Breaking down the Saints' picks in ESPN's three-round mock draft

Apr 28, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; A general overall view as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft at the NFL Draft Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NFL draft is drawing closer by the day, and we have a good idea about where the New Orleans Saints will be looking to improve. That’s reflected in ESPN’s latest mock draft from Field Yates and Mel Kiper Jr., who collaborated on a three-round projection.

It’s no secret that the Saints must upgrade at offensive tackle, and that’s where ESPN has them moving first. Penn State left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu has been a popular pick for New Orleans at No. 14 in the first round. Here’s why Yates sees him as a good fit:

New Orleans’ offensive tackle situation is too murky to ignore, and Fashanu would be an ideal combination of need and value. The Saints can slot him in on either the right or left side, depending on Ryan Ramczyk’s status and what they decide to do with Trevor Penning.

Fashanu has never played on the right side before, and Penning only saw a handful of snaps at right tackle in college at Northern Iowa. So one of them would be learning a new position. That’s a tricky proposition given Penning’s too-slow development at left tackle going into Year 3. But the Saints must get better at the tackle spots, regardless of who lines up there.

What about the second round? Kiper likes the Saints to pick Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall at No. 45 overall, making him the 11th wideout to go off the board. Here’s why Kiper argues Pearsall should be going to New Orleans:

Pearsall, who played with Jayden Daniels at Arizona State before transferring to Florida in 2022, really impressed me at the combine. New Orleans parted ways with Michael Thomas, and it needs competition in the wideout room.

Pearsall posted solid numbers in two years at Florida — 99 receptions for 1,632 yards and 9 touchdown catches — though he didn’t make much of an impact earlier in his career at ASU. He isn’t impressing anyone at weigh-ins (6-foot-1 and 189 pounds) but he’s a dynamic all-around athlete with a 9.90 Relative Athletic Score. He might be more productive as a pro than he was in college.

That isn’t a bet the Saints should wager on. There are better-accomplished wideouts who meet as many athletic thresholds as Pearsall available in the second round, and who were picked after him in this mock draft. Guys like Washington receivers Ja’Lynn Polk (No. 46 to the Indianapolis Colts) and Jalen McMillan (No. 51 to the Pittsburgh Steelers), or North Carolina’s Devontez Walker (No. 67 to the Washington Commanders). Pearsall doing well at the combine doesn’t outweigh modest production in college.

Still, we should expect the Saints to add a receiver at some point. It might be Pearsall after all. They’ve already brought in veteran free agents like Cedrick Wilson Jr., Stanley Morgan, and Equanimeous St. Brown to fill out the depth chart behind Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry. It’s not as high a priority as the offensive line, but the receiving corps does need more talent.

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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Breaking down the Saints’ picks in ESPN’s three-round mock draft