Piece by Alex Christ
With the conclusion of the NFL’s 86th annual draft selection meeting, it is time to review each team’s draft picks and analyze how these players could make an impact in their rookie season or take a few years to develop their skills in the NFL.
We will start with the NFC South division as the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers, and Saints head into new futures for their franchises with unexpected changes during this offseason.
With the retirement of Drew Brees in New Orleans and Tom Brady’s sudden turnaround in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers look to repeat their success from last year despite not winning the NFC South division (last division title was in 2007). But, as the Panthers and Falcons look to rebuild their franchises under new management with Scott Fitterer as well as Terry Fontenot as first time general managers, could Matt Rhule or Arthur Smith lead their teams to a winning record in 2021 after Carolina and Atlanta lost at least 10 games last season?
The next team in the NFC South we will analyze will be… the New Orleans Saints!
Mickey Loomis’/New Orleans Saints 2021 NFL Draft Grades/Analysis:
Day 1:
28th overall pick (1st round): Payton Turner, DE, Houston. After not trading up for one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft, Mickey Loomis decided to use his first round pick on defensive end Payton Turner from Houston to add some more depth on the Saints defensive line.
A second-team All-AAC selection in 2020, Turner finished with 18.5 tackles for a loss and nine sacks in his last two years with the Cougars after suffering a serious foot injury at the end of the 2018 season.
With the departure of Trey Hendrickson prior to the NFL Draft, Payton Turner will have to compete with Marcus Davenport and free agent Tanoh Kpassagnon from Kansas City to earn his chance to line up opposite of All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan on New Orleans’ defensive line.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B-
*NFL Draft History Note: Prior to the selection of Payton Turner, the last defensive prospect that New Orleans drafted from the University of Houston was defensive back Bo Burris, who was selected in the 2nd round of the 1967 NFL Draft in the inaugural draft for the Saints during their first offseason in franchise history.
Day 2:
60th overall pick (2nd round): Pete Werner, LB, Ohio State. After releasing Kwon Alexander prior to the NFL Draft and Alex Anzalone’s signing with the Lions, Loomis used his second round pick on linebacker Pete Werner from Ohio State to start alongside All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis at the start of the season.
The son of former NFL tight end, Greg Werner, Pete was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2020 and finished his career with 185 tackles (16 TFL’s and four sacks) along with four forced fumbles as well as 11 pass deflections as a three year starter with the Buckeyes.
With Demario Davis as the only seasoned veteran on the Saints linebacker unit, Pete Werner will have to step up during training camp and prove to Sean Payton that he deserves to start at outside linebacker on opening day against the Green Bay Packers.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B+
*NFL Draft History Note: Pete Werner is the 4th linebacker the Saints have drafted from Ohio State and could be the first one to start in his rookie season since Scott Leach, who was selected in the 9th round of the 1987 NFL Draft and only started two games, but had 1.5 sacks and one interception in his only season in the NFL.
76th overall pick (3rd round, trade with Denver): Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford. After Janoris Jenkins signed with the Titans prior to the NFL Draft, Mickey Loomis decided to use his third round pick on cornerback Paulson Adebo to pair up with Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore and Pro Bowl safety Malcolm Jenkins on the Saints secondary unit.
Despite not seeing any action during his freshman season in 2017, Adebo earned first-team All Pac-12 honors in 2018 as well as 2019 with 17 pass deflections in 2018 (2nd in Pac-12, 3rd in NCAA) and four interceptions in 2019, which led the Pac-12 while playing for the Cardinals.
With the addition of former Cowboys defensive back coach Kris Richard on their defensive staff, Paulson Adebo has the chance to learn from his Pro Bowl teammates and his new position coach as Richard looks to form a new “Legion of Boom” in New Orleans in similarity to when he was in Seattle.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B+
*NFL Draft History Note: Paulson Adebo is the first defensive prospect the Saints have drafted from the University of Stanford since Toi Cook, who was selected in the 8th round of the 1987 NFL Draft and had a career high six interceptions in 1992.
Day 3:
133rd overall pick (4th round): Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame. Since 2000, the Saints have been able to avoid a quarterback controversy, but with the retirement of Drew Brees, Mickey Loomis used his fourth round pick on quarterback Ian Book from Notre Dame to compete with Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, and Trevor Siemian during training camp to earn the starting job in Week 1 against the Packers.
An All-ACC third team selection in 2020, Book left the Fighting Irish with the most wins in school history (30 wins) and led the Independent Conference with a completion percentage of 68.2% in 2018 and threw 34 passing TD’s in 2019, which also led the Independent Conference.
If Winston struggles to impress Sean Payton during training camp, Ian Book will have his opportunity to become the first rookie quarterback to be drafted and start a game in his rookie season for New Orleans since Danny Wuerffel in 1997, when he was selected in the 4th round from the University of Florida.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B-
*NFL Draft History Note: Prior to the selection of Ian Book, the last quarterback drafted from Notre Dame in the 4th round of the NFL Draft was Steve Beuerlein, who was selected 110th overall by the Raiders in the 1987 NFL Draft.
206th overall pick (6th round, trade with Indianapolis): Landon Young, OT, Kentucky. After signing offensive tackle James Hurst to a three-year contract prior to the NFL Draft, Loomis decided to use his sixth round pick on offensive tackle Landon Young from Kentucky to compete for a backup role behind All-Pro tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk on the Saints offensive line.
A first-team All-SEC selection in 2020, Young started 24 consecutive games at left tackle in his last two years with the Wildcats after missing the entire 2018 season due to a serious knee injury.
With a lot of experience on New Orleans’ offensive line, Landon Young will probably get some experience playing on special teams in his rookie season, but could develop into a solid backup by getting some first team reps during training camp.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: B
*NFL Draft History Note: Landon Young is the 5th prospect the Saints have drafted from the University of Kentucky and could have a chance to be the first Wildcat to start a game for New Orleans since linebacker Joe Federspiel, who was selected in the 4th round of the 1972 NFL Draft and started 10 games at middle linebacker as a rookie.
255th overall pick (7th round): Kawaan Baker, WR, South Alabama. After wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders signed with the Bills prior to the NFL Draft, Mickey Loomis used his last pick in the NFL Draft on wide receiver Kawaan Baker from South Alabama to add more depth on the Saints receiving corps.
A three-year starter with the Jaguars, Baker left South Alabama as the school’s all-time leader in receptions (126), receiving yards (1,829) as well as total TD’s (27 TD’s; 16 receiving, 11 rushing) and set career highs in receptions (51) as well as receiving TD’s (8 TD’s) in 2020.
With All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas and Tre’Quan Smith as the top two wide receivers on New Orleans’ offense, Kawaan Baker has a chance to impress Sean Payton during training camp by showing his versatility and could be a sneaky addition to the Saints offensive attack.
Alex Christ’s Draft Grade: C+
*NFL Draft History Note: Kawaan Baker is the 8th wide receiver prospect the Saints have drafted in the 7th round of the NFL Draft and could be the first one to start as a rookie since New Orleans legend Marques Colston, who was selected 252nd overall from Hofstra University in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Final Draft Grade/Analysis: My final draft grade for the New Orleans Saints and their general manager, Mickey Loomis, is a… B. After drafting two prospects that could become big defensive steals in Day 2 of the NFL Draft in linebacker Pete Werner and cornerback Paulson Adebo, Loomis addressed the Saints offensive issues by selecting two underrated prospects in quarterback Ian Book as well as wide receiver Kawaan Baker that could become starters this year if they can impress head coach Sean Payton during training camp this offseason.
But, Payton Turner and Landon Young could find themselves in the same situation that Ian Book will be in during training camp as they will be competing for an opportunity to get some starting experience during their rookie campaigns in the NFL despite the veteran experience that New Orleans has in their positions.
Landon Young could be the only draft pick that doesn’t start as a rookie, but Ian Book could also serve as a potential backup to Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill if he is unable to showcase his talents during the preseason while Kawaan Baker could end up as the Saints 3rd option at wide receiver at the start of the season.