New Orleans Saints 7-Round 2020 mock draft: Reloading for another run

Round 1, No. 24 Overall: Trey Smith, OL, Tennessee

Right off the bat, we’re going a little off the reservation, despite my saying that the New Orleans Saints need to be smart with their selections. So why are they taking a chance here on Trey Smith, a guard who has had multiple blood clots and whose medicals are perhaps the most important ones in the draft process?

There are a couple of reasons for taking Smith in this spot. For one, the Saints are likely losing Andrus Peat to free agency, and Larry Warford will be on the last year of his contract in 2020. Finding a guard who can come in immediately and be a top contributor is important. The second reason is that Smith has the best tape of any interior offensive linemen in 2019.

Smith has an immense amount of functional strength and possesses a ton of power at the point of attack. His quickness off the snap is very good, and he has good footwork and IQ to handle rushers and stunts. Smith put together a great game against one of the draft’s top defensive linemen, Javon Kinlaw, and held him off the stat sheet and from creating a lot of pressure. If he checks out, Smith is a fantastic get here for New Orleans.