The New Orleans Saints wrapped up their 2024 season on Sunday with a 27-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to finish 5-12 on the year, the worst record the team has finished with since the Hurricane Katrina-displaced Saints finished 3-13 in 2005. The bright side of that season came in the draft, where the Saints drafted second-overall and landed the electric Heisman-winning running back Reggie Bush. Unfortunately, the Saints stumbled into a few more wins this season and will draft ninth in this year's Draft.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at ten recent mock drafts to see who draft experts have the Saints selecting in the first round of the 2025 Draft.
WhoDatDish, Drew Collings - Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
The overwhelming expectation is for New Orleans to draft an edge rusher at ninth overall. Despite New Orleans' issues on offense, this is a logical call with both Chase Young and Payton Turner slated for free agency. WhoDatDish's own Drew Collings believes New Orleans will take that path, as he has projected the Saints to take Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter.
Coolings isn’t alone on this decision to draft an edge rusher, but the specific edge rusher varies based on the mock draft.
Uproxx, Bill DiFilippo – James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
FanDuel, Austin Swaim – James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
CBS Sports, Ryan Wilson – Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
USA Today Sports, Jack McKessy – Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
Pro Football Focus, Trevor Sikkema – Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
SBNation, JP Acosta – Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Several top edge rushers in the draft are projected to become Saints, with Tennessee’s James Pearce and Georgia’s Mykel Williams projected by multiple outlets to head to New Orleans.
After edge rusher, the second most common position is wide receiver, with a couple of outlets predicting the Saints will select one of the top wideouts in the class.
Fantasy Pros, Mike Fanelli – Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
CBS Sports, Chris Trapasso – Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
These selections see New Orleans strengthening its receiver room with two outlets netting the Saints a premium wideout to pair with Chris Olave. Depending on whether or not the Saints bring back their standout mid-season acquisition Marquez Valdez-Scantling, they could walk into next season with a trio of quality pass catchers if these outlets get their way.
FantasyLife, Thor Nystrom – Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
One outside-the-box call from FantasyLife’s Thor Nystrom sees the Saints picking up a cornerback to possibly replace pending free agent Paulson Adebo.
Tankathon – Will Campbell, OT, LSU
One mock draft from the Tankathon sees the Saints keeping it in-state with their pick and strengthening their offensive line with standout offensive tackle Will Campbell from LSU.
There will be plenty more mock drafts in the coming months, and Who Dat Dish will keep you updated on who is projected to become a Saint.
The 2025 NFL Combine begins on February 27 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the 2025 NFL Draft will kick off on April 24 from Green Bay, Wisconsin.