F is not for first round, unless you’re the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints fans rode a rollercoaster of emotion during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and they ended on a low-note. General manager Mickey Loomis made a major trade to move from the 27th overall pick up into the top-15, but the results left fans puzzled.
Trading next year’s first round pick, which I’ll get to in a bit, the reaction across the NFL was that the Saints were set to draft Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson. With Drew Brees turning 40 by the end of next season the Saints were likely in the market for a day one quarterback.
However, New Orleans opted to draft UTSA defensive lineman Marcus Davenport. a player many projected to be available later in the draft.
Despite having 42 sacks last season the Saints clearly felt they needed more help in their front seven. In a class weak at pass rusher, Loomis traded a fifth round pick this year and their first next year for a raw pass rusher coming out of a weak conference. To make it even worse, that first round pick next year could have been used to draft the heir to Brees.
Next: New Orleans Saints 2018 NFL Draft tracker and highlights
Davenport could surprise a lot of people and come out as a dominant player in New Orleans after collecting 21.5 sacks in four years with UTSA. But at face value, the Saints gave up way too much when they have glaring needs in the near future on offense.