Tyler Shough and Saints fans would be ecstatic if the first 3 rounds of the NFL Draft look anything like ESPN's mock draft. ESPN's assortment of draft analysts simulated a three round mock draft, with a different analyst for each Saints pick. The results were Sonny Styles, Colton Hood and Chris Bell.
The Saints sure up some major holes and land one unexpected star in the first three rounds. The Saints biggest needs are edge rusher, wide receiver and slot cornerback. The Saints missed out on edge rusher here but landed one of the most unique defensive players in the draft, Sonny Styles, in the first round.
Hood was primarily an outside corner at Tennessee, so that wouldn't seem to directly address the vacancy in the slot. The same was true for Alontae Taylor in college, so a position change isn't off the table. The most likely next step, however, is Hood on the outside and Quincy Riley moves inside.
Ohio State, second round defensive backs and steals? Sounds like a Saints draft
There isn't a more notable draft trend for the Saints than picking Ohio State players. Styles would just add another one to the list. For what it's worth, the pipeline has a pretty high success rate for the Saints. Michael Thomas, Vonn Bell, Marshon Lattimore and Chris Olave were success stories, and Pete Werner has been solid but not spectacular. As a top-10 pick, you're hoping Styles falls in the former group.
Saints love a second round defensive back, so Hood at 42 wouldn't be a shocker. Kool-Aid McKinstry was a second round pick just two years ago, and they picked Alontae Taylor two years prior to that. Fun fact: dating back to 2014, the Saints have picked a defensive back in the second round every even-year, except 2018 and 2020. In those years, the Saints didn't have a second rounder.
Chris Bell in the third round would an absolute steal. He'd be a nice pickup in the second round. In this mock, they obviously chose to go with Hood in this mock draft. The Saints would race to turn in the card if Bell was still available in the third round. Honestly, he wouldn't even make it to 73 with the Saints penchant for trading up.
Bell would give the Saints receiving corps a player who's a real danger with the ball in his hands. If that player is on the roster already, he hasn't shown it in a Saints uniform. The Saints secured a steal with Devin Neal a year ago. It's something that had eluded New Orleans in recent drafts. Landing Bell outside of the top-50 would make two years in a row.