While the New Orleans Saints had several needs on both sides of the ball, the salary cap prevented the team from addressing the majority of those needs. The Saints had just over three million dollars of cap space available so it was almost a certainty the Saints would be involved in trade discussions throughout the draft. That turned out to be the case as New Orleans traded away two picks each to the New England Patriots and Washington Redskins to move up in this year’s draft.
The Saints defense allowed more points per game than any other team in the NFL in 2015. They were also one of just three teams to give up an average of over 400 yards per game. As a result, it’s no surprise the Saints selected a defensive player in the first and second rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Offensively, the Saints are expected to shift to a more balanced offense to take some of the pressure off quarterback Drew Brees. Mark Ingram and C.J. Spiller sit atop the depth chart at running back and the Saints added a third option in the draft.
Overall, the Saints only made five picks in the 2016 NFL Draft and had to make each one count. So how did they do? Here’s a pick-by-pick breakdown with grades for each selection.
- Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville
- Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State
- Vonn Bell, FS, Ohio State
- Ebuka David Onyemata, DT, Manitoba
- Daniel Lasco, RB, California
Next: First Round