Yaccarino’s 2024 Saints Mock Draft 3.0

The last one for the 2024 NFL Draft!

The NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the New Orleans Saints roster is set, barring any twists. Let’s see how the Saints can fill the remaining holes on the roster with their copious picks in this year’s draft.

Round 1, pick 14 – Troy Fautanu

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This being my third and final mock draft, I had to get the last member of the three F offensive linemen. Troy Fautanu is a talented tackle prospect with positional versatility throughout the offensive line. Although he is a little undersized for a left tackle at 6-foot-4, his arm length makes up for it. He has the same arm length as number one tackle prospect Joe Alt, 34 ½ inch arms. There is a massive argument with Fautanu’s best position, but why not both? For the Saints, drafting Fautanu will allow you to play him at left tackle, or if Trevor Penning makes the hopeful jump, you can play him at left guard. Fautanu would fit perfectly in the Saints’ new zone-run scheme, and his exemplary performance in pass protection will give Derek Carr more time in the pocket.

Round 2, pick 45 – Keon Coleman

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The Saints end up going offense-heavy with the first two picks in this mock draft. Keon Coleman visited with the Saints this offseason and should be on the Saints’ wish list for pick 45. He is a big-body receiver, can make contested catches, and has run after the catch potential. He could be the Michael Thomas replacement the Saints are searching for in this year’s draft. The question with Coleman’s game is his speed, and this worry was created because of the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.61 40-yard dash, which caused concern, but that 40-yard dash should not matter. In-game speed is more important, and Coleman shows that on every down. He is also 6-foot-3 and will probably put on more weight in training camp. His strength is, well, his strength, which the Saints need to improve on. The trio of Chris Olave, Rasheed Shaheed, and Keon Coleman would be one of the scariest WR rooms in the NFL, and they have great depth with that.

Round 4, pick 100 – Mohamed Kamara

In this mock, the Saints trade a future 4th, pick 150, and pick 190 to the Washington Commanders for pick 100. At pick 100, I saw a player the Saints would love and could not miss the opportunity to trade for. Mohamed Kamara is from Colorado State and would be a weapon added to a defensive line that needs more talent. Kamara is undersized at 6-foot-1 but has Blistering speed off the edge and pure athletic talent. He matches his speed with power and can attack any type of tackle that he goes against. Although his athleticism is outstanding, he does not rely on it and adds pass-rush moves to get past offensive linemen. In the run game, Kamara has expressed the importance of stopping the run and said how vital it is for him to show it. He also has the ability to be pushed to the inside for certain plays and can get past interior offensive linemen. He is the perfect defensive line prospect for the Saints and could make an impact immediately.

Round 4, pick 131 – Brandon Coleman

The Saints make another trade in this mock: trading picks 150 and 170 to the Kansas City Chiefs for pick 131. Instead of trading up for defense, the Saints make another pick for the offense line. Brandon Colemen is an uber-athletic offensive lineman who can play left tackle or left guard. Coleman was put on Bruce Feldman’s “freak list,” which lists the most athletic players in the NFL Draft. This athleticism was proven in the NFL Combine, where he had exceptional testing. Coleman blocked for Saints running back Kendre Miller in college, and he is familiar with the zone run scheme. Even though the Saints already drafted an offensive lineman in this mock draft, getting another one with high potential would be an amazing decision.

Round 5, pick 168 – Jaden Crumedy

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A big riser late in the draft process has been Jaden Crumedy, a defensive lineman from Mississippi State. A theme of this mock draft is focusing on the trenches for the offense and defense, which is very important. The trenches can be a factor in winning certain games, and the Saints need to improve on this. Crumedy is a 6-foot-4, physical defense lineman who can make a day-one impact. Crumedy will be put in as a defensive tackle for the Saints, and he will be able to shine on run and pass defense. Although he can use his strength to win battles in the trenches, Crumedy has good rush moves that can get him past offensive linemen. Adding Crumedy and Mohamed Kamara to the current defensive line would be a great move, making it much stronger.

Round 6, pick 199 – Jaylin Simpson

Cornerback is one of the most underrated positions the Saints need in the draft. The team’s depth could improve, and Jaylin Simpson from Auburn could help. Simpson is an athletic cornerback with amazing ability in man coverage, but his weight is an issue. Simpson is underweight right now, but he will probably gain weight for training camp. Another issue with him is his tackling, which is teachable, and his man coverage potential is too high to overlook. Obviously, the Saints already have very good cornerbacks on the roster, but injuries have been frequent and created issues of depth. Getting one other cornerback can prove to be important in the long run, and Simpson would be a good fit.

Round 7, pick 239 – Brevyn Spann-Ford

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With the last pick of the mock, the Saints go with Brevyn Spann-Ford from Minnesota. Spann-Ford is a very tall, 6-foot-6 tight end with amazing catching ability. If the Saints want to find a Jimmy Graham replacement, Spann-Ford could be the closest thing to that. He was a former basketball player and can make heavily contested catches over any defensive back. Spann-Ford can also make a big impact in the blocking game, which is very important in the new Klint Kubiak offensive scheme. This pick is the cherry on top of the Saints’ offensive weapons, and Brevyn Spann-Ford will be able to make impact plays throughout the season.