New Orleans Saints: First Round Targets In The 2022 NFL Draft

Now armed with two first-round selections, who will the New Orleans Saints target in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft?

The New Orleans Saints grabbed headlines earlier this week by trading a haul of picks back-and-forth with the Philadelphia Eagles. Moving a 2023 1st, 2024 2nd, along with 18, 102, and 237 in the 2022 NFL Draft for 16, 19, and 194 was a massive deal. Now, the Saints sit with multiple first round selections in this year’s draft, in a place to acquire some top talent to round out their needs.

Now, what are their biggest needs? Some have mentioned quarterback, and while that would be shocking, a two-year deal for Jameis Winston isn’t a long-term commitment, but Winston and Andy Dalton as a combo makes it feel like they’re locked into bridge mode.

New Orleans Saints 2022 NFL Draft First-Round Targets

The other two at this moment are offensive tackle and WR2. The hope is, of course, that Michael Thomas returns healthy and gets back to form as a WR1 in the NFL that we know he can be. After him, though, there are serious question marks, no matter how much one believes in Marquez Callaway or Tre’Quan Smith. As for offensive tackle, losing a player like Terron Armstead isn’t something that’s easy to replace, both as a talent and as a leader. The class has question marks after the top two (or three).

So how do the New Orleans Saints use their two selections in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft? They have options, some of which involve a move up, and others are ones that can be selected if they stay put and feel good about the value. Let’s dive in!