New Orleans Saints Mock Draft Roundup 4.0

The Saints move down eight spots and still get the third edge rusher off the board. Laiatu Latu, who may slip because of his medical history, is one of the best pass rushers in this class when he's on the field.

The health status on Ryan Ramczyk doesn't sound great, and 2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning hasn't panned out yet, so the Saints likely need a starting-caliber talent to play tackle. I'm a little worried about Fashanu's run blocking, but he's a facile pass protector who is just starting to reach his athletic peak.

The Saints love to build in the trenches in the early rounds and follow that tack again here, grabbing an explosive and versatile interior pass rusher in Murphy. The former Longhorns star plays with immense power and twitchy movement skills, giving the team another disruptive force on the defensive line. He'll pair well with last year's first-round pick, Bryan Bresee, giving New Orleans a dynamic duo on the interior.

Ryan Ramczyk's 2024 season is in question and 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning has not lived up to his promise. Tackle is a massive need, and the Saints have always taken pride in having a strong offensive line.

In this mock, Olu Fashanu falls down this far, which might be unlikely since he's so talented. The Saints have to fix their line, and he would go a long way towards doing that.

The Trevor Penning experiment has not worked in New Orleans; he has started just six games over two seasons and allowed six sacks. So the Saints have to find a long-term left tackle. Fuaga, who started 25 games the past two years at right tackle while allowing just one sack, has the mobility and agility to make the transition to the left side. He is my OT3 in this class and No. 12 overall player on my board.

Offensive line might be the bigger position of need, but this value for Odunze is just too good. He's available at this point only because I've had five QBs come off the board, pushing down a great player. It's a break for the Saints, who need another young WR to complement Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Odunze is one of my favorite prospects in the class -- he ran a 4.45 40 at 6-3 and 212 pounds in Indy and plays even bigger and faster than that. I love his physicality at the catch point and ability to break tackles in the open field. He had 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 scores last season and should develop into a front-line No. 1 WR. I see a lot of Terrell Owens in his game.

Offensive tackle is the (big) easy decision, considering Trevor Penning's struggles. Having Bowers, Brugler's fifth-ranked prospect, on the board changes the equation for an offense that lacks difference-making pass catchers beyond Chris Olave.