Mock drafts will only keep increasing over the next few months, but the New Orleans Saints always have a way of wrecking those by the time round one arrives.
Regardless, it is intriguing to look ahead at how they'll navigate the early part of the draft with plenty roster question marks.
In the latest two-round mock draft at A to Z Sports, the Saints made sure to focus on needs while also grabbing upside.
Saints attack needs early
9. New Orleans Saints: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
The Saints' defense has been a bitter disappointment this season. Their run defense is one of the worst in the league and their pass rush hasn't consistently delivered to help make up the deficit. To make matters worse, Chase Young, Payton Turner, and Tanoh Kpassagnon are all pending free agents, and the Saints will need to make cap sacrifices somewhere.
Stewart is the type of pass rusher that New Orleans usually covets. Will they keep that sort of eye on bigger edge pieces with inside versatility? that remains to be seen.
Regardless, Stewart is a "ceiling swing" in round one because his athleticism and traits are really impressive. When he's at his best, he looks like a potential top five overall selection.
The buzz around Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart is very real, and it’s very understandable in a vacuum. At 6 '4 ¾” and 279 pounds, Stewart is body-beautiful with nearly 35 inch arms. He is how NFL evaluators draw up EDGE defenders on paper. Stewart is also very twitchy, and insanely powerful. When you look at him, you always wouldn’t expect for Stewart to have tremendous closing speed. That might be the rarest part of his athletic profile. -- Ryan Roberts
Risky? Certainly. Stewart is one of the biggest gambles in round one most likely, but New Orleans has not shied away from that in recent years.
40. New Orleans Saints: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green
I think Fannin will conirtune to rise in mocks over the course of draft season.
He's the most productive tight end in all of college football and has knack for making plays after the catch. Not many guys his size accomplish that very well.
Fannin is an excellent tight end who can do a little bit of everything at the next level. While he won't be a great blocker for you right away, he will give it the effort that you need to see.
He is also used to producing at a high level. Fannin was the engine that had the Falcons' offense running this past season and produced at an extremely high level with 100 receptions on the year. Fannin might be better served staying in school one more year to improve his core strength and blocking acumen, as it's very difficult to grow quickly in that area once you get to the NFL. -- Tyler Forness
For the Saints, tight end may be a notable need by April.
Foster Moreau could get cut to create cap space, and Juwan Johnson missed another chunk of time in 2024 due to injury. Taysom Hill will be returning from a torn ACL next season as well.
