keep Bean as a backup quarterback, which is a very possible option and could work, but I see him transitioning to a wide receiver.
While watching Jason Bean, it is evident that he contains outstanding speed. In most games during Bean’s collegiate career, he was the fastest player on the field. This is seen especially in Kansas’s game against Cincinnati. Whether it’s at quarterback or wide receiver, Jason Bean has the potential to be an impactful player and one who would be extremely fun to watch.