#Saints have been working the phones this week, with possibility to move up or down in the first round, per multiple teams. New Orleans holds the 16th and 19th overall picks.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 28, 2022
Well that’s interesting. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the New Orleans Saints are one team actively calling around the league in the leadup to the 2022 NFL draft, exercising their due diligence in seeking to navigate the draft board. And while the Saints have a history of trading up — they have moved up at some point in nearly every draft over the last 20 years — Fowler adds that the team is also discussing a trade down.
And that’s exciting. The flexibility New Orleans acquired in their additional first-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles would allow them to take a highly-rated prospect at one pick (like No. 16) before moving down from their next selection (No. 19), which would bring in more picks through another trade. They could have their cake and eat it, too.
Trading down hasn’t been in the Saints’ DNA, though you have to wonder how much of that aggression came from Sean Payton. Maybe Dennis Allen and Mickey Loomis are more open to moving down a few slots to add more picks. Loomis spoke about the work the team has been doing to gauge the cost of moving up or down in this year’s draft during Wednesday’s press conference, but those conversations happen every year. We’ll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out.
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