The New Orleans Saints did not have a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but that did not stop them from making some moves to get the players they wanted.
The Saints traded up for their first two selections, moving up to take Texas A&M offensive lineman Erik McCoy at No. 48 and wheeling and dealing to nab Florida defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson at No. 105.
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees thinks the front office did a great job in the draft, praising the Saints for their maneuvers:
“I felt like they did a great job of maneuvering and trading up to get some guys that I know were ranked very high on their board,” Brees said, via Garlard Gillen of Fox 8. “Guys that they feel like can make an instant impact for us. Only time will tell, but I’m excited to get into practice in a few weeks and see what we’ve got.”
The Saints are coming off of a 2018 campaign in which they won 13 games, winning the NFC South division title and finishing with the best record in the NFL. New Orleans earned a first-round bye and then went on to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. However, the following week, Brees and Co. suffered a devastating and controversial loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
New Orleans' roster has changed a bit, with key players like Max Unger, Mark Ingram and Alex Okafor all departing. But Brees says that's all part of the process:
“Look at free agency and the draft for everybody,” Brees said. “Everybody re-tools. Everybody gets stronger. Everybody kind of goes back to square one. You’ve got to re-establish your identity each and every year.”
Regardless, the Saints will still be one of the favorites in the NFC next season.
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