After the first two weeks of the season, the New Orleans Saints were projected to have a late pick in the first round. Now, after a two-game losing streak, the Saints are projected to select at pick 13 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The same issues were present in the Week 3 loss against the Eagles and the Week 4 loss against the Falcons. Although the offensive line played better against the Falcons, they still struggled. The defensive tackle group should still be improved upon, but at pick 13, there are no great options.
The Prospects
The offensive tackle group for the 2025 draft has a lot of talent, but the one big worry is early in the first round. The top tackle rankings are fluid and will change a lot until draft night. This would be very similar to the 2024 Draft, but there was more of a feeling that no matter who you pick, you can't go wrong. In this year's draft, the top-end talent has more flaws and less guarantees. These top end prospects are still excellent, but more of a risk compared to last year. One of these top tackle prospects that the Saints can target at pick 13 is Kelvin Banks. In Texas, Banks has primarily played as a left tackle, dominating in pass protection and run blocking. For the Saints zone scheme, Banks would be a perfect fit while also being able to protect the blindside of the QB. His play at Texas has been vital to the offensive successes that the team is seeing, and it is believed that Banks can continue this success into the NFL. For the Saints, upgrading the offensive line is a top priority, and although I think Penning has not been bad this season, I would rather try to get an upgrade over him now before going into next season and regret not doing so. The one issue with this pick is Kelvin Banks plays left tackle, which would mean switching Fuaga back to his college position of right tackle. There is some risk in doing this, but Fuaga should have a smooth transition back, and the Saints would have their tackles for the foreseeable future.
The next player that the Saints could select at pick 13 is looked at as the most exciting prospect in all of college football. Running back Ashton Jeanty has had an outstanding season, and he could very well win this year's Heisman trophy. Currently, Jeanty has 845 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in only FOUR games. He is averaging 10.3 yards per carry, and although he may not have the craziest receiving numbers this season, he is very much still a threat in the passing game. Jeanty is listed at 5-foot-9, 215 pounds, but that size has not stopped him from breaking an egregious amount of tackle attempts. On top of this, Jeanty has excellent speed, burst, vision, and a type of balance that is compatible to Alvin Kamara's. Usually, running backs around his size are not the greatest blockers, but Jeanty has shown effort and ability to make a huge difference when blocking. This type of pick for the Saints would be very smart, but some things must happen. In free agency, the trade market, or the second/third round, the Saints must acquire at least one offensive lineman. This could be a starting left guard or an upgrade at tackle, but it needs to happen for this pick to make sense. If that happens, drafting Ashton Jeanty would give the Saints their starting running back for the foreseeable future. If Alvin Kamara is brought back after this season, drafting Jeanty would still be a smart move, and a great running-back partner with Kamara.
With the Saints projected to pick at 13, what are some prospects/positions you would like the Saints to look at? Would you rather trade back from this pick? If so, who would you want the Saints to select?