How well have the Saints drafted on Day 2 in recent years?

Taking a look back at the Saints recent day 2 selections.

2023 – Isaiah Foskey and Kendre Miller

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The New Orleans Saints have been eagerly looking for a pass rusher opposite side of Cameron Jordan for years now, so to no surprise they drafted Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey in the second round of the 2023 draft. Foskey didn’t see much playing time in his rookie year while dealing with injury and being a healthy scratch for a few games. Foskey still has time to come into his own as he played limited stats in his first professional season, but the Saints are relying on a leap from the former Notre Dame edge rusher.

Running back Kendre Miller built up some hype for himself during the team’s 2023 as he had all the right answers to questions and worked closely with veteran Alvin Kamara. Miller is a polished rusher, but New Orleans wants to mold Miller into a dual threat back that can hurt opposing teams as a receiver coming out of the backfield. Miller would miss sometime during his rookie season while he dealt with injury but would end the season with an impressive 13 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown in a 48-19 blowout against division rivals Atlanta Falcons.

2022 – Alontae Taylor

Cornerback Alontae Taylor was asked to step up big during his rookie year as superstar cornerback Marshon Lattimore went out with an injury. Taylor had impressive stints during his rookie season including a masterclass of a game while covering All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams. Taylor’s rookie season wouldn’t go without its downs, however. He would eventually be benched at a point in the season due to being a liability as a tackler.

With Lattimore returning from injury for the 2023 season and cornerback Paulson Adebo winning the starting CB2 job, Taylor was asked to play out of position for his sophomore season as a slot corner and struggled. With a full season of reps and another offseason of practice focusing on being a slot, the Saints are hoping Taylor could come into his own and embrace his slot role.

2021 – Pete Werner and Paulson Adebo

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The Saints selected linebacker Peter Werner in the 2021 NFL Draft and he has given New Orleans solid play throughout his career. Werner started eight games for the Saints during his rookie year but would be a starter from his sophomore year and forward. The Saints have been lacking talent from linebackers despite Demario Davis and Werner’s development has been nice for New Orleans despite his lackluster 2023 season.

Cornerback Paulson Adebo played well during his rookie year before suffering a sophomore slump in 2022. Adebo would have his best season yet in 2023 showing his potential to be the team’s CB1. Adebo took over as CB1 when veteran Marshon Lattimore ended the season on injured reserve. The third-year cornerback’s breakout comes at the right time as Lattimore’s future with New Orleans is foggy.

2020 – Zack Baun and Adam Trautman

The Saints 2020 day two picks would both be misses. Linebacker Zack Baun was a dominant pass rusher in college but was asked to play out of position during his time with the Saints and only got his chance to show his pass rush abilities during the 2023 season, which would be his last season with the Saints.

Tight end Adam Trautman would appear in 28 games over his three seasons with the Saints, but the production was never there. Trautman had the ideal size and athletic ability to be a successful tight end in the league and New Orleans was ecstatic when they drafted him, but his time with the Saints would be cut short as Trautman would be traded to the Denver Broncos during the 2023 NFL Draft.

2019 – Erik McCoy

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Erik McCoy has been a starter for the Saints since he was drafted in the second round of the 2019 draft. During his rookie year, McCoy earned PWFA All-Rookie team and Pro Football Focus All-Rookie team. McCoy would sign a five-year extension with New Orleans in 2022 and be named to his first Pro Bowl in 2023.

2018 – Tre’Quan Smith

Wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith would spend five seasons with the Saints but never developed into the player they were hoping for. Smith showed flashes of potential to be a successful WR2 behind superstar Michael Thomas, but health issues and inconsistency derailed those projections.

2017 – Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, Alex Anzalone, and Trey Hendrickson

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The Saints 2017 draft was legendary. After their hit selection of cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the Saints continued to hit on picks as they selected star safety Marcus Williams, 5x Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara, linebacker Alex Anzalone and 3x Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson.

Marcus Williams was a top safety during his time with the Saints, and although he never earned a Pro Bowl nod, the former second-round selection signed a five-year $70 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens in 2022.

Running back Alvin Kamara has become a Saints legend during his time in New Orleans breaking franchise records such as most touchdowns scored. Kamara signed a five-year extension with the Saints in 2020 and has expressed his desire to retire with New Orleans.

Alex Anzalone was a capable starter during his time with the Saints, but really shined when he joined former Saints coach Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions. Anzalone has been a full-time starter for the Lions and has been a crucial piece to the team’s defensive rebuild.

Pass rusher Trey Hendrickson’s first few years with the Saints weren’t anything special. It wouldn’t be until the final year of his contract that Hendrickson would have a breakout season. Hendrickson would walk during free agency and sign with the Cincinnati Bengals. During his three seasons as a Bengal, Hendrickson would earn a Pro Bowl nod during each of his seasons there. New Orleans made a mistake by letting Hendrickson walk and has since spent high-round draft picks trying to find a capable pass rusher opposite of Cameron Jordan.

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