Yaccarino’s 2024 Saints Mock Draft 2.0

Only one trade… but it’s a big one!

Now that the first month of free agency is past, we can look at parts of the roster that still need to be fixed. This could still be done with free agency after the draft, but most can be fixed in the draft, and it should. Since my last mock draft, we have learned about the increasingly negative feelings around Ryan Ramczyk and his injured knee. I have the New Orleans Saints only making one trade this mock, but it could really elevate the team.

Round 1, pick 14 – Taliese Fuaga

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The offensive line has been a need for the Saints for a while, and it has only gotten worse with the news of Ryan Ramczyk’s injury. If there was a way the Saints could get a player that could fix the hole at guard or right tackle, they would, and that player is Taliese Fuaga. The tackle out of Oregon State has been one of the biggest risers in this year’s draft class. Before the Senior Bowl, Fuaga was a middle to late first round pick, but with his performance, he moved into the top 15. Fuaga was dominant and showed his skill in dealing with edge rushers with different abilities. Fuaga also had a great NFL Combine performance that solidified his top 15 position.

Taliese Fuaga is primarily a right tackle who can slide into guard. For the Saints, this is very good because if Ryan Ramczyk can recover, they can slide Fuaga into guard, but if Ramczyk is not able to do so, Fuaga can take his spot. In the run game, Fuaga is dominant and can shine in the new Klint Kubiak scheme. In the passing game, he did not allow a single sack in college, which was when going against talented edge rushers was normal. There is potential that Fuaga will be taken before the Saints’ pick at 14, but if he is available, it will be nearly impossible for the Saints not to select him.

Round 1, pick 27 – Laiatu Latu

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You may be asking yourself how we got here, well, here is the one trade I was talking about. Using the Jimmy Johnson Valuation Model, which is a model to see the value of each draft pick, I created a trade where the Saints move up from pick 45 to get to the Arizona Cardinals pick at 27. In this trade, the Saints sent over pick 45, a 2024 fifth-round pick, two 2024 sixth-round picks, and a third-round pick in 2025 for pick 27. I was very against the Saints trading up with future picks, but a player dropped that the Saints could not miss, Laiatu Latu. I keep to realism during these mock drafts, even if the simulator has amazing players available, but Laiatu Latu dropping to pick 27 makes sense. This is because of injury concerns and the offensive talent in this year’s draft. On draft night, we could see a massive drop in defensive talent into the late first round.

Laiatu Latu is one of the top edge rushers in this year’s NFL Draft and is placed in that group of three with Dallas Turner out of Alabama and Jared Verse out of FSU. In his senior year, Latu had 12.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks, a great resume showing production. Stats could be deceiving in college football, but Latu shows some of the best edge rush skills that a prospect has ever had. Like Fuaga, Latu had an amazing Senior Bowl that allowed him to be considered a top prospect in the draft. An interesting point with the Senior Bowl was that the one player that Latu struggled against was Taliese Fuaga. Laiatu Latu had a great combine performance with a 4.64 40-yard dash at 6-foot-6, 259 pounds.

Although the Saints signed Chase Young, the edge rush group is still one of the team’s weaker ones. If the Saints want to strengthen this position group, adding another top prospect would be needed. Latu can make a day-1 impact and has the potential to be an all-pro player. He checks all the boxes: he has a 9.19 RAS score, fits the height mold, has amazing pass rush skills, is a Senior Bowl participant, has great production in college, and has speed. As I mentioned, this trade is expensive, but getting a player like Latu in the building will change how we look at this defensive line.

Round 5, pick 150 – Edefuan Ulofoshio

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Now that we are done with the trades, the Saints must wait until their next pick. Yes, the team can still trade up, but there is a lot of value in the 5th round that the Saints do not need to trade up for. One of these players is Edefuan Ulofoshio, out of Washington. He is a very athletic linebacker who can impact all around the field and has amazing character. In college, Ulofoshio was praised for his constant work ethic and dedication to football. Ulofoshio went under the radar at the Senior Bowl but absolutely shined at the NFL Combine. He had a blistering 4.59 40-yard dash and a 39.5-inch vertical, which are amazing numbers for the linebacker position.

The Saints selecting Edefuan Ulofoshio, or any linebacker, would be very smart. Linebacker is definitely less needed because of the Willie Gay signing, but in the 5th Ulofoshio could impact on defense or special teams. Also, Willie Gay is only signed for 1 year, Demario Davis is getting older, and Pete Werner has become more of an unknown. Having a backup plan could be very important in the long run, and Ulofoshio can learn from both Gay and Davis. There is also the potential outcome where Ulofoshio does not break into the starting linebacker core and stays on special teams. This is totally fine because special teams is becoming an even more important part of games with the new kickoff rule change.

Round 5, pick 168 – Ryan Flournoy

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Ryan Flournoy is a wide receiver out of Southeast Missouri State with great speed and strength. In his senior year, he had 57 receptions, 839 yards, and 6 touchdowns, with an average of 14.7 yards per reception. He had an under-the-radar Senior Bowl performance, but the drills at the NFL Combine really showed how athletic he is. Flournoy ran a 4.44 40-yard dash, his bench press and hand size were in the 80th percentile, and his vertical and broad jump were in the 90th percentile.

At the 2024 NFL Owners meeting, Dennis Allen mentioned how the team is still looking to add another pass catcher. This is after the signing of Cedrick Wilson and Stanley Morgan, so the draft could be a direction the team goes. Flournoy has the ability to make high-level contested catches and run past defenders. He also has the ability to block, but this aspect of this game could see some more improvement. He has the potential to do this, which will be crucial in the new Klint Kubiak scheme.

Round 5, pick 170 – Jordan Jefferson

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Many LSU fans might be familiar with this next pick for the Saints. Jordan Jefferson is a big defensive tackle who was consistently double-teamed because of his sheer size. The transfer from West Virginia had a quietly good season, racking up 16 tackles, 17 assisted tackles, 13 stops, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. Although these are not stats that jump off the page, as I mentioned before, Jefferson was being double-teamed often. Jefferson had a fine Senior Bowl, but one moment stuck out to teams for a negative reason. During one-on-one drills, Jefferson ripped off his opponent’s helmet and threw it. This was after a lot of trash-talking, but Jefferson immediately spoke about how out of character that was for him and that something like this had never happened to him. In my opinion, this does not seem like a concern and might cause him to fall in the draft, which would benefit the Saints.

The Saints have been looking for a true nose tackle that can take double teams for a while. The last time the team had one was with Malcolm Brown, and since then, the run defense has not been the same. Jordan Jefferson can fit this role and really help the Saints’ run defense improve in 2024. This would also allow more pass-defense-oriented defensive tackles on the roster, such as Bryan Bresee, to have one-on-ones to get to the quarterback. Bresee has seen a lot of double teams in his early career, so if another player is taking those matchups, then Bresee could be even more impactful. In saying all of this, Jordan Jefferson still has the ability to contribute to pass defense with an exceptional spin move.

Round 7, pick 239 – Dylan Laube

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After the trade for pick 27 with the Arizona Cardinals, the Saints are without any 6th-round picks. So, with their last pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Saints go with Dylan Laube out of New Hampshire. Laube is considered a dual threat running back with high potential in the blocking game. In 2023, he had 715 yards and 9 touchdowns in the run game, while in the passing game, he had 68 receptions, 699 yards, and 7 touchdowns. Laube also played special teams, with 467 kick return yards, 180 punt return yards, and 2 touchdowns. In total, Laube had 18 touchdowns and 2,095 all-purpose yards in 2023, and in 2022, he led the nation in all-purpose yards per game at 194.3. After a successful college career, Laube was invited to the Senior Bowl and performed well. At the NFL Combine, Laube ran a 4.54 40-yard dash and had a shuttle in the 95 percentile.

The Saints love to draft Senior Bowl players, as you may have noticed in this mock draft, with every single player being from the Senior Bowl. Laube would be the next one in line, and the Saints also value high production in college, which Laube has. He might not be able to have high production in this current running back room, but in a year or two that room could look very different. His potential in special teams is so high that it will be hard for Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi to pass up on drafting Laube. With the new kickoff rules, Laube could be an absolute star and could really make a difference for the Saints.