Saints draft class highlighted by what experts believe are three of the top 100 picks

The New Orleans Saints needed to have a strong draft, and by all accounts, they did. Of course, we won’t officially know the quality of this class until a few years into their career, but early projections are promising. The Saints were able to address multiple needs, selecting talented players all throughout the draft.

ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller recently ranked the 100 best draft picks in 2024. Miller made it clear that he wasn’t just ranking players, evaluating several factors instead to determine the quality of a pick.

"To create our ranking, we factored in value (where a player was drafted vs. where he was ranked pre-draft), scheme fit, how the selection addressed a need, what the prospect brings on the field and whether additional assets were gained or lost in draft-day trades to acquire him."

- Matt Miller (ESPN)

Looking at things through these lens gave the Saints what Miller considers three of the top 100 picks in the draft. The Taliese Fuaga selection was ranked 24th, the Spencer Rattler pick was ranked 73rd, and the Kool-Aid McKinstry selection was ranked 77th.

Saints made elite picks in the 2024 NFL Draft

Starting with Taliese Fuaga, Miller argued that Fuaga’s ability as a versatile lineman with experience in a zone-blocking scheme made him the perfect value, fit, and need selection for the New Orleans. That’s why they took him so early, using the 14th-overall pick.

The Saints didn’t take Spencer Rattler that early, but Miller says that if New Orleans did select Rattler in the third round, the pick still would have made the ranking. Instead, the Saints got him in the fifth round. Highlighting the strengths that Rattler showed in college, Miller believes he can develop into a starter, making him a steal in the fifth round.

Then finally, there’s Kool-Aid McKinstry. Miller highlights that the Jones fracture in his right foot led to him slipping, but if healthy, he can inherit the CB1 role from Marshon Lattimore.

Those three players are the first three selections for the Saints and nearly half of their draft class. These kind of rankings show that New Orleans made quality selections, now it’s time for the players to deliver.

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