Yaccarino’s 2024 Saints Mock Draft 1.0

7-Round Mock Draft with trades

With free agency creeping closer, I decided to do a mock draft before and then do another one after free agency, then compare the two. This being my first mock draft of the offseason, I wanted to see what would happen if one of the top offensive line prospects ended up dropping to pick 14. I also made two trades, and this was done based on the pattern of the New Orleans Saints trading up in every draft.

Round 1, pick 14 – Olumuyiwa Fashanu

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Olumuyiwa Fashanu is one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the NFL Draft, and there is some prospect fatigue around him. From the beginning to the end of the season, Fashanu was mocked as a surefire first-round pick. Since then, his stock has dropped because people became enamored by the other prospects around him. That is not because of Fashanu’s game, it is because the other prospects were not being talked about as much.

Saying this, Olumuyiwa Fashanu would be an outstanding pick by the Saints front office, and if he is available, then there is no doubt. If Trevor Penning works out, Fashanu will sit behind as a depth piece for a year and learn to take over at right tackle. If Penning does not work out, you have an immediate upgrade at left tackle that could start immediately; it is a win-win situation. The one worry is that If the Saints look at Fashanu as an immediate starter at right tackle, that could backfire. Fashanu is mainly a left tackle, so he will need to learn to play the right tackle position first.

Round 2, pick 45 – Payton Wilson

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At pick 45, I decided to go with the best available player on the board. Payton Wilson was by far the most talented player and does make sense for the Saints. Linebacker is an underrated position that the team needs. It has been a while since the Saints have had good linebacker depth since Kwon Alexander was on the team. If the Saints draft Payton Wilson, he will be able to sit behind the starting linebackers and learn from them. Wison can be molded to be Demario Davis’s heir apparent and contribute to a stellar linebacker core.

Payton Wilson is an uber-athletic linebacker from NC State who won the Butkus Award for top linebacker in the country. At the NFL combine Wilson measured in at 6-foot-4, 233 pounds, and achieved a 9.81 RAS score. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and a 1.54 10-yard split. This glimpse of Wilson’s athleticism made him an impressive prospect in this year’s draft.

Round 4, pick 115 – James Williams

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The Saints do not own a third or fourth-round pick, so it looks pretty likely that the Saints trade up into one of these rounds. It would be costly for the Saints to trade up into the third round, so I used two of their 5th round picks to trade into the 4th round. This is where the Saints pick James Williams out of Miami. The Saints have shown their talent at drafting safeties, and Williams could be that box safety that the Saints love to utilize.

James Williams is a 6-foot-4 safety who is a very hard hitter. At the NFL Combine, Williams did not have the greatest combine but ran a respective 4.65 40-yard dash. He is not going to be drafted for his speed or coverage; he can make a difference because of his strength and tackling.

Round 4, pick 133 – Khristian Boyd

This is the last trade of the mock, and once again, the Saints use two fifth-round picks to get into the 4th round. Saying this, one player that we know the Saints have invited for an interview is Northern Iowa defensive tackle Khristian Boyd. Khristin Boyd is a big-bodied, dominant defensive tackle who can be a fantastic depth piece for the Saints. The team has shown interest in the past with prospects from Northern Iowa, Trevor Penning, and the same could be true for Boyd.

Boyd did not get a combine invite, which shocked many around the Northern Iowa program, but he did play very well in the Shrine Bowl. Many teams have invited Boyd in for interviews, and he has become a frequently looked-at prospect. For the Saints, Boyd can make a difference in the run game, and if Malcolm Roach ends up leaving, then Boyd could slot in as his replacement. The Saints would need to trade up for Boyd, and if they do, it will be a brilliant move.

Round 6, pick 192 – Javontae Jean-Baptiste

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A very underrated prospect, Javontae Jean-Baptiste is the perfect example of an edge rusher that the Saints would want. Jean-Baptiste is a 6-foot-5 that is able to run a 4.66 40-yard dash. That is a very impressive feat that can not be overlooked at that size. Although he is more of an unproven player, being able to draft him in a later round makes that obsolete.

The Saints have an alarming pattern of drafting unproven edge rushers early who do not work out. By waiting until later rounds to use this tactic, there is a low-risk, high-reward feeling around the pick. If he does work out, then the Saints can add a really good edge rusher to a struggling position group. If he does not work out, then you only used a sixth-round pick on him, unlike using a first or a second.

Round 6, pick 192 – Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint

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To say this is my favorite pick of the mock is an understatement. Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint is by far my favorite sleeper in the draft. The Georgia wide receiver can run past defenders and make very contested catches. Jacksaint showed this ability in the Senior Bowl, where he caught a fantastic catch for the game’s first touchdown. He is also an amazing blocker in the run-and-pass game.

All of these traits are what the Saints look for in the NFL Draft regarding pass catchers. The Saints need another contested catch receiver, and Jacksaint could fill that hole. He could be a great depth piece who could stay on this team for a while just by being an impact blocker. In this new scheme, blocking will be necessary for the pass-catching room, and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint can contribute to that necessity.

Round 7, pick 230 – Michael Wiley

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With the last pick in the mock draft, the Saints select Arizona running back Michael Wiley. Wiley is another player who could join the long line of Saints Senior Bowl draftees. He is a running back with an underrated speed and good blocking. This is, once again, another prospect that could get drafted because of their blocking ability. He is really good at blocking in the passing game but still has good running back ability.

Michael Wiley ran a 4.51 forty-yard dash and had an okay combine performance. The combine was never a place where Wiley was going to shine. His ability is shown in his game speed, where he is able to run away from defenders. Wiley is also very underrated in the passing game, which is yet another side to his offensive versatility.