What Should the Saints Do in the Draft with the 18th Pick?

Kyle T. Mosley

New coach, new regime, to a point, but their draft philosophy will remain the same. Before drafting a player, New Orleans considers the length, height, weight, speed, and intelligence. 

Do the Saints need to hit a home run at No. 18 in this year's draft process? Yes. 

 Does the player need to make an immediate impact? Well, this is the bigger question. 

Suppose Jameson Williams drops down the board to No. 18. Should Dennis Allen take a flyer out on another wide receiver with a significant lower leg injury, especially if Chris Olave is available? In my opinion, yes. Speed is god-given and never taught. Since his ACL injury during the FCS National Championship game, Williams has been ahead of schedule. He anticipates being ready for training camp. Realistically, the Saints wouldn't need him until possibly mid-season to be healthy. 

Remember, Michael Thomas, Tre'Quan Smith, Marquez Callaway, and Deonte Harty Harris return at wide receiver for New Orleans. Adding Williams would be the icing on the cake going into the season's home stretch for quarterback Jameis Winston. 

My pick would be Jameson Williams with Chris Olave as the contingency selection.

Brendan Boylan

The New Orleans Saints find themselves with multiple offensive needs headed into the 2022 NFL Draft. With the 18th overall selection, Mickey Loomis and company could look to find an offensive playmaker to pair alongside WR Michael Thomas or quickly find a replacement for the recently departed OT Terron Armstead. 

At this point with multiple veteran OTs left in free agency, I would tend to lean towards the more "sexy" pick and go receiver. New Orleans found themselves in the grind of the 2021 regular season without Armstead, and though it was very evident how much they missed the Pro Bowl tackle, it was even clearer that the WR room was in dire need of help. 

Ohio State's Chris Olave has already met with the Saints, talked to fellow Buckeye Michael Thomas, and stated he would "love" to play in New Orleans. It is rare to snatch a playmaker that can step in and make an immediate difference. And though there is no guarantee that any player drafted pans out to become an elite talent at their position it would be nice to see the Saints, under new regime, take a chance. 

However, building from the inside out has been a major part of the team's success over the past 15 years. So, don't be surprised if they ultimately draft a member of the O-Line, but I am in favor of drafting a wideout in the first round for the first time since 2014 (Brandin Cooks).

Bob Rose

I've been yelling for it the last two offseasons and increased my tone for it in October, so I'm not going to change now - WIDE RECEIVER! 

If a blue-chip tackle like Trevor Penning or Charles Cross is available at 18, the Saints would be hard-pressed to pass that up. However, I don't believe that offensive line is nearly the need that many seem to believe. Don't be surprised if the Saints draft one of the Georgia defensive tackles if they're available either. It's an underrated need that not nearly enough are talking about. 

I realize that a healthy Michael Thomas upgrades the entire offense. But even with him at full capacity in 2018 and 2019, we've seen this offense struggle when a defense manages to contain him. I never believed that New Orleans would address the wideout position with a high-priced free agent. 

 There are several receivers that can also make an impact as Day 2 selections. However, a prospect like Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, Garrett Wilson, or even Treylon Burks or Drake London, makes your offense exponentially better. 

If the Saints are going to give QB Jameis Winston a fair chance to succeed, this team needs to finally address the wide receiver issue with a top pick.

The Saints have a lot of decisions on their plate, and you can make arguments for just about anything. A quarterback wouldn't be surprising to sit behind Jameis Winston for the two seasons he's presumably going to be the starter. Offensive tackle makes sense, but there's also a belief that veteran James Hurst can fill in and be their starter. 

Something defensively might make some raise an eyebrow, but being that the team lost Marcus Williams and Malcolm Jenkins, it wouldn't be shocking to see them turn to the secondary or even look at a defensive tackle. However, one thing that Dennis Allen pointed out in his Tuesday press conference was that he'd rather augment the team through free agency and build them through the draft.

Best player available might be the way to go here for the Saints, and it's always in the eye of the beholder. Given how things have went for New Orleans thus far, go offense in the first two rounds, with one of them being a receiver. Naturally, expect New Orleans to try to be aggressive too in their approach, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll move up.

We're less than a month away from the NFL Draft, and we'll get a much better understanding of the team's vision from now until then.

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