Saints Draft Outlook: Safety

The Saints lost some depth at the safety spot, but does that mean they'll address it in the draft?

John Hendrix | Apr 26, 2023

Saints Draft Outlook: Safety /

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New Orleans Saints

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had a good bit to say regarding the team on Wednesday afternoon, and it makes us all eager to see what New Orleans will do in the draft. The three-day event promises to be full of action, and we're that much closer to football returning. We're closing out our draft outlooks, as we finish up with the safety group.

Current Depth Chart: Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye, Jonathan Abram, J.T. Gray, Smoke Monday, Ugo Amadi

Draft Prospect Outlook

Day 1 Options: Brian Branch (Alabama)
Day 2 Options: Sydney Brown (Illinois), Antonio Johnson (TAMU), JL Skinner III (Boise State), Jordan Battle (Alabama), Ji'Ayir Brown (Penn State), Daniel Scott (California), Jammie Robinson (Florida State)
Day 3 Options: Brandon Hill (Pittsburgh), Ronnie Hickman Jr. (Ohio State), Christopher Smith II (Georgia), Chamarri Conner (Virginia Tech), Brandon Joseph (Notre Dame), Marte Mapu (Sacramento State), Jordan Howden (Minnesota), Gervarrius Owens (Houston), Anthony Johnson Jr. (Iowa State), Jay Ward (LSU), Jason Taylor II (Oklahoma State), Trey Dean III (Florida)
Priority UDFAs: Nico Bolden (Kent State), Tyreque Jones (Boise State), Tanner McCalister (Ohio State)

THE CASE FOR DRAFTING: New Orleans lost several veterans during the course of free agency in Justin Evans (Eagles), while P.J. Williams and Daniel Sorensen remain unsigned. The team added Ugo Amadi and Jonathan Abram, while also signing J.T. Gray to a contract extension.

Like the corner spot, depth at the position taught us a good bit for the Saints secondary. New Orleans didn't get their main looks last year that we anticipated in training camp, which was a real shame. Health is hopefully a brighter spot going forward. There's a couple of gems that could fit, but seeing them drafting a safety high would really seem less than ideal.

THE CASE FOR NOT DRAFTING: The Saints could ultimately bring back one of their guys here to provide depth. They could also look elsewhere in free agency, and the undrafted pool will also be active. The issue in the draft is that the safety group is not that strong. Alabama's Brian Branch is the only projected player from the position to go in the first round. There's potential from some of the Day 2 group to be eventual starters, and a player's versatility is really where the Saints would need someone.

At the end of the day, New Orleans could use one of their Day 3 picks to get a safety, but it also won't be surprising to see them not take one. There's some intrigue for Jonathan Abram, as the former first-rounder is looking to start fresh with the Saints. The team will undoubtedly bring in more to this group, and some of the cornerbacks we listed the other day could also fit here.

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Published Apr 26, 2023

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net