Everyone has their own mock draft this time of the year — you can find the latest take from our own Ross Jackson here — and this scenario from Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling would make a lot of sense for the New Orleans Saints. Few teams have invested as many highly-valued picks in their offensive and defensive lines in recent years as New Orleans, and Easterling has that trend continuing in his post-Senior Bowl projection.
With their first pick at No. 29 overall, he has the Saints selecting Florida Gators offensive guard O’Cyrus Torrence. Easterling said this of the fit:
“After getting back into the first round courtesy of the Sean Payton trade, the Saints are able to fill one of their biggest needs with the top prospect at his position. Torrence is a plug-and-play starter at guard, and without a quarterback worthy of this spot still on the board, the Saints would be wise to address the offensive trenches instead.”
Torrence has started at both right guard and left guard at the college level, and he just spent a week of throwing opponents around in Senior Bowl practices in front of the Saints coaching staff. He could step into the lineup immediately at left guard (if the Saints move on from Andrus Peat as a post-June 1 cut, saving $11.8 million) or take the reins at right guard (should the Saints not pick up Cesar Ruiz’s fifth-year option). This wouldn’t excite a lot of fans, but it lines up with how the Saints have built their team.
What about the next two rounds in Easterling’s mock draft? He’s been banging the drum for the Saints to pick Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker for a while now, and he’s still high on that match at No. 40 overall. Hooker is on the same recovery timeline that had Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson ready to start the next season after mid-November knee injuries, and he’s also one of the most talented quarterbacks in this draft class. If his knee checks out, he’d be a good get for New Orleans at this slot. They need to keep throwing darts at the board and hope they hit something without an established passer on top of the depth chart.
And in the third round, at pick No. 71, Easterling has the Saints going back to Florida and selecting Gators defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr. He’s been a consistent pressure player for Florida the last two seasons while predominately lining up along the interior rushing against guards and centers. But he plays with great length and his listed size (6-foot-6, 312 pounds) suggests he can move around outside. The Saints recently hired his old defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, so there’s some familiarity there.
Nailing these early-round picks is crucial for the Saints’ success in 2023 and beyond. Their core of talent is getting older and they’ll need to replace every-down players as more starters begin to age out. Reinforcing the trenches on both sides of the ball while bringing in a quarterback with very high upside could get things back on track in New Orleans.