By Ross Jackson
While offensive line and defensive line are creeping up the oddsmakers’ charts for the New Orleans Saints’ first-round pick in the NFL Draft, two skill position players could force them to go against the expectation.
If either Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty or Penn State tight end Tyler Warren are still on the board at No. 9 overall, either could tempt the Saints away from building the trenches with their first selection of the draft.
While other teams are potentially looking to trade up for Jeanty, with phone calls reportedly being made to the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, Jeanty could end up going inside the top three selections. But if he doesn’t and the top eight teams make their original selections, there’s a strong chance for either or both Warren and Jeanty to make it to No. 9, at which time the Saints will have to make a tough decision.
Do they build in the trenches, where they have invested 11 of their last 13 first round selections, or do they draft a player that could bring an immediate impact as a skill position player?
This could be where the Saints’ draft is most impacted by the potential of quarterback Derek Carr not being available or with the team for 2025. With a young passer in tow (which could be added on Thursday night as well), an emphasis could be placed on protecting the new quarterback that might not have been there with a 12th-year veteran as the team’s starter. Perhaps with Carr, landing the playmaking offensive weapon may have been a shoo-in in a way that it is no longer.
There’s no doubt that even with that, Jeanty and Warren could make the Saints second-guess a decision to draft in the trenches.
Ashton Jeanty makes everything look so easy. Even running through tacklers. pic.twitter.com/OBtOSJAjWo
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) April 22, 2025
A young, workhorse running back could take the pressure off of a young quarterback. A big-bodied tight end that can make tough catches over the middle and is efficient picking up yards after the catch could end up being that signal caller’s best friend. Both picks also undoubtedly benefit the changing quarterback situation.
The odds are now pointing to the defensive and offensive lines. But the two players that could change that line of thinking, Jeanty and Warren, have a real chance of being available and therefore shaking things up.
