By Ross Jackson
The NFL Draft rumor mill is in full swing, as is often the case the week of the tentpole event. The latest chatter comes from the top of the draft at picks No. 2 and No. 3 held by the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants respectively.
Per ESPN’s Peter Schrager, both the Browns and Giants are receiving calls from teams interested in moving up. Honestly, it’s about time. Each team still holds its original first round pick with just two days until the draft kicks off. Now, oftentimes these rumors pop up around this time and nothing actually happens. But if it does, this could have a bit of an impact on the New Orleans Saints’ first round.
Impact on Saints at No. 9 Overall
With New Orleans holding the No. 9 overall selection in this year’s draft, a trade up with the second or third selection could change the players left on the board when they are up to draft.
Per Shrager, the belief is that teams are looking to move up for three possible prospects:
- Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter
- Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter
- Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty
All players are expected to be off the board early in this draft already, but there are some chances to impact the Saints’ selections.
Should a team like the Denver Broncos be successful in their rumored pursuit of a trade to land Jeanty, that pushes a player from the top of the draft down a bit. For instance, if Hunter goes No. 2 overall to the Browns and the Giants trade back, passing on Carter, that could lead the New England Patriots to snag the Penn State edge rusher instead of taking an offensive lineman.
If that happens, LSU’s Will Campbell could easily slide past the Patriots, opening the door for him to make it to No. 9 if New Orleans wants to invest in their offensive line. However, the Las Vegas Raiders would still pose a threat there.
Impact on Trading Back
While unlikely, that very same scenario could open the door for New Orleans to do the unthinkable and trade back. An offer hasn’t come across their board since 2007 that’s made them willing to do so, but if the Miami Dolphins offered No. 13 and other picks to move up to snag Campbell, the Saints could be tempted. Miami’s starting left tackle Terron Armstead (a former Saints himself) announced his retirement this offseason, carving out a hole on their offensive line.
The other possible trade back that becomes interesting is if the Broncos fail to trade up to No. 2 or No. 3 and the Raiders opt to fill out their offensive line at No. 6 (with lineman Kolton Miller potentially on the way out amid a contract dispute). Then, all of a sudden, New Orleans could be staring at Jeanty available when it is on the clock at No. 9. If the team’s old pal, Broncos head coach Sean Payton, comes calling, do the Saints oblige? It’s certainly an interesting scenario. The Broncos could call up the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 instead, but even that benefits the Saints as it would likely free up Georgia defender Jalon Walker, who could be a perfect fit for the team’s new defense.
Impact on Trading Back Into the First Round
Finally, and perhaps most impactfully, if the Browns or Giants trade back into the teens or 20s, the likelihood of them selecting a quarterback will skyrocket. That could infringe upon the Saints’ presumed plans to trade up from their second-round pick in order to leap both teams’ second swings at the position in order to land their passer of choice.
If New Orleans wants to pass on a quarterback at No. 9 and take a trench player or offensive playmaker, it’s a wise decision. But ripple effects like these kinds of trade talks makes it imperative that New Orleans is okay with missing out on the quarterback later.
Overall, action at the top of the draft could have several ramifications for New Orleans. It’s perhaps one of the reasons the team should be interested and willing to simply let the draft come to them rather than get overwhelmed with need at any particular position.
It’s sure to be an entertaining evening Thursday night even before the Saints make their selection.
