Ohio State All-American Becomes Brandon Staley’s Favorite Chess Piece

Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons was embarrassing, and with wins helping to boost this team’s morale, this was a much-needed victory. On the other side, the Saints are a 2-9 team, and more losses mean a better draft pick. So, let’s look at what New Orleans can do with their new draft position.

Using the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator, this is how the picks fell for New Orleans:

Round 1, No. 3: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

• Arguably the best player in the draft
• He could be utilized everywhere in the defense
• Creates a young, dynamic safety duo with Downs and Jonas Sanker
• Now, Justin Reid could be traded
• Every area of the defense will improve
• DC Brandon Staley gets a top building block for his defense

According to the PFSN CFB Safety Impact Metric, Downs is ranked 60th among safeties in impact score.

Round 2, No. 37: Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, USC

• Can adjust to any throw
• Makes the difficult catches look easy
• He would be a great compliment to Chris Olave
• Is the definition of a contested catch threat

Has only 68 targets on the season per PFSN’s CFB WR Impact Metric, and this could be due to fellow USC WR Makai Lemon being the top target in that offense.

Round 3, No. 68: Anthony Smith, EDGE, Minnesota

• Versatility in a 3-4 scheme
• He has 10.5 sacks on the season
• Great at chasing down rushers and QBs rolling out of the pocket
• Has some pass rush moves, but relies on strength to win, which can be an issue at times
• Still developing, but has the measurables the Saints would value

Is 9th in defensive snaps this season, according to PFSN’s CFB EDGE Impact Metric.

Round 4, No. 127: Keionte Scott, CB, Miami

• The perfect replacement if Alontae Taylor leaves in free agency
• An impressive tackler who has a knack for making plays in the backfield
• Fits in a zone defense
• A heat-seeking missile when blitzing the QB
• Has been injured for most of the season

Ranked #61 in PFSN’s CFB CB Impact metric.

Round 4, No. 137: Brian Parker II, G/T, Duke

• Plays tackle in CFB but should move to guard in the NFL
• Plays with great strength and does not get moved easily
• Built like a guard and struggles with speed at tackle

Has a 91.4 impact score in PFSN’s CFB Player OL Impact Metric.

Round 5, No. 145: Bear Alexander, DT, Oregon

• Extremely strong
• In run defense, he is excellent
• Needed in this Saints defense
  • He could finally allow Bryan Bresee to reach his potential

Is 7th in tackles on the season per PFSN’s CFB DT Impact Metric. This position needs some necessary additions.

Round 5, No. 166: Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt

• Very fast for a TE
• Great after the catch
• Can make difficult catches
• Consistent pass catcher

Looking at PFSN’s CFB TE Impact Metric, Stowers is ranked 4th in TE impact score.

Round 6, No. 182: Daylan Smothers, RB, NC State

• TE depth for the Saints
• Able to break tackles
• Extremely elusive

In rush yards, Smothers is 27th according to PFSN’s CFB RB Impact Metric.