The Saints Beat: NFL Mock Draft Simulator 4.0, Final Mocks, Ranking Needs

New Orleans Saints final NFL mock simulations, mocking the mock drafts, and ranking the team needs.

Kyle T. Mosley | Apr 26, 2023

The Saints Beat: NFL Mock Draft Simulator 4.0, Final Mocks, Ranking Needs /

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New Orleans Saints

The 2023 NFL Draft looms, and the anticipation rises. Scouts, executives, and players alike are feeling the pressure and anxiety as they await the official start of the draft. On Thursday, Apr. 27, at 7:00 PM CT, Roger Goodell will take the podium in Kansas City to kick off the night's festivities. Young talented players will fulfill lifelong dreams of becoming NFL players. While GMs and football scouts must make the right decision, particularly when selecting the club's top picks. Failure to do so alters a team's season and NFL decision-makers careers.

WHO WILL THE SAINTS PICK?

Along the Gulf Coast region, the Who Dat Nation will await the decision from Mickey Loomis and Dennis Allen on whether they stay in place at No. 29 or vault several spots to land their top choice.

Look at the latest draft analysis, stories, and more on the Saints Beat.

RANKING THE SAINTS TOP NEEDS

Here are the top-five needs of the New Orleans Saints:

Defensive Tackle
Defensive End
Interior Offensive Lineman
Wide Receiver
Defensive Back

Notice that the tight end position didn't make the top-five positional needs for New Orleans. The 2023 NFL Draft class has an abundance of tight ends. I call it a risky pick for New Orleans to consider drafting a tight end in the first two rounds. The value aligns more with defensive tackle since it's a thin group for the Saints and in the draft. Hence, getting a defensive tackle is a priority.

It's worth noting the tight end position did not make the list as one of New Orleans' top-five positional needs. Fortunately, the 2023 NFL Draft class boasts a plethora of talented tight ends. However, it would be risky for the Saints to consider drafting a tight end in the first two rounds. Instead, they should focus on acquiring a defensive tackle, as this position is in short supply within their team and in the draft. Therefore, obtaining a quality defensive tackle should be a priority for New Orleans.

Interior offensive linemen and defensive ends are 2a and 2b. Should the most highly rated person on the Saints draft board be available at No. 40, Loomis and Allen could decide either way. The defensive end position should be the primary interest at No. 29 if their desired offensive lineman is off the board.

USATSI_18807677_168388561_lowres — Will McDonald IV stands for a photo during Iowa State Football media day at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. Credit: © Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

FINAL SIMULATION: BEST AVAILABLE AT NO. 29

The ESPN Draft Day Predictor simulated the New Orleans Saints' options at No. 29 and No. 40. The top five prospects in several SNN mock drafts are:

Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh
Will McDonald IV, OLB, Iowa State
Steve Avila, C/G, TCU
Felix Anudike-Uzomah DE, Kansas State
Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan

Simulation No. 1 (Normal Speed): No. 29 - Iowa DE Will McDonald IV at No. 40 - TCU C/G Steve Avila.

Simulation No. 2 (Fast Speed): No. 29 - Miss. State CB Emmanuel Forbes and No. 40 - Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs.

Simulation No. 3 (Turbo Speed): No. 29 - Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey and No. 40 - TCU C/G Steve Avila

Simulation No. 4 (Light Speed): No. 29 - Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey and No. 40 - Kansas State DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah

In every simulation we ran, the player we were targeting, DT Mazi Smith at No. 40, was drafted before the Saints had a chance to select him. One constant was Steve Avila as an option in the 2nd round for New Orleans.

In simulation No. 2, we secured Emmanuel Forbes, the incredibly athletic cornerback for the Bulldog team. Adding him to our secondary would be wise, as the Saints could use another playmaker in a unit to have 7 interceptions in 2022-23. Only one cornerback earned a takeaway and pick-six last season - Marshon Lattimore versus Philadelphia in Week 17.

We conducted three simulations using Pro Football Focus, focusing on position and draft needs. The PFF board was used with the randomness feature at its lowest setting.

Simulation No. 1 (Normal Speed): No. 29 - Iowa DE Will McDonald IV and No. 40 Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs; GRADE: B+

Simulation No. 2 (Normal Speed): No. 29 - Tennessee T Darnell Wright and a trade with the Falcons moved the Saints to No. 44 to pick Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs; GRADE: A-

Simulation No. 3 (Fast Speed): No. 29 - Miss. State CB Emmanuel Forbes and No. 49 (2 trades, with Patriots and Steelers to move down and acquire No. 107, No. 120, and No. 241) T N. Dakota State Cody Mauch; GRADE: A-

COULD THE SAINTS MOVE UP?

PFF believes the Saints could jump from No. 29 to select a defensive lineman like Calijah Kancey, Nolan Smith, or Myles Murphy.

Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Mazi Smith (58) speaks during Vrbo Fiesta Bowl media day at Camelback Inn in Scottsdale on Dec. 29, 2022. Ncaa Football Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Media Day

MOCKING THE MOCKS

SAINTS NEWS NETWORK

SNN reporters predict New Orleans will select at No. 29:

Michigan, DT Mazi Smith - Bob Rose
Iowa State, DE Will McDonald IV - Kyle T. Mosley

CBS SPORTS MOCK DRAFT

CBS Sports analysts have the following players mocked the Saints at No. 29:

Michigan, DT Mazi Smith - Josh Edwards
Clemson, DE Myles Murphy - Pete Prisco

SI SPORTS MOCK DRAFT 10.0

Sports Illustrated's Connor Orr mocks for New Orleans at No. 29:

Northwestern, DT Adetomiwa Adebawore

FOX SPORTS MOCK DRAFT

Joel Klatt believes the Saints will take at No. 29:

Clemson, DT Bryan Breese

ESPN MOCK DRAFT

Kat Terrell, Saints beat reporter, selects at No. 29:

Iowa, DE, Luckas Van Ness

WILL THE SAINTS BUCK THE TREND

The Saints have a history of trading up 24 times in the previous 16 drafts.

More New Orleans Saints News notes, quotes, and nuggets will appear on The Saints Beat.

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Published Apr 26, 2023

KYLE T. MOSLEY