Saints First-Round Draft Pick History Since 2017

The Saints have had some real gems picking in the first round of the draft, but the verdict is out on a couple.

John Hendrix | Apr 12, 2023

Saints First-Round Draft Pick History Since 2017 /

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New Orleans Saints

The Saints were able to completely turn things around for their franchise after three straight 7-9 seasons between 2014-2016, and it was largely in part due to their drafting. The 2017 class will go down as one of the most influential for the Saints, and only the 2006 class by New Orleans would be their strongest comparison. Overall, those two classes are among some of the best that has ever graced the NFL.

We've taken a comprehensive look at the way the Saints have drafted in the past, but are going to shift a bit more to how things have went by round and stay within the past five years. That being said, let's focus on the first round.

Saints' First-Round Picks Since 2017

USATSI_18170709_168388561_lowres — Apr 28, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning is announced as the nineteenth overall pick to the New Orleans Saints during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft at the NFL Draft Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2022 (11th): Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State | 19th: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
2021 (28th): Payton Turner, DE, Houston
2020 (24th): Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan
2018 (14th): Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA
2017 (11th): Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State | 32nd: Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin

It's worth pointing out that players that have been drafted in the past like Sheldon Rankins (2016), Andrus Peat (2015), Brandin Cooks (2014) and obviously Cam Jordan (2011) are still in the league on teams right now.

Last year saw the Saints come away with two high-caliber players. Naturally, everyone will point to the trade haul and that New Orleans gave Philadelphia a Top-10 pick, but the team stays firm in their trade and how much they like their players.

Chris Olave is only expected to get better in his second season, and has a real opportunity to shine with Derek Carr at the helm. As for Trevor Penning, he is expected to contend for the starting left tackle spot, but has to get back to action after suffering a Lisfranc injury in the regular season finale.

There's a lot of pressure on Payton Turner to produce right now. The key for his outlook is availability. His first two seasons with the Saints have not gone anywhere near to plan, but there have been glimpses of what he can bring to the table. Cesar Ruiz was in a similar boat during his first couple of seasons, but made a huge turn in his third year with the team. The team didn't pick up Ruiz's fifth-year option, mainly because the tags were too high, so it'll be interesting to see how he does in his contract year coming off a Lisfranc injury.

Marcus Davenport's time with New Orleans ended in a very disappointing fashion. His best seasons came when he was available, but last year seemed a bit too much with him having to deal with offseason surgeries, an infection, and then showing up to training camp not in shape. He's on to Minnesota, and ended up cashing in on a one-year deal to try to bring things back to life.

Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk were essentially gold mine picks. Both were sensational as rookies, and were big reasons why the Saints turned the ship around. They both cashed in on contract extensions in New Orleans, and are still playing at high levels.

This season sees the Saints picking at No. 29 after the Sean Payton trade. Their list of needs going into the draft are not as extensive as they were before, but defensive tackle seems to be the most pressing one. Arguments can be made around getting another pass-catching weapon, securing offensive line help, adding to the secondary, and addressing some holes at the linebacker spot. However, the good news is that New Orleans does have an early pick at No. 40 going into Day 2. So, whoever they don't get on the first night, they could land them not long after the second night starts.

The other thing to consider is how aggressive the Saints front office will be. Getting into the Top 15 doesn't seem that realistic this time, but as we enter picks No. 18-20, that would be somewhere to pay attention to see if New Orleans would try to move up. Ultimately, it depends on how the draft board falls, and there's always those couple of moves that happen that come out of nowhere on draft day.

Overall, the first round has produced some real gems for the Saints, but it's never a sure thing. New Orleans has missed the playoffs for two straight seasons, but the stars are potentially aligning for them again to turn that around. Who they come away with at 29th overall may just help put them over the edge.

Saints' First-Round Picks Since 2017

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